D-76 and Dektol

[clcolucci58]

Was just looking fir some opinions here. D-76 @ 1:1 I use it for three rolls of film and Dektol I like to use it for twenty-five prints. The film and prints look good but am I pushing the limits here? Like I said just looking for some opinions.

Regards
CLC

 

[Rob-F]

I use 8 ounces of D-76 to 8 oz. water, and I pitch it out after each roll. I don't much use Dektol any more. Now I use LPD. LPD is like the energizer bunny: it just keeps going and going! (of course, it has to be exhausted at some point.)

 

[Gareth Rees]

I just use D76 1:1 for one roll, one shot.

 

[sevo]

All figures for D76 1:1 which I have seem to assume development in small tanks without the need for extra volume, so four at once in one litre would be the regular process for the times given.

As far as print developer goes, these days it is hard to find a paper that has no developer embedded - most PE base and VC papers will develop in a tray of alkaline "activator" that does not contain any developing agents, so the condition of paper developer usually needs to be little better than "wet". And even with classic paper, you can use the developer until the blacks aren't properly black any more or the image tone takes a odd turn - other than fixer, which can turn bad without warning, there is nothing hidden in the developer stage that escapes a visual test and requires chemical control or computing the used area.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Look at Kodak publication J78. It says you need 8 ounces of stock solution in your final diluted developer for EACH roll of film. So, one roll can be developed in a 2 reel tank, and only 2 films in a 4 reel tank.

 

[oftheherd]

Look at Kodak publication J78. It says you need 8 ounces of stock solution in your final diluted developer for EACH roll of film. So, one roll can be developed in a 2 reel tank, and only 2 films in a 4 reel tank.

Thanks for the reference Chris, but as I read it it says diluted (1:1) and if you choose to use the full amount of reels the tank with hold for small tanks, just add 10% to the time. Did I read it wrong?

 

[sevo]

Thanks for the reference Chris, but as I read it it says diluted (1:1) and if you choose to use the full amount of reels the tank with hold for small tanks, just add 10% to the time. Did I read it wrong?

No, that is the gist of it. With a fairly linear acting developer like D76, 10% is well within the the range of taste (and operator error) - unless you do groups of subjects on identical background like in studio photography, or habitually expose to significantly less than 1/3 stop tolerance, you probably need not care. All other tables I have don't even give different figures for half and full load.

The specified replenishment volume is 2 1/2 ounces, so there probably are up to three to four films to each 8oz volume, if you compensate by exposure time and don't mind a drift in contrast. But D76 being cheap, I'd recommend one-shot over multi-shot with time adjustment every time - if you really get through enormous volumes or have disposal problems, you should, if any, consider replenishment.

 

[clcolucci58]

Look at Kodak publication J78. It says you need 8 ounces of stock solution in your final diluted developer for EACH roll of film. So, one roll can be developed in a 2 reel tank, and only 2 films in a 4 reel tank.

Thanks Chris

 

[clcolucci58]

Good info everyone thanks

Clc