Most Commonly Used B&W Film Developer
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Larry Cloetta
Veteran
The recently released and heavily revised and brought up to date “The Film Developing Cookbook” by Anchell and Troop is highly recommended for anyone really wanting to know what is the best developer for what film, and why that’s so.
Contains the most up to date dilm processing information available, including what is known about revised chemical make ups of old standby developers that might make them not exactly like they once were, or not providing the results you might be expecting, if you were expecting the results famous people got in the Sixties.
Granted, it’s easier to just “do it the way we has always done it.” if that’s good enough.
For anyone perhaps wanting more than that, this resource is almost indispensable. A fun read as well, as unlikely as that might seem.
Worth the time if you are even half serious about this.
https://www.amazon.com/Film-Develop...rds=Film+cookbook+troop&qid=1579806864&sr=8-1
Contains the most up to date dilm processing information available, including what is known about revised chemical make ups of old standby developers that might make them not exactly like they once were, or not providing the results you might be expecting, if you were expecting the results famous people got in the Sixties.
Granted, it’s easier to just “do it the way we has always done it.” if that’s good enough.
For anyone perhaps wanting more than that, this resource is almost indispensable. A fun read as well, as unlikely as that might seem.
Worth the time if you are even half serious about this.
https://www.amazon.com/Film-Develop...rds=Film+cookbook+troop&qid=1579806864&sr=8-1
madNbad
Well-known
Last year, after several disappointing results from the local labs, I decide to use one film (TMax 400) and develop at home. After a dozen or so rolls, HC-110 dilution H has given me consistently good result. If anyone knows a way to mix the solution for a single reel tank, that would be great. All of the information indicates a minimum of 6 mL of HC-110 concentrate so I either load a single reel into a two reel tank or mix enough for 480 mL and dump half. I could wait till I have two rolls to develop but I'm not that patient.
Freakscene
Obscure member
Where the minimum developer volume/dilution/tank volume combination doesn’t work I always make the minimum of concentrate to my tank volume and work out a time. So if you are using a 240mL one reel tank, put 6mL of HC-110 concentrate into 234mL of water and work out a time. You can call it HC-110 dilution q or mnb or whatever you like.
If you are mixing 480mL and dumping half you are only using 3mL of concentrate. The reason for needing 6mL of concentrate is to fully develop the film, not for consistency of mixing. The late Roger Hicks and I discussed why minimum volumes of developer are needed here: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88482&highlight=Roger+marty+minimum+volume
Marty
madNbad
Well-known
Thanks for the advice. Read Rogers article and switched to Dilution B.
giganova
Well-known
The book makes no mention of Ilford DD-X -- one of the most popular developers?!? The book title is misleading, it should be called “The Kodak Film Developing Cookbook” 🙄
dkrawchuk
Newbie
Chapter 6, Page 76. Also chapter 10. He seems to think quite highly of it.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I object to Rodinal and HC-110 being more popular than D-76. I demand that five more D-76 fans sign up, immediately. 🙂
Russell W. Barnes
Well-known
If I use HC-110 now I mix it slightly off Dilution 'E' at 1+50 instead of 1+47 and increase the time by 51/32 x the time quoted reference to Dilution 'B' (1+31), which works out at 8 mins instead of 5 mins for HP5+, say. This is a linear increase and that's how it seems HC-110 dilutions work.
I find it's easier to be consistent measuring out 12ml (for 120 film; 600ml) or 7ml (for 35mm film; 350ml) than bimbling about with tiddly fractions in the syringe. Mind, I'm not sure how critical the amount of error I can get away with.
I prefer ID-11 anyway. 🙂 And Rodinal.
I find it's easier to be consistent measuring out 12ml (for 120 film; 600ml) or 7ml (for 35mm film; 350ml) than bimbling about with tiddly fractions in the syringe. Mind, I'm not sure how critical the amount of error I can get away with.
I prefer ID-11 anyway. 🙂 And Rodinal.
agentlossing
Well-known
I voted rodinal because the Adox bottle I bought last year has proved more convenient than my previous main developer, that being DF96 monobath. That one is super fast and easy to use but the solution doesn't last that long for my rather intermittent developing schedule. Rodinal is so much easier when going months between developing rolls.
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