Most Commonly Used B&W Film Developer

[roscoetuff]

Unfortunately, we don't have the ability here (to my knowledge) to do compound polls the way I'd like to separate 35mm and 120 rolls film. In part, there seems to be a difference by film type that gets confusing when folks don't specify, and I'm also curious to see if there are any legs to the Pyro and Pyrocat "buzz" vs. "reality" question some bring up. I'm also curious about "Standard", "High Dilution/Low Agitation", "Semi-Stand" and "Stand" choices... but we can't add all of these possibilities into one poll. So maybe in series? if there's a stomach for it? I'd also be curious how many here roll their own chemistry versus mix it up from a commercial or semi-commercial kit (some suggest Photo Formulary isn't really a commercial company... and I get that).

 

[Pioneer]

Beutler or D23

Beutler or D23

I use Beutler or D23 most of the time, both of which are mixed up when needed. Always having fresh developer available is nice.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've gotten pretty set in my ways with developers. HC-110 for some films, Rodinal or Studionol for others. And then a few specialized developers for a few films.

 

[John Bragg]

Always HC-110 dilution H. (Minimal agitation)

 

[Jake Mongey]

Usually use rodinol although its fallen out of favor with me with a recent change of aesthetic and its moving in favour of ID11 microphen and percepetol but rodinol is outlasting them as i shoot so much I just find myself running out of the others very quickly.

 

[phrons]

I like the contrast of rodinal.

 

[roscoetuff]

Hey Dan: Which Beutler are you using (I think there's Red and Blue)? Shots I've seen with D-23 seem to show really well.

FWIW, I'm using HC-110 as my main squeeze. I like the flexibility to use it in any number of ways. Not my favorite results, but very dependable. I've liked the results of FP4+ with Pyrocat-HD, but I like them with HC-110, too. Looking forward to trying some Rodinal with 120 where I hear the grain issues ...are negated by the negative's size.

 

[johnf04]

I use Agfa Rodinal - I recently bought 2 unopened 500ml bottles, and I have half bottle I bought when Agfa went under. There should be enough there to see me out.

 

[kiemchacsu]

HC-110 is so easy to use, cheap and shelf life is forever.
T-max is also a cool developer, especially for pushing. The only downsize is cost.
Verdict: HC-110 is king.

 

[ellisson]

Usually DDX, sometimes D76, occasionally Perceptol.

 

[kxl]

Historically, I would think that D-76 would be one of, if not the most commonly used B&W developer of all time. Back in the day, that was usually what was available in my high school darkroom, as well as public darkrooms.

It probably continues to be one of the most commonly-used developers to this day, along with HC-110 and Xtol -- all very good all around developers.

 

[sreed2006]

I am no expert, but for low speed films (below 100 ISO), I really like the results produced by Caffenol. For the last few dozen rolls of Tri-X, I've been using Rodinal. The results are not spectacular, but it's easy to mix up and use.

 

[Rob-F]

D-76; XTOL; and Other, specifically DD-X or Microphen.

 

[anerjee]

I only shoot tri-x, usually at 250 (for daylight) or 640 (for indoors), and use Rodinal and Microphen respectively

 

[sazerac]

I've gone through a couple phases over the years. Currently I have a bottle of TMax developer for Tri-X 35mm. I had been on an XTOL kick for a while because I could also use it for the TMax 100 4x5 film. I've also developed a lot with the different dilutions of HC-110. If I had to pick I might say that XTOL has my favorite look.

 

[Chris101]

I use HC110, dilution b at 20C for almost every roll of black and white film I shoot, which is on average one roll a week. Occasionally, in the summer, the temperature is too high, and I use a nomograph to determine the equivalent time. I use time to control contrast coupled with the effective film speed.

I also clicked some other choices: For delta 100, I use D76. I have also experimented with caffeinol, and some speed increasing developer in a little tin can, back in the 1970s. These days it's always the hc110 though, mostly because pushing and pulling is linear.

 

[Jockos]

Right now were switching from XTOL (W27) to FX-39 for a while, to see which we like better.

For large format, I use HC-110 for economy 🙂

 

[zuiko85]

For those of us who don't develop film regularly HC-110 has the keeping quality I need.

 

[Bill Clark]

The developer I use varies.

Today I'm developing a 36 exp. roll of Pan F Plus in Adox (APH-09) similar to Rodinal.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Rodinal & Microphen... Sharp grain or nothing!