Most Commonly Used B&W Film Developer

[giganova]

Question for you guys: the only developer that I have ever used is Ilford DD-X. However, since I am getting tired of the expensive shipping costs plus I don't have a cool room to store it in the summer, I am looking for a powder alternative. Which powder developer would give me good results with FP4 and HP5?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Question for you guys: the only developer that I have ever used is Ilford DD-X. However, since I am getting tired of the expensive shipping costs plus I don't have a cool room to store it in the summer, I am looking for a powder alternative. Which powder developer would give me good results with FP4 and HP5?

Best powder developer IMO is Microphen. It doesn´t dilute grain, and you can use it for HP5+ up to ISO 3200.
For FP4 you can use Rodinal: liquid, beautiful tone, it lasts for more than 10 years, tight crisp grain, and with a $15 500ml bottle you can process 100 rolls...
J.

 

[SyPat]

FX-55 is a fantastic formula: high resolution, nice greyscale and really fine grain.

 

[kingjon]

Rodinal, HC110 dil.h and am about to mix a batch of caffenol and try that. Like the shelf life of Rodinal and HC110, buy it and forget it!

 

[css9450]

I have to admit that I've only developed a dozen rolls of film after a 41 year hiatus in the darkroom.

I'm with you.... Except in my case the hiatus was more like 35 years. Photography class in HS involved mixing up the developer (D76?) in hot water, then cooling it in a water bath. Sometimes we kept it in the refrigerator and had to use a warming bath. It was tedious, time-consuming and frustrating. After that semester, I switched to Kodachrome and never looked back.

Now, my experiments with B&W are using Rodinal. So easy and simple.

 

[Ted Striker]

I can develop a batch of film using Kodak HC-110 in under 30 minutes. Clean up included!

 

[webOSUser]

I can develop a batch of film using Kodak HC-110 in under 30 minutes. Clean up included!

I am a bit envious. Sometimes it seems to take that long for me to mix the HC110 and get the developer temperature down to 20°C.

 

[giulio stucchi]

In my first year of home made development (2012) I used Adox Adonal mainly with APX100 and tri-x / neopan 400. Later I moved to Ilford LC-29 and tri-x adding a bottle of DD-X from time to time for pushing tri-x and also for acros 100.
Inspired by the work of Erik I once tried perceptol with t-max 400 but LC-29 stays as my main developers also for the short time necessary to run batch of 2 film. I might consider Adonal / Rodinal again for future projects.
Giulio

 

[Rob-F]

October 13, 2017: aaand Rodinal passes HC110 and takes the lead! Rodinal is ahead by a sprocket hole!

 

[cz23]

I am a bit envious. Sometimes it seems to take that long for me to mix the HC110 and get the developer temperature down to 20°C.

I'm pretty new to this, but 30 min. is about my time as well. I fill a tub in one half of the kitchen sink, get it to 72 degrees, and then mix the HC-110 from that. Stop and rinse come from the same tub. I use fixer at room temp, which is pretty close. It's become pretty routine.

John

 

[Chuffed Cheese]

Was ID-11 Stock for awhile but I just ordered some DD-x tp try out.

 

[spaceistheplace]

I've used D76 for the last 50 or 60 rolls and I get the results I want with the films I use, no reason to mess things up.

 

[narsuitus]

Kodak D-76 for roll film and sheet film.


Portable Dark Room by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[DNG]

Mainly HC110 H (1:60) at box speed or I pull one stop, I shoot Tmax 400
I use TMax 1:4 sometimes. not too often though

I use Time to adjust the contrast. More = More, Less = Less... 10%-20%... depends on sunny or cloudy days for the majority of the frames.

 

[Schlapp]

Been using PQ paper developer for films recently. 1:10 2mims or 1:20 4 mins .
Works rather well for everything.

 

[Pentode]

I use D-76 1:1 most of the time.

For certain applications HC-110, Rodinol and Acufine see some use but none of those anywhere near as much as I use D-76.

 

[Fuchs]

HC-110 Dil. B. Easy preparation and almost eternal storage life

 

[Rayt]

I am set on the following combinations and they work for me:

Rodinal with Acros
D76 with Tri-X and TMY
HC110 with HP5+

 

[colker]

D 76 diluted 1+3 gives the sharpest visible grain while keeping tri x at 320 asa. I like it better than hc 110.

D76 is easy, cheap and excellent.

 

[colker]

I can develop a batch of film using Kodak HC-110 in under 30 minutes. Clean up included!

Give me a fast fixer and washing and i can do that w/ any developer but... why? Just do it perfect.