Need advice on first time use of D76

Bosk

Bosk

Make photos, not war.
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Hi guys,

I'm planning on picking up some Kodak D76 next week, seeing as I have the urge to try out a different developer from HC-110 and have a couple of newbie questions I was hoping you could answer please.


Is it best to use D76 stock or mix it 1:1 with water?
I'll be using it to develop T-MAX 100 initially.

How many times can I re-use the developer before replacing it?

Does the amount of agitation have a big effect on contrast, as is the case with HC-110?


Cheers!
 
Yipe- 1:1 is one-shot? I've been treating the 1:1 more like one-fortnight.. maybe six rolls per little pack.. This may be bad practice.. But so far it's always worked.
I like 1:1 because the times are longer, so I feel the errors in my timing will be less significant.
Be aware there was a change in times for later T-max films, but the d-76 bag reflects this.
 
Thanks very much for your answers.

One other question, is there any advantage to using D76 undiluted as opposed to 1:1?
 
Undiluted, D-76 has a stronger solvent action resulting in finer grain at the cost of less acutance. It can also be used over and over, with replenishment according to instructions. I prefer the better sharpness of the 1:1 and appreciate the convenience and consistency of a one-shot use.
 
dilution

dilution

Bosk said:
Thanks very much for your answers.

One other question, is there any advantage to using D76 undiluted as opposed to 1:1?
Click to expand...

As stated, longer dev time makes timing errors less significant. Percentages, it's simple maths.
And economy ofcourse.
Do you know the devchart online? 'Devchart' in Mozilla gets you here: http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html
Here you will find lots of info on different developers, films, speeds and timing.
 
laptoprob said:
As stated, longer dev time makes timing errors less significant. Percentages, it's simple maths.
And economy ofcourse.
Click to expand...

Quite why I use caffenol. :) Dev time of 30 minutes....
 
Use small bottles for the stock to keep air away from it. Activity level goes up, then crashes when exposed to air. If you keep air away, it lasts with great uniformity for 6 month minimum. Things change in a few days if you let air get to it. Kodak says 6 weeks in a half full bottle being good for 6 weeks is wishful thinking.

I use 4 oz bottles one shot mixed with 4 oz water or two 4 oz stock for undiluted use.
 
Interesting thread here! (D-76 being one of my favourite devs, but I'm not using it right now)

My problem with D76 was always using it up before it went yellow so I never worried about 1:1 being wasteful :) So will try the small bottles trick next time.

Next time it's ID11 which is still available over here in 1 litre quantities.
 
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Yes, indeed, that's the point :) I don't shoot anywhere near enough film to go through 5 litres in ~6 months - anybody in the same boat should probably consider the ID11 1l. I'm actually using Xtol at the moment but I don't find it to be terribly predictable, whereas I was always happy with D76.

Regarding the storage - I heard that once diluted to working strength (1:1 in this case) the life of that solution is considerably shortened. Is that actually true? I always mix just before use, which helps with getting the temp right anyway.
 
jmi said:
Regarding the storage - I heard that once diluted to working strength (1:1 in this case) the life of that solution is considerably shortened. Is that actually true? I always mix just before use, which helps with getting the temp right anyway.
Click to expand...

Do not attempt to keep 1:1 ID11 or D76. It has a shelf life of hours, not six months.
 
They make those collapsable bottles to keep air out. I 've been thinking about getting a couple. Does anyone use them?
 
D76 1:1 compared to undiluted solution requires longer developing times, produces less contrasty negatives but with more shadow and highlight details. For consistent results I do not reuse any developer. With Delta 100, 1:1 is my preferred way of using D76.
I think it is best to experiment a bit to find what works best for you, your photographing practices and the film and lenses you use.

Zoran
 
The concertina bottles work fine at re-sealing with almost no air in there - at least until the last couple of "shots", when you have to put in a few glass marbles as well as compress the bottle.

The only problem I found was that eventually there is a build up of gunge inside the concertina, and they are hard to clean properly. There are, of course, chemical products designed for cleaning darkroom equipment, but I never tried them.

(edited for spelling mistake, dohhhhh)
 
It has been a while since I used this developer (in ID11 form). I truely only changed for reasons of the tremendous economy of HC-110 and its phenomenal shelf life. In my eyes either is a top notch product. My vote is for 1:1 and one shot use... Enjoy !
 
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