Need help with developing HP5 with D-76

[Dwatsonkc]

Help with Overdevelopment, too much contrast.

My First Post. I have dusted off my film cameras and have developed 16 rolls of HP5 in the last couple weeks. ALL the rolls have been way over-developed. Some are not very usable as the contrast is soo high. The highlights are blocked up with no detail. I keep cutting back the development time and it's helping but I think I'm doing something wrong. It's been a couple of years and my notes are not working here....

Any Advice?

HP5 taken in different cameras @400 so it's not the camera meter.

D-76 1:0 stock souped for 6min 30sec @ 68deg
5 Sec agitation every minute

What am I missing? Thanks!

 

[gb hill]

Digital Truth gives times for stock solution 7.5 min. for D-76.
1+1 @ 13 min. They recommend 30sec. continuous then 10 sec. every minuet.

 

[feenej]

Maybe your camera is overexposing your film.

 

[Dwatsonkc]

Thanks for you replies. I have cut back on the published times and still have a problem. Also have ran new and old film through 3 different camera's. Don't think it's the meter or the film.

 

[mknawabi]

Is your water temperature constant? How long have you had your developer? Try doing a test roll with a gradient of EVs?

 

[venchka]

Try diluting 1:1. 8 ozs. D-76 plus 8 ozs. water. Temp. at 68F or 20C. E.I. at 250. I have devloped about 50 sheets and several rolls of 120 HP5+ and totally love the film. I used D-76 diluted 1:1 at first with continuous agitation in Jobo tanks. Good results for sure. I then switched to Xtol diluted 1:3 and the same Jobo tanks and continuous agitation. I like that combination better than D-76.

I hate to say it, but you must be doing something wrong. HP5+ in D-76 is a good combination.

 

[jmcd]

I shoot HP5+ regularly at 400 speed, and develop in ID-11 1:1 for 13 minutes at 68 degrees. Agitation for first 20 seconds, then two inversions at the top of each minute.

These look normal proofed on Grade 3 Kentmere.

With the dense negs you are getting, something might be off with exposure or temperature in developing, particularly as HP5+ is not a film particularly prone to excess contrast.

 

[sepiareverb]

I run HP5+ 13 minutes in ID-11 (Ilford's D-76) @ 1:1, but I agitate a little more than jmcd- 30 sec at the start and then 5 seconds every half minute. I may agitate more gently- are you agitating very roughly? That can contribute to the blocking up you describe.