Other Developers- Enlighten Me

[Merkin]

In my life, I have only used three developers- D76, Diafine, and a homebrew A-B developer similar to diafine. My question is this:

Why should/shouldn't I use other developers?

D76 users definitely seem to be in the minority here. Why? What makes your personal choice of developer better than others for you? How much real-world difference is there in the results? Obviously with Diafine, I have the advantage of basically getting a free push. With D76, I have comfort and consistency. What is the reason behind your choice of developer?

Do you use the developer you use just because you have always used it, or because you experimented and chose one or two?

 

[charjohncarter]

I can't tell the difference between developers. I find, for me, exposure is the most important factor. But I know I'll get arguments. I use HC-110h and Rodinal 1+50 90 per cent of the time the other 10 per cent I use my own two bath method with one of the two developers above as the first bath. I guess if you are pushing or want certain grain characteristics then you will have to branch out but for me two developers that I know well is just fine.

 

[venchka]

Started with D-76 1:1 way back when. Stuck with it until trying Xtol.

D-76 1:1 for 99% of my work until recently.
Rodinal for the other 1% until recently.
Xtol 1:3 since August 2008. I can use Xtol 1:3 in Jobo tanks easier than D-76 1:1. D-76 requires more developer per roll than Xtol.
A few practice rolls in Rodinal 1:100 or Xtol 1:3 + Rodinal 1:100.

Stuff I may try soon:

Barry's Two bath.
Some flavor of Pyrocat.

 

[Yammerman]

Used Ilfotec HC for a long time as it last for ages and is cheap. Very gloopy but I never had any trouble measuring it. Didn't push HP5+ very well so I tried Xtol which to my eyes seemed smoother. Been using that for about six months now.

Also made D-23 form the Darkroom Cook Book and I liked that but the times where a bit long with some films. Another reason I thought I'd give Xtol a try. I've also used D-76 briefly and the results seemed similar to Ilfotec.

Part of me thinks I should support Ilford as it's a British company which has had its problems in the past. When the Xtols runs out I may go back to one of their products.

I guess I'm looking for cheap with a lot of tones.

 

[payasam]

Generally good to find a developer that fits one's requirements and one's style of working, and stick with that. When, decades ago, I did my own developing, it was first Promicrol (May and Baker) and then Microphen (Ilford). Even before that it was an MQ developer formula picked up from a magazine or a book.

 

[alecto]

I use fotospeed FD10... I hardly ever hear it mentioned here, or anywhere else on the net for that matter but I find it to have great sharpness, tonality and it almost always works just fine when I choose to push process (generally guessing my dev times!). There are some examples of HP5 at 3200 in my gallery pics and all the B&W's there were dev'd in this.

I have tried HC110, Rodinal and a few of the Paterson devs but since I've been using FD10 with great success I see no reason to switch!

 

[feenej]

I like one shot developers since D76 goes bad so quickly and I lost a roll of film when my Diafine finally went bad (and I gave up on it after looking at tone-charts for many developers all in one book I have). For one shot developers I used Acu-1, then I used the generic one-shot developer from Freestyle. I also use Rodinal in the same fashion.

 

[Tom A]

I mix my own developers from scratch. Most are variations on MQ "soups" like D76/D96 and occasionally D23/D25. My standard tends to be D76 or variations thereof as it gives a consistent result. The advantage of doing your own "soups" is that, apart from being cheaper, you can modify it to suit your style of shooting.
I also do use Pyrocat HD for some films (works extremely well with Neopan Presto 400) and of course Beutler for slower films like Acros 100,Efke,EK 5231 and other.
The one developer that I buy is Rodinal. It is an old stand by for anything - rough grain with higher speed films, but great with 100 iso and slower films.
The other advantage of mixing your own is that you have some measure of control over "age" of the developer. I keep track of how many rolls go through and dump it when I reach a certain number of rolls.
One shot developers are good - but only if you use them within the prescribed time. Xtol can go bad quickly and with no warning, D76 will get a bit more active with storage and scrambles the contrast.
Pyrocat HD has good storage function - but when it goes - it dies within days. However, it last at least 3 months - so just mix up enough for that time span. Great developer for semi stand developing too.

 

[John Bragg]

Started with Ilfosol-S, simply because that was what the guy in the shop said was good to start with as a beginners dev. That was back in 1986 and progressed to Rodinal simply because it had a cool name, and liked it a lot, though my technique at the time was by the book regular box speed and shake the tank once a minute. I then moved to ID-11 and liked that too. I moved onto HC-110 for everything and stuck with it for a good few years and when it looked as if Rodinal was disappearing for good, I got out my then 11 year old bottle and started to play with film ratings and dilutions and liked it even more than before. I now use Rodinal with reduced agitation for both Tri-X and Neopan 400 and I am getting the most satisfactory easily printed negatives that I have ever achieved with the added plus that my developer never goes off in the bottle, even if I dont get around to using any for long periods at a time. It is easy to mix and 100% dependable.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

My answer to the OP is that there are real differences among the common developers, although the differences can be subtle. Every photographer needs to make his or her own decisions about what works best. In the case of say, XTOL and Rodinal you are going to see very different grain structure to the finished film when you enlarge. In general and when used appropriately, XTOL can produce finer grain than Rodinal. [Edit: this is not to say that finer grain is better, but it is a real difference and will alter perception of your finished product.]

But there are other differences as well. I once lived in a place with very alkaline water. Some developers worked ok when mixed with this water (Diafine), some worked poorly (Rodinal). Other posters have noted differences in storing times and the control you can have over a process when mixing your own "soup." D76 is a fine developer and I used it for many years. I now prefer XTOL or a home brew Vitamin C/Phenidone version posted on the web by a fellow named Patrick Gainer. In my case, the pleasure of mixing my own chemistry is based on the look the home-brew developer gives, the inexpensive nature of the mixture when compared to commercial products and the satisfaction of knowing that a marketing decision to discontinue or alter the developer will not have an immediate effect on me. Now if film goes away, it's a different story.

Try a couple of the alternatives and see if you can find one that works for you. If you develop a lot of film on a consistent basis, you may find that mixing up a batch of stock developer works well. If you are on the move or don't have a permanent darkroom, you may find that another set up is ideal.

Ben Marks

 

[nikon_sam]

Years ago I started with Microdol-X then moved onto D-76 1:1...I also dabbled in HC-110 and liked it too...maybe more so because of how it's used...Mix, Use & Dump...
I'm liking not having to pre-mix a stock bottle of solution and worrying about it going bad...
Now, due to this forum I have given Rodinal a try and do like what I've been seeing with it...and again it's a one time use soup...
As one who hates change, I was in the end very glad that I did...
For me the biggest reason for change is liking the end results...

 

[delft]

Started waayyy back with rodinal because it was cheap. When I picked up photography again I started with D76 because that was the way to go. Switched to HC110 because it is ... cheap (my combiplan tank uses 1 liter per batch, and i prefer one-shot). Will try rodinal on my (cheap) bulk-apx100 soon.

Greetings,
Dirk

 

[shadowfox]

+1 for Rodinal, such a simple and versatile developer.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

I'm, well...lazy 😉

I used D76 for a long time, tried Xtol both stock and 1:1, thought it provided a less grainy image so I switched. I tried Rodinal and and liked the result for certain types of images, like street stuff. Rodinal seems to give me more grain when used with grainier films like Tri-X, so for those images it's what I use most often. Otherwise it's Xtol stock and 1:1 with Acros.

I also tried a Pyro based developer, 510 Pyro. Great grainless results with Acros and Pan F+ but having to order/mix it seemed a hassle (I said I was lazy). Xtol is readily available here so thats what I use.

Todd

 

[charjohncarter]

So, Merkin, what have you learned from this discussion: anything?

 

[Merkin]

So, Merkin, what have you learned from this discussion: anything?

I am still digesting all of this but I definitely appreciate all of the replies. I know I have a couple of questions brewing up about some of these developers, but they are not quite fully formed yet. Thanks again, and keep the opinions/stories/anecdotes/reviews coming!

 

[shadowfox]

I tried Rodinal and and liked the result for certain types of images, like street stuff. Rodinal seems to give me more grain when used with grainier films like Tri-X.
Todd

I found that if I use Rodinal with hardly any agitation, I got smooth grains, even with Tri-X. This technique is best used with T-Max 100 or Ilford FP4+.

 

[charjohncarter]

I found that if I use Rodinal with hardly any agitation, I got smooth grains, even with Tri-X. This technique is best used with T-Max 100 or Ilford FP4+.

I agree, not the best composition in the world, but 35mm, slight crop, Rodinal 1+50, slight agitation, TriX at 250:

 

[David William White]

Debate about developing agents tends to get religious, but I'm in total agreement with charjohncarter: I've tried a few different ones but I can't tell the difference either.

I just go with what is regularly available to me and fits my mode of working. Most of the time, I shoot a couple of rolls and a half-dozen sheets a week, so one-shot devleopers fit that mode well, and I use HC-110 and Rodinal because they are easy to get and mix.

When spend 3 weeks at the cottage, it's a different story: Nothing is available and I have to bring everything I consume. So it's pouches of D-76, Dektol, and fixer. I mix up a gallon of D-76 when I'm ready to process my first load, and I'll continue to use the same batch until I'm ready to head back home. I've a lid for the developers and fixer tanks, and it will keep for the duration of my vacation. So I just mix up once and I'm good for dozens of rolls and sheets, then I just dump everything before I leave for home.

I can't tell the difference between my negatives developed in HC-110 and D-76.

An important point that I like to keep in mind is that I only have a couple of filmstocks and developers that I use regularly, and I am loathe to switch on a whim, because of the testing and learning curve. It's easy to get decent negatives quickly, but it takes years to wring every last stop (or zone) out of a film/developer combination, so you want to select based on what you believe you will always be able to get your hands on, and will give you repeatable and increasingly better negatives.

D.

 

[venchka]

Todd hit the nail on the head: Availability. He and I have the luxury of a shop with a decent supply of chemicals. If they close, I will have to go the mail order route. Actually, mail order is probably easier and no more expensive. However, it's nice to be able to pick up stuff when you need it. And the shop has an amazing selection of used goodies laying around.