question about d76

[manfromh]

I have a question about mixing d76. I have a 3.8 liter package (powder). So when i mix it with 3.8 liters of water, i get the stock solution, right? And i have to dilute that to get the working solution, right? With how much water should I dilute it?

And whats the best way to store it? I could probably use some glass bottles. Does it have to be in dark? And is it enough if i just wrap the bottles in black ducttape? And are there better ways to store fixer and stopbath, other than in bottles they came in?

English isnt my first language, so some places may be a bit unclear.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

You can use D76 as a stock solution, but most people dilute it 1:1.

 

[oscroft]

So when i mix it with 3.8 liters of water, i get the stock solution, right?

Right. (Though I think you should make it up to 3.8 litres of solution rather than adding 3.8 litres of water)

And i have to dilute that to get the working solution, right?
Right again.

Right again.

With how much water should I dilute it?

D76 is used (and re-used) at stock strength for bulk processing, adding a replenisher after each batch, and you could use it that way if you wanted. But for normal one-shot use (ie develop and pour away), the recommended dilution is 1:1, as Stephanie says.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Let's say you need 300 ml of working solution to develop your film. To get 1:1 with D76 you would need 150 ml of stock D76 plus 150 ml of water to make the 300 ml of working solution. After the developing this solution in NOT re-used, it is discarded.

Wayne

 

[manfromh]

Let's say you need 300 ml of working solution to develop your film. To get 1:1 with D76 you would need 150 ml of stock D76 plus 150 ml of water to make the 300 ml of working solution. After the developing this solution in NOT re-used, it is discarded.

Wayne

Yay, finally something i can understand! Thanks!

 

[titrisol]

1. I learned after some trial-and-error that I coul dmake the package in a 4l or a 1 gallon container... that is the stock solution
You can either use it straight, or dilute 1+1 or 1+3

2. IMHO th ebest way to store it is in dark glass or plastic bottles, filled to the top and well caped. You should get 6-12 mos out of your developer easily

I have a question about mixing d76. I have a 3.8 liter package (powder). So when i mix it with 3.8 liters of water, i get the stock solution, right? And i have to dilute that to get the working solution, right? With how much water should I dilute it?

And whats the best way to store it? I could probably use some glass bottles. Does it have to be in dark? And is it enough if i just wrap the bottles in black ducttape? And are there better ways to store fixer and stopbath, other than in bottles they came in?

English isnt my first language, so some places may be a bit unclear.

 

[kaiyen]

3.8 liters is 1 gallon.

allan

 

[ZorkiKat]

You can also use D76 at 1+3 (one part developer to 3 parts water). To get the amount of "stock" D76, divide the volume needed by four. For example, if 240 ml is the amount needed, 240/4 is 60ml. Then add enough water to make 240 ml.

The 1+3 dilution gives tamer contrasts, less highlight density, and a longer contrast scale. There is also an increase in accutance or apparent sharpness.
Negatives usually turn out to be more scanner-friendly too.

Jay

 

[ZorkiKat]

And whats the best way to store it? I could probably use some glass bottles. Does it have to be in dark? And is it enough if i just wrap the bottles in black ducttape? And are there better ways to store fixer and stopbath, other than in bottles they came in?

.

You could use plastic or glass bottles. D76 used to be my standard developer in the time when I did a lot of BW. Glass is better, in theory, it's supposed to be more gas-tight. PE or plastics tend to "breathe" in air. Case in point would be Coca-cola stored in PE bottles. After some time, they loose their fizz, unlike those stored in aluminium or glass containers. This could be insignificant though.

You also don't need to store the developer in the dark nor use dark amber bottles to store D76. I've always used clear-glass containers which were stored over my darkroom sink.

As for the other chemicals, you can store them in the same type of containers you use for D76. Fixer and stopbath are not as delicate as developer when it comes to oxidation isssues.

Jay

 

[nrb]

I use d76 by diluting 20g of powder in 500 cc of hot water, then I wait the temperature to reach 20ºC.
Maybe this is not the correct way to do it...

 

[phototone]

And whats the best way to store it? I could probably use some glass bottles. Does it have to be in dark? And is it enough if i just wrap the bottles in black ducttape? And are there better ways to store fixer and stopbath, other than in bottles they came in?

One used to be able to purchase reusable thick plastic bottles made out of brown plastic that were intended for storing photo solutions. I don't know if they are still available. However, any thick plastic, or glass bottle that has a screw-on lid that seals tight will be just fine. You do not have to protect D-76 or any b/w or color film developer from light. No need to wrap your bottles in duct tape. It is the film that is sensitive to light, not the developer. The developer is the "catalyist" that converts the latent image on the film to a visible silver image. (b/w film). You do need to protect your mixed stock developer solution from oxidation and evaporation due to exposure to air, therefore you need a bottle with a lid that seals tight. Of course, you develop your film in the dark, or in a light-tight daylight developing tank.

 

[phototone]

You can use D76 as a stock solution, but most people dilute it 1:1.

Yes, for "minature" negatives such as 35mm and 120 size. But I have for years used a 3.5 gallon tank of straight D-76 for developing 4x5 and 8x10" b/w negatives, and when used straight, one can replenish the solution and get incredible life from it. Of course grain is not an issue with 4x5 and 8x10.

D-76 is considered by many people to be the "standard" by which all other b/w developers are compared to. It has an almost perfect balance of qualities. Sharpness, moderate fine grain, good tonal range, full emulsion speed, etc. You can even make it from "scratch", that is from components, metol, hydroquinone, sodium sulfite, etc. rather than the prepackaged powder developer, as the formula has been long available in the public domain.

Ilford ID-11 is the same formula and can be used interchangeably with D-76.

 

[kaiyen]

phototone,
intriguing that you'd go for _more_ solvent effect with larger formats. if grain isn't an issue at that size anyway (and I agree), then you obviously aren't using it for the grain reducing impacts. You must feel you get a tonality benefit? Care to elaborate?

ID-11 is closer to an earlier version of D76 than the current one, but can still be used interchangeable. Nitpicky comment, I know.

allan

 

[thelovecollect]

and when used straight, one can replenish the solution and get incredible life from it.

not to get off topic, but i've never used replenishers before...
if i have D-76 replenisher, do i just mix it to the exhausted developer?
and how long can it be replenished?

 

[tetrisattack]

I can't answer for phototone, but I'll wager he's just going for straight up convenience. And replenishability, for whatever that's worth, if that's even a word.

 

[kaiyen]

but I will say that I see nothing wrong with using d76 straight for 4x5.

Whoa. When did I saw there was anything wrong with what he was doing? Please do not put words in my mouth.

I'm just asking what kinds of tonal differences he's seeing, if any. But perhaps you are right and it's just convenience. See how I acknowledged what you actually said rather than misinterpreting?

allan

ps - yeah, I know, snarky, but I have a pet-peeve about people presuming I mean something when I did not even in fact write anything to that effect.

 

[FrankS]

Whoa. When did I saw there was anything wrong with what he was doing? Please do not put words in my mouth.

I'm just asking what kinds of tonal differences he's seeing, if any. But perhaps you are right and it's just convenience. See how I acknowledged what you actually said rather than misinterpreting?

allan

ps - yeah, I know, snarky, but I have a pet-peeve about people presuming I mean something when I did not even in fact write anything to that effect.

So Allan, you're saying that Ansel Adams is at least a good a photographer as HCB? (kidding - humour!)

 

[kaiyen]

Frank



Thanks. I needed that.

allan

 

[tetrisattack]

Whoa. When did I saw there was anything wrong with what he was doing? Please do not put words in my mouth.

I'm just asking what kinds of tonal differences he's seeing, if any. But perhaps you are right and it's just convenience. See how I acknowledged what you actually said rather than misinterpreting?

allan

ps - yeah, I know, snarky, but I have a pet-peeve about people presuming I mean something when I did not even in fact write anything to that effect.

Oops! Sorry about that one. I certainly didn't mean the tone of my post to be hostile either, I'll edit for clarity.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Replenishment

Replenishment

Replenishment for D76 (or any processing chemistry) is only worth doing if there is a lot of film used. It's not for those who process 1, 2 or a few rolls at a time. We used to do this when we consumed about 30 rolls a week. It was done more for economy and some bit of consistency in the processing line, but not necessarily for the negative's quality.

Replenishment is adding a bit of replenisher to restore the developer's activity after the film developed in it took away some of its potency. As film develops, it exhausts the developing agent and takes away some of the solutions volume. A replenisher solution can be described as a somewhat stronger version of the developer. The D76 replenisher differs only from the developer solution by having more concentration of the developing agent and
activator in the solution.

The rate of replenishment varies. Some references require that a certain volume be added to the developing solution for each given amount of film which passes through it. That would be anywhere from 10 to 20 ml per 36 exp 35mm roll, for example. Others would just say to add enough replenisher to the developer to restore it to its original volume (the film does take away a significant volume).

Using replenishers, theoretically, would increase the yield of a given volume of developer. For instance, if a litre of developer is good for 10 rolls, a replenisher can increase the capacity to about 50 by the time the replenisher is depleted.

All that replenishers maintain constant is the developing time. Without replenishment, reusing developers would entail increase in development time each time it is reused to compensate for its weakened activity. By adding more fresh developer agent as well as activator, the developer is able to maintain the same developing time. But as the developer is used more and more replenisher is added, the quality of resulting negatives varies. The contrast tends to become harder- more bromide is left in the developer itself. The negatives no longer have the same contrast (and to some extent, grain)
qualities as the first ones which were developed.

Jay