Thinking of changing Black & White Film Developer

Steve Ruddy

Steve Ruddy

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I have always used stock Kodak D-76. I mix it up and try to use the whole gallon before it expires. On several occasions I have pulled out a roll of film with no image and no film numbers. I can only assume in these cases I have dumped my fixer into the developer bottle thinking it was my waste bottle. Since I am starting to make these type of mistakes I'm thinking of switching to a developer that I can mix as I go. I usually only develop one or two rolls of 120 at a time. What do you all suggest? I'm fine with the results I get in stock D-76 and I could come up with a procedure that will eliminate the chance of mixing my chemicals but it is a pain to have to heat up the water to mix. I think if I had a powder that could be mixed in cold water I would think about sticking with powder.
 
As a photographer who may not develop any film for months I have come to the realisation that Rodinal is my best option , only last week I had to throw out a nearly full bottle of Ilford ifosol 3 for the reason that I couldn't trust if it would work or not.
 
I use HC-110 and couldn't imagine a more convenient approach. I fill a water tub in the sink at the right temperature, mix one-shot developer from it, and use it for stop and rinse. Don't think I'll ever use powder again.

John
 
Another enthusiastic vote for Rodinal. I like being able to mix up just what I need, depending on if its just one roll in my small tank, or several rolls in my big tank. No waste.
 
There you have it. There are many good developers, and others will suggest their favorites.
Regardless of their claims otherwise none besides Rodinal and HC-110 offer the simplicity,
convenience and keeping properties suitable for those of us who develop film sporadically.

Chris
 
You might want to give the Famous Format FF No.1 "Monobath" try. I've been using it for B/W (T-Max, PanF, Delta) and the results are extremely good. Fine grain. Great contrast.

It's ONE solution that is delivered mixed, and 1L will easily develop 10 rolls+. No stop. No fixer. It's one shot. 6 minutes, wash and you're hanging negatives. Oh, and it's used at "room temperature" (@72ºF +/-) so no need to heat things up! Highly recommended.

http://famousformat.com/2018/01/22/announcing-ff-no-1-monobath-developer-in-production/
 
Rodinal, HC-110, and Tmax Developer are all developers that have very long shelf lives and are mixed before use for one-shot developing.

Use Rodinal if you like its unique tonality and grittier image structure, or if you use slow fine grain films like Tmax 100 and Ilford Pan-F.

I recommend Tmax Developer as a general purpose developer. You can dilute it 1+7 instead of the standard 1+4 dilution to save money since its a fairly expensive developer. Multiply the standard developing times by 1.5 to get the times to use with the 1+7 dilution. So, if the normal dilution requires 6 minutes, you would develop for 9 minutes with the 1+7 dilution.
 
Another one-shot developer is Ilford DDX. I use it with Delta 100/400. Convenient but, comparatively speaking, on the expensive side.
 
HC-110 was designed specifically to give results similar to D-76 and, as others have stated, is very easy to mix and use for sporadic, one-shot developing. If you've been happy with D-76 then HC-110 will probably give you what you need.

Rodinal is even easier to use but it does have a different look. Good, but different.

Both developers are inexpensive and have a really long shelf life. You could try both without being out a lot of cash.
 
I'm not sure why switching developers is going to prevent accidentally dumping the fixer into the developer bottle. And what's a waste bottle? My developer goes into the sink drain after developing the film, otherwise I wouldn't be able to pour fixer into the developing tank. The fixer goes back into the fixer bottle and I keep reusing it, always doing a clip test beforehand to see how it is at that moment in time. I reuse the stop bath too, or at least I used to. I found that a cold water rinse instead of stop bath has made no difference in my negs, so I don't use a stop bath solution anymore.
 
One suggestion: I separate a gallon of D76 stock into several 330ml Perrier bottles. Depending on how much developer you use per roll, or whether or not you fill each bottle to the top, these can be discarded every time you use them. They'll last longer and won't confuse you.
 
Matt04182 said:
One suggestion: I separate a gallon of D76 stock into several 330ml Perrier bottles. Depending on how much developer you use per roll, or whether or not you fill each bottle to the top, these can be discarded every time you use them. They'll last longer and won't confuse you.
Click to expand...

Interesting how folks recommend a developer with out even knowing what film you use. Not every developer gives good results with every film.

It really depends on what film you're using.


The above posted suggestion to break it up in smaller bottles is excellent. I'll take it a little farther. Only use glass because plastic can still allow oxygen to migrate in and cause your developer to oxidize.

I would suggest using "Bloxygen" varnish preserver / wine preserver or "Wine Preserver" to displace the air from the bottle, especially smaller bottles. It's not expensive, readily available from Amazon, shop price, and a can goes a long way. What it is is argon gas which is insert, non flammable and non toxic. Argon doesn't combine with anything and can keep your developer indefinitely provided you didn't dissolve a lot of O2 in the water when mixing. I use it when I open a bottle of wine that my wife and I don't finish. 4 or 5 seconds of releasing gas in the bottle will keep the wine as fresh as when it was opened indefinitely.

This way you don't need to change developers.
 
Here's Wine Preserver from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Private-Preserve-Wine-Preservation-Spray/dp/B0000DCS18

may not be the cheapest price so shop price.

Here's Bloxygen

https://www.amazon.com/Bloxygen-Pre...ocphy=9013382&hvtargid=pla-386584957805&psc=1

I've read of people using butane but due to flammability I think I'd stay away from that and I'm not sure of the solubility of butane in water. Don't use CO2 due to high solubility in water. You'd wind up with carbonated developer, with a fizz when you open it.
 
HC110 is really versatile. If offers different dilutions for different looks, and I have used it with a few different films. Would be hard to beat if you wanna keep things simple. Pyrocat has been finicky for me, but also works really well. It is stinky though. Rodinal if you like grain.

If you can stomach making your own simple developer, D23 is super easy and I’ve been really liking the results from it lately.
 
For my photography chemicals storage, I use empty 1 & 2 liter soda bottles. Mostly 2 liter bottles. I mark the bottles contents with masking tape that I first put on the kitchen counter to mark and use a sharpie pen.

The lid reseals every time, used over and over, again and again.

I believe this can’t be said for many glass bottles. And, for me, the problem with glass bottles was the lid. It was a source where oxygen would enter the bottle. I believe because of the gasket used in the lid, it provided a path for oxygen to enter, especially after used just a few times. And the gasket in the lid didn’t like photography chemicals.

I have D-76 stock developer in 2 liter soda bottles and, after 2 years, the stuff still works just fine.

By the way, mt 7-Up soda bottles are green and I thought I would just say that. I keep the full bottles I use on a regular basis under the bathroom sink. Out of light! The bottles used at a later date, both full and empty, are stored in a room in the basement where it is cool temp and consistent temp throughout the year.

Here is some info on the plastic used for soda bottles and other products:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Soda-Bottle.html
 
x-ray said:
Interesting how folks recommend a developer with out even knowing what film you use.
Not every developer gives good results with every film.
Click to expand...


Years ago I started a thread here asking which were the best films to use with Rodinal and HC-110.
Many (most?) replies said something to the effect that I was "putting the cart before the horse"... :rolleyes:

Chris
 
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