What developer for Tri-X/HP5/Neopan 400

[swmlon]

Hi everyone,

I am going to be buying the neccessary items to start developing my own film this weekend but just wanted to check what developer (and other chemicals) people use to develop Tri-X/HP5/Neopan 400.

I tend to push the film to 800, sometimes 1600 and on odd occasions at 200.

I have read the forums but I am confused by some comments on chemicals used since most seem to use some abbreviated/shortened name for what chemicals they use.

If you good people can fill me in it would be much appreciated.

 

[Keith]

I've developed all those films in Xtol with excellent results and found HP5 particularly nice in Xtol @ 1+1

The trouble when you ask a question like this is that everyone has their favourite developer and will tell you it's the best thing since sliced bread ... good luck deciphering the info and advice! 😛

 

[bidnez]

Well, over the years I´ve tried quite a few developers. Lately, since a friend started showing his results with Tri-X and XTOL, I haven´t looked back.

It´s great for standard 400, maybe even better when rating at 1600 and 3200 (relatively speaking of course). For some reason I "never" shoot at 800.

The shot included was done with this combo (at 1600 - if not 3200), CV28/1,9 and M4-P. Btw. I don´t dilute, should probably try, and I hate sliced bread! ;-)

 

[kully]

For 400 is use D-76 and for pushing to 1600 I use DD-X. However, I've recently started using XTOL and second what Keith said - lovely stuff for 400 and 1600.

That's for Neopan400 and HP5+, never used Tri-X enough to say anything about it.

 

[mfogiel]

Xtol at box speed is muddy and lacks acutance, I would suggest D76 1+1 between ISO 200 and 400, for shots between ISO 800-1600 Diafine is the most practical option.
Get demineralized water for diluting the developer, and for the final rinse.
Do not use the acid stop bath, just water (in case of Diafine stop bath is not necessary).
Use any rapid fix commercially available.
Wash in running water - make sure all the baths are done in a similar temperature.
Put some photo flo and possibly some alcohol too into the final rinse, and use it for pouring over the negatives after you have hanged them to dry.

 

[kully]

mfogiel - which films are you referring your comments to? Just Tri-X or HP5+ and Neopan400 as well?

 

[swmlon]

sorry to ask a silly question but what do you guys mean when you state things like D76 1+1, specifically the 1+1 bit?

 

[mfogiel]

I am referring in particular to Tri-X, but I have also tried Neopan and HP5+. I find strongly solvent developers unsatisfactory, as I scan my film, and want to avoid the use of sharpening as much as possible. When you dilute them a lot to reduce the solvent effect, they tend to deliver poor tonality, so at the end of the day I prefer acutance developers like Rodinal or Pyro, but these do not deliver full box speed. For higher speed shooting I find Tri-X in Diafine superior to anything else, also for the great tollerance to overexposure and ease of scanning.

 

[mfogiel]

1+1 , etc, defines the dilution, so for each cubic cc of the stock solution you add e.g. 1 cubic cc of water.

 

[Matt(1pt4)]

No bad advice so far, but for a beginner I recommend Tmax Developer. It's a liquid, so there's no pesky mixing of powders. The concentrate keeps for at least six months, so if you aren't developing often, your developer won't have a chance to go bad. It isn't the finest grain developer in the world, but it will give a bit more detail in the shadows than something like D76. If you are scanning, try diluting it 1+5 instead of 1+4.

The rest of the chemicals:
* Fixer: Ilford Rapid Fixer comes as a liquid, which makes it easy to mix
* stop bath: distilled water. Dilution will effectively stop development.
* Washing: Distilled water again. Use the Ilford method of washing. Step 13 on this pdf: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/applications/page.asp?n=31
* Wash Agent: Ilfotol, same idea as kodak photoflo.
* Water: Use distilled for mixing all the chemistry. If you can't get distilled, use filtered water.

Good luck!

 

[swmlon]

Thanks matt, I think I will initially go the liquid route to start of and will look at the tmax developer until I am more comfortable with this whole developing buisiness. thanks for the other info too, going to shop this weekend and shoot some test rolls too (dont want to use important shots for first time home developing)

 

[dfoo]

D-76, or XTOL 1+1. I don't know what this talk of muddyness is all about... I find muddy negatives developed in XTOL to be muddy, but otherwise beautiful. Make sure you agitate correctly.

I strong dislike the Tmax developer. Its expensive, and you have very short developing times, which is bad (difficult to get repeatable results).

 

[Keith]

One of the things that's important with any developer film combo if you're going to scan is to go easy on agitation and reduce suggested developing time by about twenty percent ... this has been my experience at least!

IMO of the three films mentioned Neopan consistently scans the best.

 

[Chyn]

As a beginner to do-it-yourself-development, I've been using TriX, HP5+ and Neopan 400 with Kodak HC110 for the past year and find it easy to use. This has been the developer of choice also because it's taking me forever to get through my first bottle. I do find the concentrate form allows for convenient storage and use. I simply siphon out the concentrate using a plastic syringe and mix with water in the corresponding proportion that'll give me the dilution that I want.

You'll come across a wealth of information on the web with regards to HC110, and many examples of film combinations. I personally like using it with Neopan 400 at 400 or pushed to 800, but it works well with Trix from 400 to 1600 and HP5 as well.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I have been using XTOL when I use a commercially made developer. I find that it is a little like cooking (in the sense of applied chemistry). You want results that are repeatable and with the variables (time, temperature, water quality) under enough control that you can alter one variable and understand the effects of the change you have made. I mix XTOL stock from the packet in roughly 5 quart (liter) quantities and then store it in five 1 quart bottles so that the developer has minimal contact with air until I am ready to use it. Chemicals in developers like to combine with oxygen over time; some developers get more active (D76) and then die, some die suddenly (XTOL). There are good liquid concentrates out there. Sprint makes a D76-style developer that you dilute 1:9 (one part developer to nine parts water) to use. Rodinal is a developer many folks here like and they use it 1:25 or 1:50. It generally gives grainier results than D76 or XTOL -- all other things being equal.

I would advocate Kodak D76 or equivalent to start. It was the standard for many, many years, represents a good compromise among developer qualities (grain, accutance, pushability etc.) Ilford ID-11 is the same stuff, but with a developing agent that folks with sensitive skin tend to react to less. Oh: do yourself a favor and wear rubber kitchen gloves for the actual development process.

Ben Marks

 

[dng88]

I concur the use of HC110 which I used it for 135, 6x6 up to 8x10. It works. I definitely would go to Tmax Developer as it is quite a difficult developer to use. (But I did have a 100 feet Tmax 400 and hence would that for Tmax film.)

As being said, over exposed a bit and under developed a bit to start with and experiment.

Good luck and it is fun!

 

[Bruin]

I've had great results with Neopan 400 in Kodak XTOL, though commercially processed. Pat Gainer's PC-TEA is a similar developer that you can make yourself. Ilford DDX and Clayton F76+ are also excellent for pushing 400 speed films. I prefer Arista Premium Liquid Developer (rebranded F76+) from Freestyle Photo because it's cheaper than DDX and is more concentrated, so you get more bang for the buck.

For Tri-X, Diafine will easily handle 800-1600 and is pretty idiot-resistant to use, if you know what I mean.

 

[John Bragg]

I use Rodinal 1:50 with Tri-X and Neopan 400. I also use HC-110 dilution H although lately more Rodinal. Either is a good choice as they both have legendary keeping properties and are really cheap to use. Handy if you only develop the occasional roll or if working to a tight budget. Both are also 100% dependable and are not given to the sudden death syndrome that some developers suffer.

 

[Chris101]

You know what I use Shing. But here I'll recommend cafeinol. It does beautiful, magical things with the film. Start with a 16oz Pike from Starbucks, and stir in 8 grams of washing soda, let the cup cool to room temperature. Develop in that for half an hour to an hour. I agitate every 5 minutes after constant agitation for a minute or two. Here's a pic:

If you get started on coffee developing and never use commercial developers, you will easily master the medium. Coffee got me started on my grunge-photography journey.

 

[maddoc]

To keep things simple I would stick to one or max two developers in the beginning. Diafine (especially for pushed film and uncritical regarding temperature) and either XTOL or HC-110 (liquid, easy to mix) will do a good job.

I used to use D-76, XTOL, Tmax, Rodinal for Tri-X (my preferred BW film) but went back to the good old HC-110. Dilution "B", 20 degrees, 6 minutes developing time with 2 inversions every 30 secs do a good job.