Which developer for HP5+ ?

[thodo]

Hi everybody,

for my upcoming smallframe-experiences, I chose to begin testing HP5+ (good choice?) for some hundred rolls. Which developer would you recommend for much sharpness with small grain (best compromise between sharpness + grain with tendency to sharpness)?

Thanks,
Thorsten

 

[kaiyen]

this is going to be insanely subjective but...

one of the reasons why D76 is so popular is because it's so flexible. Used 1+0, it's a fairly high solvent developer for low grain at the cost of sharpness, but with good tonality. 1+3, in comparison, is actually an acutance developer. 1+1 is the middle ground that yields the best compromise.

XTOL gives similar flexibility, but supposedly even better. I haven't used it yet, but the FDC indicates that even at 1+3 it gives excellent acutance but with remarkably low grain.

I'd start with those.
allan

 

[mac_wt]

I have very little experience, but ID-11 works fine for me.

Wim

 

[kaiyen]

Well, there you go, straight from a user's mouth: XTOL maybe not so good. 🙂

ID-11 is virtually identical to D76, just fyi.

allan

 

[titrisol]

HP5 works well with D76/ID11
But I'd rather process it in DDX.

 

[allthumbs]

For what it's worth, Ilford recommends:

Ilfotec DD-X or Perceptol for finest grain, Ilfosol S or ID-11 (1+3) for maximum sharpness.

If you have trouble finding Ilford chemicals, I believe these are roughly equivalent to Kodak T-Max and Xtol, respectively, although more practiced hands around here may know better.

Here's the data sheet .pdf: http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pdf/HP5_Plus.pdf

I'm sure it goes without saying that grain also depends on exposure and development technique.

HP5 is my favorite. (I use HC-110). Enjoy!

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Another vote here for HC110.

"Excelsior, you fathead!"
-Chris-

 

[kaiyen]

I think the only phenidone-based developer from Kodak is XTOL. But it adds ascorbic acid, which makes it unique among the developers from either Kodak or Ilford. I think the closest other commercial dev is Paterson FX-50. Pat Gainer's PC-TEA is a mix-yourself cousin.

Perceptol is, I think, a metol-based fine grain developer. You'd have to go to Kodak Microdol to get the same results.

Anyway - other than the basic grain structure, which is the main contributor to the final "look" of grain and is set in stone at film manufacturer, grain is the result of exposure, time in and temp of the developer. Just to clarify - agitation has almost no impact on grain.

allan

 

[kaiyen]

Oh yeah - the _other_ major contributor to grain is the developer itself, of course. You can have fine grain or sharpness, but not both. Acutance developers give more definition and sharpness, but at the cost of grain. Fine grain developers reduce grain, but reduce sharpness.

That's why D76 is so nice - it can cover the gamut all by itself. The only thing it can't do very well is push processing (and it generally costs about 1/3 of a stop of speed or more at all dilutions).

allan

 

[childers-jk]

Again, very subjective, but I have had really good luck with HP5 in D76 diluted 1+1. But I have been thinking about HC-110 or ID 11. Once I am finished with this batch of 50 rolls, I may try ID 11 with HP 5, while working with Tri X and D 76.

 

[Kin Lau]

HC-110. Simply because I prefer concentrated liquid developers that last forever.

 

[jmilkins]

good thread thanks! can anyone comment on the characteristics of Ilford Ilfosol S with HP5+?

 

[markinlondon]

DD-X for great tonality, good sharpness and full film speed, Ilfosol-S for great sharpness and tonality, but with a loss of speed. Grain from either is reasonable, looks a little tighter in Ilfosol-S to me.

DD-X's big drawback is cost, but it lasts for ages and I've never had to throw any away. Can't say the same for any other developer except Rodinal (I think HC-110/Ilford HC is long lived too).

Mark

 

[kaiyen]

Again, very subjective, but I have had really good luck with HP5 in D76 diluted 1+1. But I have been thinking about HC-110 or ID 11. Once I am finished with this batch of 50 rolls, I may try ID 11 with HP 5, while working with Tri X and D 76.

If you're going to try two different developers, why ID-11 and D76? They are seriously virtually identical.

allan

 

[hoot]

As I wrote in the other thread, Adox ATM 49 (also known as Calbe A49), which is available from FotoImpex.de with free shipping within Germany, is a low-cost and quite excellent developer for HP5+. It gives you excellent tonality and irons out the grain problems inherent with HP5+ by softening the edges of the grain.

If you want acutance, I recommend that you distance yourself from HP5+ altogether and go for Neopan 400.

 

[allthumbs]

good thread thanks! can anyone comment on the characteristics of Ilford Ilfosol S with HP5+?

I used it and liked it, until it died without warning as it is infamously reputed to do, and erased a roll. If you want to use Ilfosol S, clip test every single time! It pushed TriX two stops pretty easily. Other than the sudden death thing, it is very easy to use and consistent.

As for characteristics with HP5, I'm not qualified to say, as my experience is quite limited. Results might have been a bit sharper looking than the HC-110 I currently use, at the expense of a certain richness, but I really haven't explored all the possibilities of either potion.

 

[GeneW]

The combo of HP5+ and HC-110 has a lot of admirers.

Gene

 

[jja]

I'm new to photo developing, and I have only used HC-110. I chose it for its ease of use (concentrated liquid has good shelf life, is easy to mix in exact quantities and multiple diultions, it pushes well).

I've used HC-110 with Tri-X and HP5+, and the reuslts are very close. I don't see much grain with either film in my usual dilutions--1:31 and 1:63.

For an extensive write-up, see: http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/

 

[aterlecki]

Again, very subjective, but I have had really good luck with HP5 in D76 diluted 1+1. But I have been thinking about HC-110 or ID 11. Once I am finished with this batch of 50 rolls, I may try ID 11 with HP 5, while working with Tri X and D 76.

As allan said, ID-11 and D76 are virtually identical formulas with the exception of one being slightly buffered and you will get identical results. So switch to ID-11 if you want to support Ilford, otherwise just stick with your D-76. I too love ID-11 1+1 with HP5+. Classic combination.

 

[back alley]

i have always liked ilfosol s. i like the look of hp5 in it and also the delta films.
and i use it (please don't hate me) as a one shot developer.

reusing developer does not appeal to me.

joe