I have waited with the last combination I like to use the most, actually because the jury is still slightly out on this one. I am obviously talking about Tri X, which is my most frequently used film. I am still undecided between a diluted Rodinal and Prescysol EF, and am using both depending on some factors.
Let's see which developers I DO NOT like with Tri X, and why, first.
The least loved is Xtol. The grain is fine, but the sharpness is scarce, and the tonality is plain muddy, it really takes away the sparkle from this film:
Xtol 1+1
The second worst is HC110, I think I have used the dilution H, to increase the acutance. Conclusion: unsharp with ugly biggish grain, although the tonality is very good.
The third least loved, but often necessary for obvious reasons is Diafine. The grain is mushy and the sharpness is borderline, but the mushiness of grain permits some sharpening in PS without generating a gritty effect. The tonality is generally great in midtones. It is a great portrait combination, and gives you the advantage of incredible tolerance on exposure. Best tonality is obtained when shooting between EI 400 and 800.
Now comes Acufine - a developer which delivers almost a Rodinal like grain and good tonality plus it gives you an extra stop for EI 800. I have always used it more diluted as a one shot developer.
Finally we arrive to D76 1+1. I have tried 1+1 and 1+3 to see if there was any discernible difference in sharpness, but my judgement, is, thet there is none. On the other hand, the tonality is slightly better at 1+1. This developer has only one fault - it is not very sharp, but the tonality is difficult to beat for an average subject:
So, we have arrived to the finalists: Rodinal and Prescysol EF.
Rodinal, when well treated, gives you great tonality with a sharp but not excessive grain, and a general pop to the image that I like a lot. I have tried Rodinal between 1+50 and homeopatic dilutions in stand development, but I find that pure stand developmrent causes too many problems, like uneven development of one side of the negative, or excessive blocking of the highlights. I believe, the right way, is to find a dilution and a semi stand agitation scheme that do not pump up the grain, block the highlights and give you acceptable speed, here's an example from my last roll done at 1+60 with only 3.75cc of Rodinal per film:
Finally, we get to Prescysol EF, which is one of the new Pyro developers. This developer gives a fairly small and sharp grain, with a razor sharpness and a great tonality, although it excels in the middle upper range, i.e. the blacks are not shattering, which is due to its strongly compensating nature. I find this developer unbeatable for shooting old architecture with some vintage Leica lenses. It is also great for portraiture, less for landscapes, where you might want a more dramatic tonality. Here are some examples shot with the DR Summicron and Summaron 2.8:
