Photographer's Formulary Options

[corgan4321]

There are so many options for developers!!! I'm looking for a new paper developer that's relatively versatile for RC and fiber prints. I'm thinking the 130 formulation. But there are so many options, how the heck do you choose? Also, does anyone out there use one grade of graded paper and simply switch the developer they develop in if they want more or less contrast?

[Henry Ambrose]

Yes to 130, its a great developer.

[Brian Ellis]

Why are you looking for a "new" paper developer (i.e. what are you trying to accomplish that your present developer isn't doing for you)? I would think that having an idea of what you want to change would guide you in your selection, as opposed to just looking at Photographer's Formulary's list and more or less blindly picking one or picking one on the basis of what people here say.

If you're looking for a developer that can be used for both film and paper 130 would be a good choice (I'm assuming the 130 you're talking about is the old Agfa Ansco formula). Absent that or a special need for a particular formula, which it doesn't sound like you have, why not just get a standard paper developer such as Dektol that's readily available (to the extent anything darkroom related is "readily available" these days) without having to pay Photographer's Formulary prices?

Some people used to use Selectol Soft in combination with another developer such as Dektol to get in between grades of graded paper. But I haven't heard of switching basic developers around to change the contrast of one grade, which doesn't mean it isn't done, just that I haven't heard of it.