What developer do you use? Why?

[geoffrey billett]

Good thread. Ive used ID11 with mostly HP5 and Efke 25 and been mostly pleased. I bought chemicals for Pyro HD late last year but have not got around to mixing yet as I read there may be problems dissolving some of the chemicals. Those who recommend Pyro HD can they quickly clarify how they mix the chemicals ( temperatures etc ). The Sandy King reference on Unblinking Eye does not specify temperatures ( if I recall correctly ).

Thanks
Geoff

[neil poulsen]

Maybe you need a laboratory quality electric stirrer. It's got an electromagnet that turns and by magnetic induction also turns a magnetized, plastic coated rod that you put into the mixing vessel. I paid about $150 for a used model that also has heat.

Great investment! I slowly mix in the powder, stir by hand so that the powder is suspended and moving in the water, and walk away. Takes about 5 minutes to get it started. When I return 40 or 50 minutes later, the developer is thoroughly mixed.

[geoffrey billett]

Neat answer though one which I learnt nothing from. A simple question; are there any water temperature requirements I need to be aware of when I mix raw chemicals to make sols A and B for Pyro HD. I am a simple soul :-).

Perhaps tonight may be the night I move from proprietary branded materials to solutions more esoteric and alchemic. A bit like losing ones viginity. Electronic stirring paddles conjures all kinds of bizarre images. I would imagine good value tho for $150

[Richard Wasserman]

Geoffrey,

I mix Pyrocat HD in tap water at 115 degrees. I mix it in a beaker and stir by hand, no fancy mixers for me. I find all the ingredients go into solution easily. Pyrocat is my most used developer.

[Richard Wasserman]

I just want to add that I wear gloves, work in a well ventilated area, and wear a high efficiency dust mask when mixing Pyrocat. You really don't want to be breathing Catechol fumes or particles.

[Drew Wiley]

I use PMK pyro or certain tweaks of it for virtually all my conventional (non-lab) b&w
films, every format from 35mm to 8x10. Stores extremely well once mixed into the
A&B liquid components. The advantages of it are well published. For my "look" I prefer it to Pyrocat (I enlarge rather than contact print). I am currently experimenting with the Max Pyro tweak. For lab use like color masking, color separation negatives, etc I have all sorts of developers on hand, since these applications are far more fussy than general shooting and the intended parameters are entirely different.

[geoffrey billett]

Thanks Richard. Just the information I was looking for. I'll mix over the weekend. Any particular storage requirements ie glass, plastic etc.?

Ive just received 4 boxes of 5x7 HP5+ from Robert Whites which was sufficient motivation to make the jump.

Thanks again
Geoff

[gevalia]

I'm almost at the point where I have standardized on using Prescysol EF for both 4x5 and 120. It's a 2-part liquid, Pyro, very much like Pyrocat HD, and I can mix different films together and develope them all for 10.5 minutes (together) semi-stand in my Combi Plan tank. 120 in SS of course. Some have had issues with Acros but I have not. But it does seem to not like TMAX100 for me. Efke is gorgeous.

My pennies worth.

[aduncanson]

Some folks who brew their own beer build a magnetic stirrer from a computer's muffin fan with a simple circuit to control the speed. Instructions can probably be found on line and the stirrers themselves are sold on ebay for much less than $150.

Being lazy and short on time, I bought one assembled. It is certainly a kludge and pouring the dry powders in slowly is a must, but it is a pleasure to have your developers mixed for you while you do something else.

[Ole Tjugen]

Being lazy and short on time, I bought one assembled. It is certainly a kludge and pouring the dry powders in slowly is a must, but it is a pleasure to have your developers mixed for you while you do something else.

Get a "proper" one next. Dump in dry chemicals, add water, turn on spinner&heater, leave the darkroom and come back in 20 minutes. That's how I make fixer...