What developer do you use? Why?

[SteveH]

"I shoot HP5 and dilute it 1-3."

I tried diluting my film once but it just got my camera all wet.

"One part water 3 parts water."

I've never tried diluting my water though

Seriously though Ive been shooting TMY at night and using XTOL 1:3 with excellent shadow detail and good highlight control.
Since leaving D76 for the newer developers like TMAX and XTOL I've missed the "chalk and soot" (an expression used by an old photography teacher) tonality of the developers like D76 and Rodinol. XTOL seems to produce a great smooth tonal range and excellent shadow detail but looses the deep richness of dark tones.
Last week, having run out of XTOL I broke out my emergency pack of D76. Mixed 1:1 at standard development produced excellent mid tones but shadows seriously lacking in detail.
After a bit of experimentation I found development regime that mimicks the shadow detail of XTOL but with the richer tonality of D76:
D76 1:1 20 degress C
2 min gentle continuous agitation.
Then agitate 5 sec every 5 minutes for 30 minutes.

Worked a treat

Steve

[Steve Gledhill]

Xtol 1+2 for all TMX and TMY2 @ 24C with continuous agitation in my Jobo. As stock it seems to keep even better than the pack suggests - in totally full bottles. I've used it at 9 months with no observable deterioration. I store the stock in small bottles. One 5 litre stock mix lasts me for about a gross of 5x4 sheets. I mix the 5 litre stock in a 5 litre bottle just adding powder and water as instructed before decanting into my small storage bottles. Simple, quick, clean and very easy.

[Jan Becket]

I'm not sure what you're describing. Perceptol, one of the cleanest and most consistent working developers I've encountered, doesn't consist of A and B stock solutions. The two powder packets are mixed in a specified sequence into 750ml of warm water, then water is added to make 1 liter. I've achieved perfect results processing film using Perceptol mixed as long as six months earlier as long as it was kept in full, properly sealed glass bottles.

Sal, you're correct - Part A and Part B powders are mixed together to make a single liter of stock solution. For me, that single liter, once mixed, becomes unstable and does not retain its potency longer than 24 hours. The first batch of film processes well and then subsequent batches do not. I'm mixing the powder in distilled water and then storing it in two 500 ml amber glass bottles, tightly sealed.

[Sal Santamaura]

Sal, you're correct - Part A and Part B powders are mixed together to make a single liter of stock solution. For me, that single liter, once mixed, becomes unstable and does not retain its potency longer than 24 hours. The first batch of film processes well and then subsequent batches do not. I'm mixing the powder in distilled water and then storing it in two 500 ml amber glass bottles, tightly sealed.

Jan, that's how I mix and store it too, with extremely good results even after many months. There seems to be something seriously wrong with the package(s) of Perceptol you've received. I'd contact Ilford for a replacement.

[Jan Becket]

Jan, that's how I mix and store it too, with extremely good results even after many months. There seems to be something seriously wrong with the package(s) of Perceptol you've received. I'd contact Ilford for a replacement.

I agree with the defective product theory, while keeping an open mind about other possibilities — although I'm not too sure what they might be. A similar discussion happened around five years ago (on photo.net or rec.photo) about Xtol in the now-discontinued one-liter size, with some people swearing it was all good and others coming up with horror stories.

Maybe some mixtures are more prone to packaging snafus, or maybe I should have walked three times around the Perceptol bottles widdershins while chanting Drofli (Ilford spelled backwards). Anyway, Pyrocat HD is looking good at the moment.

[Sal Santamaura]

...A similar discussion happened around five years ago...about Xtol in the now-discontinued one-liter size, with some people swearing it was all good and others coming up with horror stories...

Xtol's failure (when it does happen) is almost certainly related the ascorbate component. Perceptol contains no ascorbate; it's built from very stable ingredients.

[ki6mf]

D 76 mixed 1 part developer to 3 parts water. I go for longer development times, 14 minutes is my normal time, so i don't over develop when having to shorten a N- exposure and get to much development in my highlights. Also I just don't want to constantly have to re test and re learn my basic technique so have always passed on other developers. I think the object lesson is to lean whatever chemistry you like and do not change. Learn the nuances of your setup, take pictures, and don't waste time experimenting with the chemistry of the week!

[Jehu]

Thanks for all the advice. I found that Rodinal is awesome! These two negatives were in the same holder and treated identically except for the developer. The crop is from a very small detail. It's probably less than a centimeter on the negative scanned at 9600 dpi.

[Jehu]

I've found my favorite combination. It's Delta 100 with Rodinal.


I've found that Rodinal doesn't work so well with Tmax 400. It's fine with Tmax 100 and Delta 100 as this shot shows.

[William McEwen]

I developed a roll of Tri-X in Dektol once.

Not intentionally, I assure you.

I don't recommend it.