What's you favourite developer for FP4+

**Ole Tjugen** · 7-Oct-2003, 11:36

Just to add to the confusion:

I use Pyrocat-HD for "normal" negatives, Divided D-23 for moderate compensation, Maxim Muir's extreme compensating Pyrocatechin for extreme contraction. For expansion I have used monobath... I used to use Ilfosol-S for 120 film, then switched to DD-X. Since then I've switched to Beutler's (which is more or less the same as Neofin Blau).

**Terry Hull** · 24-Jun-2011, 08:14

I typically rate FP4 at 64 for normal development in Rodinal(16 minutes 1:50) but don't have current accesss to Rodinal, and exposed the film at 25 due to 6 zone spread between minimum shadow/minimum highlight zones, to be developed in Ilfosol 3. What dilution and time can you suggest? Hope I am not infringing on this thread but it seemed similar. Thanks.

Thanks

**matthew klos** · 24-Jun-2011, 12:54

I pretty much only use FP4 in both roll film and sheet. I started out using it with HC-110 and i hated the look of that, i also thought that it increased the grain ten fold when enlarging to big prints which most of my work is at 20x24 above. I than switched to PMK, and i liked that quite a bit, but was finding problems with the extra fog on the base and streaking at times with tray development, so i than switched to Pyrocat HD and i seem to like the look of that quite a bit.

**Leigh** · 24-Jun-2011, 13:32

I've been using Diafine for 8x10 FP4+ tray development, and have been quite pleased with the results.

I generally spot-meter the shadows @ box speed and increase exposure 1/2 to 1 stop depending on scene contrast.

- Leigh

**bbuszard** · 24-Jun-2011, 13:42

I've been using it pretty consistently for almost 2 years, developed in Xtol 1:1, and like the results. I'm surprised that some need to drop the ISO down so far. My zone 1 speed test puts it right at ISO 125 in my particular soup.