How many people Replenish developers vs. One Shot

[Duolab123]

I'm one of the many that once I got past my Dad's Microdol-X phase was an ardent user of HC110 DILUTION B. I would mix a gallon of developer and replenish it after ever use, sheet or roll. I would always store the solution in a brown glass gallon jug, I never left it stand in open tanks etc. I used a gallon for over a year sometimes. Then when XTOL came along I got wooed into the 1&1 one shot camp.
I recently purchased genuine Kodak Rapid access C41 chemistry and I'm going to do the same only use a liter for my "tank volume " and replenish all the solutions as I go.

I love Xtol 1&1but it can be replenished as well as long as it's used as stock.. I know a lot of people who say there's no substitute for a "seasoned tank"

Just curious how many folks still replenish, be it film or paper etc. Seems like it would be the right thing to do if you are careful.

What say you? Replenish or Toss???
Best Regards Mike

[LabRat]

I always used to groan when I sent B/W sheet film to commercial labs, when they developed it in over-replenished deep tanks, and I got mushy looking "soot & chalk" looking negs (no extra charge for slime & sludge marks)... Kinda sucked the magic out of them... (Don't even ask what 35mm ended up looking like....)

I prefer one shots, as it uses less stock, is more consistent, the dilute solutions will tend to go into partial exhaustion near the end of the development yielding edge effects, and hold the highlights from overdeveloping (nice compensating effect + microtonality!!!)

You can replenish color solutions for a while...

Steve K

[jp]

I like one shot for b&w because it's easy to get them temperature right quickly. If it's 1:1 I can average the temperature to have it perfect quickly. If it's liquid concentrate like pyrocat I can add it to the right temperature water from the faucet and it's good to go.

[djdister]

One shot, definitely. Replenishment is more suited to large volume and automated machine processing, which I don't do.

[ic-racer]

One shot for everything. My darkroom has to startup quickly but remain dormant for weeks. Concentrated stock solutions with long shelf-life are my preference. I mix just before use.

[Stephen Thomason]

I replenish XTOL at stock concentration, at the rate of 70ml per 80 square inches of film.

If unused for a couple of weeks, I add about 70ml per liter of working solution before developing. I then check for developer activity with a piece of undeveloped film and check how long it takes to reach what appears to be full development.

My current (also my first batch) of developer is still going strong after about a year.

I use the 5 liter powdered chemicals.

[Richard Wasserman]

Replenished XTOL is a wonderful developer and because you use XTOL itself as the replenisher it is very stable and long-lasting. It's useful to filter it every now and then to remove the nuts and bolts, and other detritus that accumulates in it. I chose to use Pyrocat over XTOL by a small margin, but if for some reason Pyrocat was not available I would not hestitate to use XTOL.

[Old_Dick]

One shot, for consistency.

[HMG]

Along with the one-shot vs. replenishment, and to help put the answer in perspective, I'm curious as to how many negs you process at one time and in what sort of tank.

[neil poulsen]

It's always been once for me. But for larger negatives, above 4x5 or 5x7, I may give replenishing a try. But single use discards quite a lot, even for Vinny's low volume 8x10 tanks. I may give a D76 replenishment system a try.

[Drew Wiley]

Always one-shot.

[newt_on_swings]

Usually one shot for films (hc110, rodinal, xtol) and replenished for papers (LPD).

[Tin Can]

I try to fill my 1 gallon tanks. 4-8x10, 8-5x7, 16-4x5 use 40ml Rodinol. One shot. Process is working well, need to make better images.


Along with the one-shot vs. replenishment, and to help put the answer in perspective, I'm curious as to how many negs you process at one time and in what sort of tank.

[jon.oman]

I use one shot for roll films, and replenishment for large format. I've been stuck on D76 forever! I really need to try some other developer.

[Kirk Gittings]

Usually one shot for films (hc110, rodinal, xtol) and replenished for papers (LPD).

same here except Pyrocat HD and D-23 for film and Dektol for paper.

[Jim Noel]

One shot, for consistency.

Me too, except for D-23 which I use undiluted for long periods.

[seezee]

Pyrocat-HD one shot. In trays, 1:1:200 semi-stand (60 seconds at 0 mark; 30 seconds at 30 minutes, out of the soup at 60 minutes), or 1:1:100 "regular" development in a HP-Combi tank. If I were using Rodinal I'd be doing the same thing.

[BetterSense]

When I shot more consistently, l liked replenishing D23 and Diafine. But not I have decided to stick with HC110 50:1 or, when I'm in the mood, Rodinal for consistency and economy.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I like the idea of replenished developer, but in practice found it difficult. I didn't have the patience to get my 8x10 tanks to temperature--it took too long to warm them up or cool them down--and usually end up using Xtol 1:1...

[DG 3313]

Low volume........one shot.....I don't mix more than I can use in a month. In the Winter....the stock developer is in my darkroom..... in the Summer the developer is in my refrigerator until I need it. It's easier for me to warm up than to cool down. D-76 1:1 drum.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I'm a one shotter. Never replenished.

[barnacle]

Me too. Even when I was mixing ID-11 from scratch, it was always use it and throw it.

Neil

[Duolab123]

Since I fell under the Jobo trance a couple of years back It takes me about 10 months to go through 5 liter batch of XTOL, I obviously use this one shot. I'm getting ready to process some C-41, I bought the Kodak Flexicolor Rapid access chemistry with the developer and bleach starters. I must admit I was surprised, usually you add a few ml of starter to a liter ,but with this to make up a "tank" developer you use 120ml of developer starter to 880ml of the developer replenisher.
I'm going to make 600ML batch of all 4 baths and run it on my Jobo processor, starting with roll film, replenish solutions as recommended just to see how it works. I'm sick of Blix. I want separate bleach and fixer. The RA process is fast, I will probably use a stop bath to assuage my concerns over harming the bleach, and may go a bit longer on the bleach and fix times. I will be washing for 5 minutes and using a final rinse instead of the washless stabilizer multiple baths. It still is hard for me to get used to washless color film processing, I'm sure it's more than fine, it's just weird.

I use the 2509n and the CL81 for sheet film, after I'm sure everything works well with 35mm and 120, I will be trying this with sheet film. I'm coming to realize that I enjoy playing with the Darkroom process as much as taking pictures. The other day just to have some film to process I loaded up my F5 and burned through a couple rolls taking pictures of my cats laying in the sun.�� . It was quite a spectacle, F5 with Nikon's first VR lens 80 to 400, in full VR mode. Sounded like RoboCop with the focus and all the servos going, shows how far things have come in 15 years.

Anyway sounds like there are many ways to success, I've come a long way from my Dad and his 1 quart bottle of Microdol-X ��

[Sirius Glass]

I use replenished XTOL.

[Duolab123]

I use replenished XTOL.

I did this with sheet film in 1/2 gallon hard rubber tanks, worked great. But then I made my life "easier" with the big Jobo processor.

I always had good results.

One other thing that comes back to me. I remember always using half used and half fresh solutions with Cibachrome really worked well.
That is one process I truly miss!

[Sirius Glass]

Replenished XTOL processed in a Jobo processor gives great and consistent results.

[mdarnton]

I've flipped back and forth over the last 50 years or so. Currently I'm on a replenishment run with D76 for small film, and about to switch to that for large film as well. I have never had consistency problems either way, though. Mostly, I just hate pouring things down the drain if I don't have to.

[RMiksell]

I've used xtol replenished for a few years with good results, just tried pyrocat HD in glycol, really like the way the negatives print. May become my new standard.

[angusparker]

One shot in Rodinal, Pyrocat HD or Xtol

[Duolab123]

Replenished XTOL processed in a Jobo processor gives great and consistent results.

Yes, I'm sure it does. I guess I don't know why I throw it away? Are you using it at full strength? I think I'm going to try this again.

[Sirius Glass]

Read the XTOL instructions on replenished XTOL. It is used full strength with 70ml fresh developer added for each roll processed. It is the most cost effective XTOL use. Additionally the tonality and sharpness is greatly improved.

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

Read the XTOL instructions on replenished XTOL. It is used full strength with 70ml fresh developer added for each roll processed. It is the most cost effective XTOL use. Additionally the tonality and sharpness is greatly improved.

Agree. Did not believe it until tested,but it's true.

[Duolab123]

Read the XTOL instructions on replenished XTOL. It is used full strength with 70ml fresh developer added for each roll processed. It is the most cost effective XTOL use. Additionally the tonality and sharpness is greatly improved.

Yep, this is how I did it before. I did everything full strength. When using one shot I tried 1:2 , It worked but I was using a Paterson tank, so there was plenty of active developer. After Kodak revised the instructions I only used 1:1 for one shot. I still see people using XTOL 1:3, Must be a big tank!

[Duolab123]

Read the XTOL instructions on replenished XTOL. It is used full strength with 70ml fresh developer added for each roll processed. It is the most cost effective XTOL use. Additionally the tonality and sharpness is greatly improved.

OK you've got me wanting to go back to replenished development. Kodak's instructions say 6 1/2 min @ 68 for straight stock for roll films in tanks and tubes, 7 1/4 for replenished seasoned deep tanks. I'm thinking 7 1/4 for TMY-2 in my Jobo tanks sheets or rolls. Whats the consensus?

[Maris Rusis]

Read the XTOL instructions on replenished XTOL. It is used full strength with 70ml fresh developer added for each roll processed. It is the most cost effective XTOL use. Additionally the tonality and sharpness is greatly improved.

Exactly right! I use Xtol but replenish at 90ml per film because the open tray developing I do oxidises developer faster. My original but dutifully replenished 1.6 litre batch of Xtol has done hundreds of films and is still working perfectly after 9 years. Last time I checked the ongoing cost it was 27 cents per film.

[Tin Can]

Assuming $15 per 500ml of Rodinol and I use 10ml per 80 sq" my one shot cost is 30 cents per.








Exactly right! I use Xtol but replenish at 90ml per film because the open tray developing I do oxidises developer faster. My original but dutifully replenished 1.6 litre batch of Xtol has done hundreds of films and is still working perfectly after 9 years. Last time I checked the ongoing cost it was 27 cents per film.

[Duolab123]

Exactly right! I use Xtol but replenish at 90ml per film because the open tray developing I do oxidises developer faster. My original but dutifully replenished 1.6 litre batch of Xtol has done hundreds of films and is still working perfectly after 9 years. Last time I checked the ongoing cost it was 27 cents per film.

This is an awesome story. I am always amazed at how well XTOL keeps when taken care of. I've used stock that was at least 15 months old with no trouble. But this is a great example of a great developer. Never stains or gunks things up, just a great product. Just as a fyi, I'm using bags of the 5 liter mixes I bought in a panic attack about 8 years ago, same thing with Bromophen. Kept in a dry cool place, absolutely no problems. This is maybe the best example of a "well seasoned " tank I've heard of. !
Best Mike

[Duolab123]

Exactly right! I use Xtol but replenish at 90ml per film because the open tray developing I do oxidises developer faster. My original but dutifully replenished 1.6 litre batch of Xtol has done hundreds of films and is still working perfectly after 9 years. Last time I checked the ongoing cost it was 27 cents per film.

This is an awesome story. I am always amazed at how well XTOL keeps when taken care of. I've used stock that was at least 15 months old with no trouble. But this is a great example of a great developer. Never stains or gunks things up, just a great product. Just as a fyi, I'm using bags of the 5 liter mixes I bought in a panic attack about 8 years ago, same thing with Bromophen. Kept in a dry cool place, absolutely no problems. This is maybe the best example of a "well seasoned " tank I've heard of. !
Best Mike