Ilford PQ Universal alternatives?

[pkr1979]

Hey,

This is just out of curiosity... are there any developers similar to PQ? In regards of strength, character and content? I use PQ mainly for black and white reversal development.

Cheers
Peter

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Hey,

This is just out of curiosity... are there any developers similar to PQ? In regards of strength, character and content? I use PQ mainly for black and white reversal development.

Cheers
Peter

Try this (http://www.lostlabours.co.uk/photography/formulae/developers/devID62.htm).

[Michael Kadillak]

Hey,

This is just out of curiosity... are there any developers similar to PQ? In regards of strength, character and content? I use PQ mainly for black and white reversal development.

Cheers
Peter

The vastness of options particularly when you open the door to mixing ones own chemistry is simply enormous. Add to that the subjectiveness of varying degrees of "get an improvement in this area and sacrifice something at the other end" and you can easily spend many months in a circular iteration. Murphys Algorithm #5. The end of an extensive inquisitive iteration in pursuit of "a better tool" usually leads the individual back to where they started the journey. Been there and done that and threw out the various chemicals I bought that I know now I no longer need.

The ability to be up and printing with PQ in two minutes from a concentrate and the marvelous results it produces lets me buy it in the gallon bottles with one constantly in reserve. For me LF and ULF is about efficiency from exposure to finished print and PQ is an integral part of that process IMHO.

[Merg Ross]

Hey,

This is just out of curiosity... are there any developers similar to PQ? In regards of strength, character and content? I use PQ mainly for black and white reversal development.

Cheers
Peter

For off the shelf, Ethol LPD is another excellent PQ developer. Experimentation will reveal any similarities.

[Doremus Scudder]

FWIW, I use ID-62 quite a lot as a print developer (the developer Raghu Kuvempunagar linked to above) and find it very similar to Bromophen and the old Zone VI developer. I haven't ever used it for film or for reversal processing. Maybe someone here can compare Bromophen to Universal PQ?

Best,

Doremus

[pkr1979]

Thanks,

I'm probably not going down the mixing-chemicals-myself road. The Ethol LPD seems interesting though. I have the impression that Tetenal Dokumol serves a similar purpose, but I have no idea regarding their similarities in content.

Cheers
Peter

[Tin Can]

Is this reality?

https://www.digitaltruth.com/products/product.php?brand=ethol&link=lpd-liquid

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/ethol-lpd.13437/

[richydicky]

I also used to use Ilford PQU for reversal and for processing direct positive paper. I found, though, especially with DPP it needs to be sparkling fresh, even week old developer would seem to lose effectiveness and really got fedup with it. I found similar comments on various boards and learned that Ilford PQ is formulated using Dimezone-S which apparently goes off quicker that Phenidone. I have now switched to Fotospeed PD5 which is phenidone based and haven't had the same issues.

When I first began experimenting with reversal I used Champion Suprol because it was cheap but tended to produce more warm toned slides.

[pkr1979]

I also used to use Ilford PQU for reversal and for processing direct positive paper. I found, though, especially with DPP it needs to be sparkling fresh, even week old developer would seem to lose effectiveness and really got fedup with it. I found similar comments on various boards and learned that Ilford PQ is formulated using Dimezone-S which apparently goes off quicker that Phenidone. I have now switched to Fotospeed PD5 which is phenidone based and haven't had the same issues.

When I first began experimenting with reversal I used Champion Suprol because it was cheap but tended to produce more warm toned slides.

I assume you are using Fotospeed PD5 for BW film reversal and DPP? What kind of adjustments did you have to make when you switched developers?

[LabRat]

For reversal processing, a contrasty process developer is generally used, as the film Dmax gets low after bleaching due to depth removal of silver, so an energetic semi-line developer is used for max black...

I have posted before that B/W reversal is difficult to shoot in a variety of lighting situations due to a pronounced "reciprocity" effect at different common outdoor light levels, it rough on metal and plastic processing gear, and is toxic...

I think one is better off shooting a normal neg, and contact printing a dupe from it, and development in a vigorous semi line dev instead...

Steve K

[pkr1979]

For reversal processing, a contrasty process developer is generally used, as the film Dmax gets low after bleaching due to depth removal of silver, so an energetic semi-line developer is used for max black...

I have posted before that B/W reversal is difficult to shoot in a variety of lighting situations due to a pronounced "reciprocity" effect at different common outdoor light levels, it rough on metal and plastic processing gear, and is toxic...

I think one is better off shooting a normal neg, and contact printing a dupe from it, and development in a vigorous semi line dev instead...

Steve K

I'm very happy with the BW film reversal results I get. And PQ has been working well for that purpose (I have never tried paper reversal). It is just out of curiosity I am asking of similar developers as it is nice to have a few options :-)

[richydicky]

I assume you are using Fotospeed PD5 for BW film reversal and DPP? What kind of adjustments did you have to make when you switched developers?

Actually for reversal I mostly switched to Dektol, made up my own D72 as you can only get it in gallon size and here in UK costs around 2.5X than in US. Looking at my log I have done a few films with FD5 with no discernible difference. Interestingly, when I was working on a DPP project and after one week the Ilford PQ started getting weaker blacks and mottling, the only developer I had to hand was Dektol and after a quick trial was able to dial in a development time and got great, consistent results over the remaining weeks. For DPP with FD5 I had to give a little longer in the developer but there are so many variables with that process including the batch and light conditions.

[pkr1979]

I assume you are using Fotospeed PD5 for BW film reversal and DPP? What kind of adjustments did you have to make when you switched developers?

Actually for reversal I mostly switched to Dektol, made up my own D72 as you can only get it in gallon size and here in UK costs around 2.5X than in US. Looking at my log I have done a few films with FD5 with no discernible difference. Interestingly, when I was working on a DPP project and after one week the Ilford PQ started getting weaker blacks and mottling, the only developer I had to hand was Dektol and after a quick trial was able to dial in a development time and got great, consistent results over the remaining weeks. For DPP with FD5 I had to give a little longer in the developer but there are so many variables with that process including the batch and light conditions.

Since Dektol is also usefull for RA-4 reversal it sounds like a useful developer option. I might give this a go :-)