hc110

[madmax12]

Do you use this developer I talked with some other members that use it with longer developing times. Does this add to the way the neg turns out . I have questions not sure how to ask:confused: . a little help please this is one t-max 100 that i shot on sun

[Michael Graves]

I'm a fan of HC-110 for developing Ilford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X. The Arista films do better in Rodinal in my humble and possibly biased opinion. I have had good luck diluting the syrup 1:50 (yes, I know...that's not a standard dilution) and developing HP5 for 11 minutes at 68 degrees. You need to do standard film speed and development time tests to come to your own standards. One thing I have learned with HC-110 is NOT to give it extended development. Highlights can block up to the point of unprintability. (Is that a word?)

[Jim Graves]

Madmax ... not sure which your question refers to ... there are two ways to get longer development times ... one is to extend development beyond Kodak's suggested time for any given dilution (I think that's what Michael is referring to as "extended development" in the earlier response) ... the other is to dilute the developer more but use the longer recommended time for that particular dilution.

HC-110 is a very active developer and has some pretty short recommended development times in the stock or B dilutions. A lot of us use the H dilution (1:63 syrup to water) which is normally developed at twice the length of time the B dilution is (1:31 syrup to water). For the newer T-Max 100 ... using the B dilution, the standard time is 6 minutes at 68 degrees ... using the H dilution the standard time is 12 minutes at 68 degrees.

[Greg Blank]

YMMV, things like water PH can affect the end product. But I had a teacher that tought an excellent Advanced Zone system course that I took after gaining my AA degree. He swore by Tmax developer. It yielded very dense negatives yet quite printable with a Condensor Light source. HC110 gets a bad rap because most people only use that one B dilution and you must use a very short time with it. The E or F dilutions are a lot more flexible in my opine.

This attached file is HC110 E dilution 12 minutes at 72F.


Do you use this developer I talked with some other members that use it with longer developing times. Does this add to the way the neg turns out . I have questions not sure how to ask:confused: . a little help please this is one t-max 100 that i shot on sun

[BetterSense]

I ignore the kodak suggestions as offensive, and use 1:50 and (rarely) 1:100, the same as I do with rodinal. Sure I can't use published times but I can never find times for my D23 either. It doesn't take me long to home in on a development time.

[Ari]

I use it regularly with Chinese film.
Dilution B at 21ºC for 7,5 minutes.
I like very contrasty negs and prints, and this combination has given me the desired results.

[Chuck P.]

It's a good developer but with extended time in development you will have to dilute it to protect your highlights i.e, to make them easier to print with the desired contrast. I use it with TMX at Dil H (1:63) for my "normal" dev time and Dil G (1:119) for N-3, both are from concentrate. In terms of the characteristic curve with TMX, I have found it to be an upswept curve thus it is a bit longer in the toe area.

If anyone is curious about the N-3, it is with TMX EI 50 in a comb-plan tank at 15 minutes, 68 deg F, with an agitation sequence of 4/15/4 i.e., 4 inversions in 15 sec every 4 minutes following continuous, gentle inversion agitation for the first minute. Try it, it may work for you, IDK.

[Mark Sawyer]

I use HC-110 as my developer almost exclusively, with longer developing times, normal-to-little-to-no agitation, and varying dilutions as called for. Its "look" varies a bit with different methods and different films, just as one would expect. As with any developer, it takes an extended period of use to get a feel for it.

Regarding dilutions, the range of "recommended" dilutions give an idea of how versatile this developer is. 1:50 is well inside the envelope.

Among the "normal" developers out there, I don't think there are any "bad" ones; it's just a matter of learning to match your own working methods with the developer to the mood and feel you want from the prints. (Of course, the printing methods, tools, and materials all make a difference too. And toning changes everything. It's a complicated equation...)