Developer (newb question)

[Michael_4514]

Sort of like asking, "what flavor of ice cream should I eat?" They're all good, just figure out which one you like best. You can get a sense of their general characteristics by reading old threads here and other places on the internet. But in terms of advice, people are going to tell you what they like best. It may not be what you like best. Experiment and see what works best for you.

[John Kasaian]

I need to digest all of this. One quick observation (Leigh led me there but this thread cemented it). Developing a negative isn't the process that I thought it was. I thought that X film with Y time in Z developer was all there was to it and it's not. Everything has a variable range to work within and it's on me to figure that range out. Mike- I like the details! Thank you.

It's all part of the fun!

[Nathan Potter]

You might want to also consider a two part developer such as the commercial Diafine. Part A and part B are mixed separately and used sequentially. When stored separately the lifetime is nearly indefinite. The big advantage is that the maximum density during development is self limiting due to the exhaustion of the part A solution that was absorbed in the emulsion.

Diafine produces a high resolution image with a high degree of accutance so you need to like this for very large enlargements. The compensating properties make the developer quite temperature insensitive. Particularly useful when the workflow involves scanning for digital output.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[tgtaylor]

Xtol: Safe for the environment; inexpensive ($2.00 per liter of stock); mixed stock has a long shelf life if stored in
tank with floating lid; high accutance small grain developer that w
orks well with T-grain films like Delta, TmaX and Across;extensive online support on Kodak website which includes instructions on how to develope roll and sheet film using trays, daylight tanks and rotary processors and the recommended times for various films.

Pyrocat-HD: Not as safe for the environment (and you!) as Xtol and a little more involved but well worth the extra effort.

Thomas

[photobymike]

Tgtaylor is right about pyro .... It needs respect in handling and use

[selmslie]

… the question is: what other developers should I consider and why?

I have not used DD-X, but almost any developer like Rodinal (1+50), HC110 (dilution H), ID11/D76, XTOL, etc., will work well with 4x5 and give you about the same apparent grain and sharpness once you settle on the right dilution and development time.

Pick something economical and stick with it. TMax might be a bit expensive for 4x5.

[StoneNYC]

I have not used DD-X, but almost any developer like Rodinal (1+50), HC110 (dilution H), ID11/D76, XTOL, etc., will work well with 4x5 and give you about the same apparent grain and sharpness once you settle on the right dilution and development time.

Pick something economical and stick with it. TMax might be a bit expensive for 4x5.

Tmax and DD-X are both expensive compared to HC-110 or Rodinal.

Everyone will have an opinion. You'll get better results from DD-X than most other developers but its a cost vs need for me, I used to worry about shelf life with DD-X but then I started developing every week and the problem of money started to be more important to me and I settled on Rodinal for most things, and HC-110 when I want something pushed a few stops.

Anyway just keep testing and see what works for YOU, but I agree you should fine tune DD-X before you switch. As a second option, pick up Rodinal just to try it at some point, it will literally keep for 10 years so if you don't use it for a while, not a big deal