Want to pick up LF again: Film suggestion for 4x5" and/or suitable developer for HP5

[Peter Collins]

Yes, Luis is right (for me)!!

HC-110 in dilutions B, G, and H gives me flexibility here in New Mexico, which gets hot in the summer, 100F+ or 38C+ on really bad days, and since I live in a very small space, with tap water (for temperature control) sometimes pretty warm.

HC-110 makes mixing easy; I use a 25-ml graduate to go from concentrate to actual developer (B, G, H); I do not make intermediate stock solutions. Advice that I received, I pass on: When closing the HC-110 concentrate bottle, squeeze out some air, BUT be sure to use a plastic bag or equivalent atop the mouth of the bottle and then screw the cap down tightly. (If you don't use a thin-film plastic, the bottle will take in air. Why? Ask Kodak/Alaris.)

I mix developers in 1,000ml batches in $10 Nalgene bottles graduated in milliliters--which marks I check--because I use ~<500ml for development of 4-4x5 sheets in my SP-445 from Stearman Press LLC. This works in my limited space--only one closet dark enough to load film holders and the SP-445; the processing can be done in the kitchen under normal light once the 4 sheets are loaded into the SP-445. Worth every penny!

Film? I settled on HP5+ because of (1) cost and (2) reasonably assured future supply. I can't comment on HP5+ and other films.

[angusparker]

Surprised no one has mentioned Rodinal aka Adonal yet. Long shelf life, cheap, great for LF sized negatives. My two cents mirrors most of what has mentioned so far: https://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blo...ite-developers


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[koraks]

Probably because he wants full emulsion speed and rodinal isn't exactly known for achieving that.

[schlicksbier]

BTW, as an alternative to pyrocat, you can use Moersch finol or tanol. Should be easily available in Germany and the results are in my experience virtually identical to pyrocat.

Ah cool, than I will try Moersch since I want to order there anyway to try out D23 ... :-)

Also, I prefer Tmax, a box of 50 is only 2.00 a sheet, Hp-5 400 is about 1.60 a sheet so not much difference 80 vs a 100 bucks. But HP5-400 should be good. Those are my preferences at the moment.

Prices in Germany are quite different. HP is at 1.84 per sheet, TMAX at 2.60 - almost a third more expensive. Plus I don't want to use a T-shaped crystal film, instead I prefer a more "classic" one ...

Probably because he wants full emulsion speed and rodinal isn't exactly known for achieving that.

Plus as fair as I read Rodinal enhances the grain more than other developers ...

[koraks]

I recommend the Moersch product; I've tried his finol years ago and it was fantastic. Later I started meddling with pyrocat and got the same results, but Moersch does all the weighing and mixing for you

And yes, rodinal tends to emphasize grain a little more. But in LF that's usually not such a big deal. The speed penalty sounds like a deal breaker for you though.