What developer do you use? Why?

[sanking]

Hot plate stirrers are a real pleasure to use. I picked one up on ebay for less than $40.

Sandy King

Get a "proper" one next. Dump in dry chemicals, add water, turn on spinner&heater, leave the darkroom and come back in 20 minutes. That's how I make fixer...

[ScottM]

I also have been using a magnetic stirrer that I picked up cheap on Feebay. However, I have been wondering if maybe I received a "weak" one. I can barely get a vortex before the magnets lose contact. Is this normal or should they stir with a little more power?

Scott M

[xavier deltell]

Jobo atl-1000 with xtol 1+1

[Gary L. Quay]

HC 110 for stand and semi-stand developing, and for work where I absolutely need consistancy.

Clayton f76+ also for consistancy and sharpness.

Rodinol when I want sharpness with a bit of punch, i.e. cityscapes.

PMK, Pyrocat HD, or W2D2+ for use with my ancient optics, and for anything with lots of clouds. I also like them with some of my night photography.

I'm one of those people who can't settle on a single developer. My pyro use has been decreasing steadily, though. Since I started using a Jobo for all of my Efke and Adox work, I don't have to use a hardening developer. I do a separate hardening bath before the wash since I like to have the option to selenium tone if the negs are too thin. If I don't tone, I use Agfa Sistan for permanence. I started out as a big advocate of Pyro developers, but I've soured on them lately.

[John Cahill]

I'm getting a little tired of mixing powders. I've been using ID-11 and D-76. What do you use and why?

I shoot 4X5:
Delta 100 & 400
HP5+ 400
Tmax 100 & 400

Thanks for any help on this.

********
D23

[J D Clark]

I also have been using a magnetic stirrer that I picked up cheap on Feebay. However, I have been wondering if maybe I received a "weak" one. I can barely get a vortex before the magnets lose contact. Is this normal or should they stir with a little more power?

Scott M

Scott,
This is normal -- I used magnetic stirrers daily for many years as a graduate student in organic chemistry, and they will lose that magnetic "connection" at the higher speeds. It depends on the viscosity of the liquid, many of the liquids stirred are less viscous than water.

In any case, you really don't want a vigorous vortex, that will just mix air (oxygen) into the solution. To get good dissolution of powders into water, you just want the water to be moving around; I use slightly less than a "medium" setting. If there is un-dissolved solids settling around the edges, use a spoon or glass rod to keep the powder from settling.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

[Robert Budding]

I use XTOL, but I don't mind mixing it a few times a year.

[jnantz]

i use a few different developers depending on what mood i am in ..

sprint film developer ( liquid concentrate kind of like d76 but different )
ansco 130
caffeinolC ( eyeball mixed not measured )
and caffeinolC with ansco 130 added ..

films are aged
usually tmx tmy or trix (400 )
the tmx/tmy were bought just before 9-2001
the trix all expired pre 98

[lungovw]

Some years ago I started a thread asking what would be the choice for one willing to deal with only one developer. Jay-DeFehr proposed his 510Pyro. I tried it and I've been using it ever-since. It seems that everything goes well with 8:30 min at 23°C. It is very easy to mix, to use and yet very cheap. The concentrate seems to last forever. WL

[Mike Herring]

I have used many high acutance film developers over the course of the last 35 years.
Sorry to admit it except I am that old. I ran a photo lab in the early 1970s in the US Army. The finest developer I ever experienced was Tetenal Neofin Blue. It came in amber colored glass vials that had to be broken open and it was used highly diluted as a one shot developer. When I used it with Leitz lenses and viewed it through a magnifier under the enlarging lens I was totally amazed. This Rodinal, and Edwal FG7 were all wonderul but I would give the edge to the Tetenal. Beseler began to import the Tetenal developers into the US but I experienced quality issues. The Beseler versions came in amber colored plastic vials and were oxidated before I could even open them. I finally switched to Kodak KC110 - dilution B and found it worked well for my 120 roll films and 4x5 negatives.
I am just starting to shoot black and white 8x10 negatives and I hope some of the experts can give my suggestions. Is Pyrol still highly regarded?
Good luck and happy shooting,
Mike

In defense of Rodinal -- it never was for fine grain. But what grain there is -- is sharp as a tack! It is a high acutance (I hope I spelled that correctly) developer. I have a print made from 35mm tri-x developed in Rodinal 1:100 -- I showed the spocket holes on the print -- they are larger than a 4x5 sheet of film. The image is SHARP! And from a proper viewing distance for a print of this size, the grain is not offensive.

If the subject has smooth gradation of lighting and tone, the grain "blends" nicely. It becomes very visable in contrasty subjects.

At the high dilutions ( which are very easy to mix), Rodnal is great in a rotary processor.