Recommended Developers for FP4 (non-pyro)

[jmooney]

Hi All,

Finally getting up and running with LF and I'm going to start out with FP4 and a lot of the threads I've read about developing it center around pyro developers. I was wondering what non-pyro developers folks favored for FP4? I'll likely be processing in Unicolor drums on a motor base. I'd love to see some FP4 images if anyone is inclined to post them.

Jim

[Ari]

Sorry, Jim, I have no images to show at the moment; you can't go wrong using D-76 (1:1) or HC-110 (dil. B) with FP4. They're both classic combinations, and Ilford's ID-11 is very similar to D-76.

[Ron Marshall]

In The Film Developing Cookbook, Anchell and Troop recommend Xtol for use with FP4+. I concur with their opinion.

That said, out of curiosity, I did comparisons of several developers with FP4+ and found only slight differences. I tried Rodinal, D76, HC-110, Pyrocat and Xtol.

It's best to stick with one film/developer combination and optimise that.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I use Rodinal and have used it for several years. I use the 1+50 dilution in a Jobo drum, works like a charm.

[John Kasaian]

I use D-76 with FP-4+ and I like it alot. I went back to D-76 for TXP as well (I was using HC-110) I've been printing with Ansco 130 and one of these days I'll try souping film in it as well, but until then everything gets in the Unicolor drum with Madame D-76For really slow roll films I'll break out the Rodinal.

[seabird]

I used to use 5x4 APX100 and Rodinal until Agfa died. I then changed to FP4+ but stuck with the Rodinal at 1:50 because its cheap, easy to use, keeps forever etc etc etc.

Many folks dont seem to like the FP4+/Rodinal combination but I'm not sure why. If they're concerned about grain then that's not a consideration in 5x4. If its an issue with tonality then each to their own. YMMV

Some recent landscape photos using this combo can be found at my website (Look under "what's new" and follow the links to some of the latest images - details of film, dev, exposure etc are under each image):

http://members.iinet.net.au/~cbird/index.html

Of course, my pictures may simply drive you to T-Max and Xtol - but at least you'll have made progress

Regards

[John Berry]

Think a little while why so many go the pyro way. We all have used a lot of different developers, pyro may not be a silver bullet, but it is a highly polished nickel one. Thanks Sandy.
John Berry

[Ole Tjugen]

I prefer Ilfotec-HC. I've used pyro, rodinal, ID-11, and several others. But the Ilfotec-HC gives me consistently good results with tight grain and smoooooth tonality.