Zone VI Paper Developer Alternative

[Gary L. Quay]

I second the Formulary BW65 suggestion. I've recently started using it, and it's quite good.

--Gary

[John Cahill]

I don't know of any off-the-shelf direct replacement, but it's easy to mix something
similar from scratch. My formula is a little bit cooler due to the presence of benzotriazole instead of potassium bromide:

hot H20 375ml
sodium sulfite 20g
hydroquinone 10g
sodium carbonate 40g
benzotriazole 1/4g
water to make 500ml

******************

Since I like cold-tones, I use my modified Ansco 103 to make one liter of stock solution

3.5 g Metol
45 gm Sod Sulfite,
11.5 gm. Hydroquinone
78 gm. Carbonate (mono)
.6 gm Bromide

***********
10% benzotriazole as needed for cold tones and to prevent fog. The bit of bromide, I was told, acts as a buffer to slow warming as the soup is used, since the development process produces bromide. I have used this as a satisfactory replacement for Zone VI paper developer. I dilute the above stock 1:2 for use.

[Doremus Scudder]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I was under the impression that the Zone VI print developer was nothing more than repackaged Bromophen. It came in the same two-part mix and seemed the same to me.

I believe Zone VI at the time was also branding Ilford Ilfobrom as Brilliant paper.

IMHO, all the bally-hoo about which developer gives what image tone on what paper is a bit over-emphasized. As mentioned above, you can fine-tune the image tone of many developers by using benzotriazole in place of KBr as the restrainer, or warm up a paper by using more KBr, or use a combination of the two for intermediate tones. I keep bottles of 2% benzotriazole, 10% KBr and 10% NaCarbonate on the shelf and tweak the developer as needed for a given print.

I have a tendency to use split developing techniques using a soft-working and contrasty developers on graded paper. Image tone is often warmer with more time in the soft developer, but it simply tones away in selenium, so I usually don't worry about it so much. That said, I like a bit more selenium toning than neutral black, a touch of warm eggplant in the blacks for most prints, up to almost POP purple for others. I don't think one image tone works for all prints.

At any rate, I still have a stash of Zone VI developer that I am using, so I'm interested in this thread as well. I have also used the BW65, which is very nice, but changes the way some prints selenium tone. Dektol works well and gives (for me anyway) more blacks and correspondingly less shadow detail. However, it's all just a matter of fine tuning during printing to get the print you want.

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[Bruce Barlow]

In 1988 Fred told me, specifically, that Zone VI developer "is Dektol. Why screw around?" The usual Fred candor. I worked for Zone VI at the time, so there was no reason to hide anything.

These days, I add a little Benzotriazole because, having tested, all my papers are subject to a little chemical fog. I get whiter whites with a restrainer. Toning takes out the greenish cast.

[Ken Lee]

The classic formula D-72 is reputed to be quite close to Dektol, if not the same. You can mix your own at a very affordable price.

See http://www.digitaltruth.com/data/kodak_d72.php

The ol in the name of Dektol and similar developers, refers to the popular developing agent Metol, namely monomethyl-p-aminophenol hemisulfate.

[David Michael Bigeleisen]

I have been using Ilford Bromophen for quite a while. I found it to be a bit more contrasty than zone vi. You might want to give it a try. I think I may have a few packages of zone vi developer lying around. Please let me know if you would like to have them. David

[RichardRitter]

The problem is the Zone VI developer that was made back in the 80's to work with Brilliant paper was not being made in the 90's. Some where in the 90's the formula was changed.

If you have read Bruce's paper/ developer test articles and seem the prints you would know that you need to experiment to find what works best with your paper, shouting style and printing techniques, how you develop the film ect.....

I use a modified version of the 80's developer on Brilliant and use Dektol for every thing else. The Dektol get used at a 1 to 1, to a 1 to 5 mixture. Depends on the image.

Plus I use Benzotriazole, any where from 1/4 oz per quart of working stock to 4 oz per quart. This depends on the paper being use and the subject matter being printed.

[Drew Wiley]

Bruce - I still have some Zone VI packets on hand, and it's definitely not #76 - related
MQ formula but cooler and with a little better shadow separation (as noted already,
to help the blocking of shadows in the late great graded Brilliant bromide paper). I quit
using it when I worked up my above formula for Polygrade V, which doesn't respond
well to either amidol or glycin. But with a couple of my favorite new papers, namely
Kentmere FP and Adox MCC, both amidol and Ansco 130 give much better image color
for me than any MQ or PQ formula.

[Drew Wiley]

Ooops - I meant to say it's not Dektol (not #76).

[Mark Sampson]

i'll agree with Drew about the Z-VI developer, his description fits my experience. But Dektol 1:2 still works well for me, and it's a local product.
Merg, I used A-130 1:1 and it needed 3 minutes in the developer. In my basement darkroom it's rarely above 68 and I'd bet A-130 works better at higher temps. I does look good but in the end, the extra time spent and the added expense made me decide to keep it simple. Since I use selenium toner, I can control the tone color there.
Truth be told, the change from Kodak Polymax Fine-Art to Ilford MG IV FB has been more significant than any changes in the paper developer.