Thank you for the feedback.
Bruce - Appreciate the info and you are spot on with the need to test, which is definitely the plan.
Thank you for the feedback.
Bruce - Appreciate the info and you are spot on with the need to test, which is definitely the plan.
I did a bit of this, too. I mainly used Xtol or DS-10 (which is a similar DIY developer). Scanning tends to exaggerate grain size, and so I wouldn't use a developer that leads to larger than D76 grain size. If you use Xtol, I recommend 1+1. Going more dilute can lead to problems having enough developer in a Jobo tank. More dilute Xtol tends to give coarser grain, high acutance and a slight increase in film speed over more concentrated solutions. For scanning, the first two are (minor!) negatives. I would simply aim for a negative density range that's good for a condenser enlarger on grade 2 paper. Even consumer flatbeds have plenty of dynamic range for that. (It's easy to test with a Stouffer step wedge.) Giving less development will lead to less grain, but it will also lessen film speed and tonal separation. As usual, it's a balance between many characteristics as opposed to just optimizing one of them. With your scanner, you might find that different scanning resolutions have a big affect on the appearance of photographic grain, the noise visible in a photographic image when enlarger enough. (Not grains of silver! They're too small to capture with a scanner.)
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Nope. It is not "easily controllable". In fact, it's not controllable at all. Dilutions do not make any difference to the density curve. All dilution+time combinations will produce the same image apart from the grain appearance. Dilution is a grain control lever, nothing more.
My experience is very similar to Alan9940's
I develop all my B&W (regardless of emulsion) in HC-110 for 10-12 mins at 68F, constant rotation in a JOBO tank. 1:100 and having at least 1 ml of concentrate per 4x5 sheet (4 ml per 120 roll, etc)
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