Film and developer combo's, timings, methods and results

raathistle

raathistle

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Chris
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I was thinking it migth be nice if we had a bit of a sharing of information as to what developer/film combinations people use, development processes, and possible examples of the characteristics this gives the end product.

I know there are places like the massive development chart and similar but they are very boring tables with no real indication of the finished result, and often very little in the way of real instruction re. agitation etc :bang:

Just a thought, any takers? :shrug:
 
*takes*

I haven't tried many developers, maybe 4 or so, I have more, I just haven't got round to using them.
By far the most reliable has been ilfosol s, its quite silky (doesn't drag out the grain), its slow and mid-high contrast.
Using it is easy, the timings are nicely spaced, its good solid reliable developer.
I could compare it with the other developers I've used, but this page would be a yard long and you'd all be asleep:LOL:
So this is my number one Ilfosol s for any b/w film.
I just developed some neopan 1600 35mm from my Nikon pas, I'm expecting beau deep contrasty blacks with little grain using Ilfosol, they are still wet, but it looks promising.
I'll post a scan when they're dry:)
 
Agitation is an art form in itself.
 
I tested some 1+100 Rodinal (500ml) in FP4 125 ISO Stand Dev, 1 min agitation at the beginning, an hour stand, 1 min later, then stop, fix as norm.

It was yummy.
 
An hour stand ?
1+100 seems a bit weak but, you let it develope for an hour ?
 
Inversion agitation was my preferred method.
 
My favourite combo a the minute is Tri-X rated at 200, Rodinal 1+100, 21 minutes develop with 30 seconds initial gentle agitation followed by 3 inversions every 3 minutes.

help to limit the crazy grain I get with Tri-x and Rodinal but still nice contrasty negs with lovely rodinal grain, just not the masses I get with "normal" development.

Another combo I am trying atm is FP4 rated @ 50, Rodinal 1+50 for 12 minuntes, 10 seconds initial agitation then 3 inversions per minute. This is with 5x4 so the grain isn't such an issue but this seems to be a nice set up so far.
So this is my number one Ilfosol s for any b/w film.
Click to expand...

I might have to give this a try, I've not tried any of the rest of the Ilford range after I switched from LC29 to Rodinal, but i might have a look if I likes what I sees :)
 
joxby said:
An hour stand ?
1+100 seems a bit weak but, you let it develope for an hour ?
Click to expand...

I wanted the tones to build up, the more dilute the longer I can let the dev do its job :)

Stand Development is a whole new realm of dev'ing film, with a lot of lee-way. You should check it out.
 
Grant said:
I wanted the tones to build up, the more dilute the longer I can let the dev do its job :)

Stand Development is a whole new realm of dev'ing film, with a lot of lee-way. You should check it out.
Click to expand...

I should, I did some fp5 with HC-110, the developement time was like 3 mins with 30 second agitations.....completely buggered my methods up, I'm usually mixing fix and checking wash temperatures between agitations, no time for any of that.
Hours is more my scale of processing(y)
 
Grant said:
you'll notice some really sharp nasty noise however....
Click to expand...

What in the slow ones ?

HC-110 was sharp and nasty at 3 mins....offensive grain.
It also messed a roll up for me last week, I won't be using it again:thumbsdown:
I've had nothing but crap with Kodak, from HC through to their flippin film sending my fixer pink:thumbsdown::thumbsdown:
 
The thing with Rodinal is it enhances the grain, subsequently making your images appear sharper. Soups like D-76 chisel the grain and allow for nicer, smoother looking grain, but at the same time softer looking images.

But at 3 minute dev, you're bound to get really obtrusive nasty noise, whats with that? Sounds almost like speedibrew.

T-Max is a fast dev soup but hardly the speeds you're talking about. D-76 allows longer dev times and more control, you might like that.
 
I've got allsorts to try
Rodinal
Microphen
ID-11
LC-29
actually LC-29 is ok, similar to ilfosol
Dunno about the 110, maybe I missread, I think its pretty potent and too coarse for my liking anyway.
 
HC110 always.

Either 1 to 7 dilution or 1 to 15 dilution according to type of film / if to be printed in the condenser enlarger or the cold cathode / short scale or long scale subject (zone system).

68 degrees (F) with one gentle inversion every 30 seconds.


In other words - exactly as Ansel Adams used to do it.
 
Neopan 1600, metered @ 1000
Ilfosol s 1+9 9 mins 20 degrees
Nikon L35AF pas
Epson 4490
Its grainier than I expected

nexhs7.jpg
 
Grant said:
You didn't expect a lot of Grain on a 1600 ISO film?

heh =p
Click to expand...

No, I expect grain with 1600, but I'm always measuring it against Ilford 3200, using ilfosol its fairly controlled, not offensively grainy.
I expected Neopan 1600 to be less grainy than 3200, but in this case its about the same, I think I was a bit warm though during dev..:shrug:
 
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