What developer do you use and why?

i use Rodinal for all my films below 100 ISO, my Adox 25 and 50, PanF, Delta 100, Fomapan, Acros etc
ID-11 for my faster films, kentmere 400, HP5, Delta 3200

Finished off with SB-20 stop bath and Ilford Rapid Fixer
 
My developer (R09) seems to have gone off. I need to look at buying some new developer but don't know much about them. I thought they might be a thread treating the subject and i find this one so i make it come back up.

The previous post point to the R09, the XTOL and ID-11.

I don't do so much film photography to be honest so i hope to find something i can keep for a long time, and i'm not dedicated to one kind of film so versatility can be a plus. Also, usually, i like fine grain better that very large grain. What would you recommend as a good starter?
 
I started out experimenting with developers; the first one I ever used was a Johnson's powder universal developer because it was cheap and could be used for both films and papers. I wouldn't recommend doing this! I eventaully standardised on Unitol because I preferred liquid concentrates and one shot use for ease and consistency. When Unitol disappeared, I switched to Rodinal, for the same basic reasons, plus the additional one of a published formula being available, so I was assured of a supply as long as I could buy the raw chemicals. Rodinal for me had another advantage of a ridiculously long shelf life. I like the acutance effect, and the grain doesn't bother me at all (I hate grain) because I don't use formats smaller than 6x6. If I were using 35mm, I might reconsider. I don't recall you saying what film sizes you use; I mainly use 5x4 where grain is not an issue at all.

I've done a little checking to refresh my memory, and SilverPrint offer R09 under the Rodinal name; Ag offer Adonal which they say is the exact Agfa formula used up until Rodinal was lost when Agfa went under. When my supply of Agfa Rodinal runs out (I have at least 5 unopened bottles) I'll go for the Adonal variant if still available. Developers work by an oxidation/reduction process; this means that they are designed to oxidise and so go off in air. Hence the advice to either use glass marbles (inert) to top up partially full bottles, of a proprietary gas spary that is heavier than air and sits on the surface. Or concertina bottles... I've had no problems with Rodinal even with none of these precautions.
 
Kodak HC110 last for all practical purposes forever and is in expensive, people who complain its expensive generally get the maths wrong you only need 6ml to develop one film so a 1L bottle goes a long way. Have a look at dilution H its generally easier to get controllable development times.

You can just use water as a stop but I prefer to use Ilford stop and I use E6 fixer it last longer than black and whitew fixers which tend to sulphate after a while.
 
I use HC 110 for everything, for exactly those reasons.

Lasts "for ever", economical - ish and, being a simpleton, I like to get to know exactly how one developer behaves with a given film.
 
I started with Ilfosol3 as it was recommended to me - and I've stuck with it because it works for me.

Ilford Rapid Fixer and good old tap water for stop and wash. Blob of Fairy Liquid in the final wash.
 
My only issues with Ilfosol 3 is it goes of if you stare at it harshly ... well slight exageration but given that for most people developing their films tends to be intermitant so its a poor choice due to its keeping properties whereas 8 years out of date discoloured poorly stored HC110 still gives a good result and while there is lots of love for Rodinal the now available comercail versions seem to have much poorer lasting properties.

Vote HC110 etc
 
-Oy- said:
I started with Ilfosol3 as it was recommended to me - and I've stuck with it because it works for me.

Ilford Rapid Fixer and good old tap water for stop and wash. Blob of Fairy Liquid in the final wash.
Click to expand...

How big a blob? I used a couple of drops, and ended up with water marks all over the negs on my first try. :(
 
PMK Pyro. Because I bought some a log time ago, forgot I had it for many years then found it last year and decided to use it.


Steve.
 
ChrisR said:
How big a blob? I used a couple of drops, and ended up with water marks all over the negs on my first try. :(
Click to expand...

Tiny blob, smaller than a pea but bigger than an atom...
 
ChrisR said:
How big a blob? I used a couple of drops, and ended up with water marks all over the negs on my first try. :(
Click to expand...

Just a blob :) About the size of a lentil - a lentil sized lentil :)

I've never had water marks.
 
Thanks guy much appreciated. You're right stephen i didn't mention film size, i use 35mm and 6x4.5 maybe 6x6.
Quiet a few votes for HC110, i will have a look at that!
 
I have a bottle of T Max developer, because that was all that was in the shop :D Works well, had it over a year and it's not gone off!
 
Over the past couple of years, on b/w I have used ID11, Microphen, Agfa R09, D-76, and LC29. On C41 I have used Rollei Digibase C-41.

I have used far more ID11 than anything else, buying it in 5 litre packs. I quite liked the R09 and might buy more. At the moment, I'm about to use a bottle of LC29.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top