Who knows?And use something like a 9 minute development time for the first roll, and 9.5 minutes for the second.
Or compromise, and use 9.25 minutes for each.
That's true. Adding x ml per developed roll is my way to get a source of consistent used developer. There must be a way: It's like replenishing for a week with simple D-76, use it for a second time and discard.Even when do.
For this to work with unchanged times, you need a source of consistent used developer.
The used developer you end up with after developing one roll won't be the same as the used developer you end up with after developing two rolls.
Something like that is what I'm trying to find out... But some other times I need 600ml for a 120 roll... What I need to see is if by adding a good amount of fresh stock to the used stock, time differences are so small as to be irrelevant in practice.How often are you developing film?
I ask, because if you are developing twelve rolls a month, it might make sense to develop two rolls in 600 ml fresh stock (at fresh stock times) at the beginning of the month, and then keep that used 600 ml and use 120ml of that each of the next 5 times you develop two rolls - each time with 480 ml fresh and 120 ml of used.
It is the restraining development byproducts in the used developer that matter the most, not the capacity.
It isn't that 250 ml are required for every roll. It is that 250 ml are required for every roll in order to ensure consistency from roll to roll. With D-76, if you use less than 250 ml, you can compensate (mostly) by extending the time.Am I thinking right?:
250ml of stock solution are recommended for every roll. But a litre can develop 10 rolls adding time for stock reuse, so, doesn't it seem the 250ml are required, more than for development, for stability with higher dilutions?
If someone uses the adding time to reused stock system: do you get the same grain with the last rolls? I feel strange when I think of using the same litre of developer so many times!
The problem with using stock D-76 to replenish is that the activity of the stock is one thing, while the restraining effect of the development byproducts is another. Replacing a certain amount of used developer with fresh developer will cause an increase in activity but, unlike with X-Tol or T-Max developers, the decrease in activity that results from developing a roll won't be nicely matched by the sum effect of replacing a quantity of used developer (removal of byproducts) and the addition of fresh developer.There's another way to ask it:
If i decide to replenish with simple D-76, how long does it take before the system fails? Or before development times change?
And what rate in ml would you use?
Juan,Ah, nvm. Didn't realize OP want to avoid adjusting develop time. Yea, not sure how that would work then...
Juan,
Is it that you don’t want longer developing times, or that you want to keep the same times every time... No matter how long it needs to be?
To make this solution, I measure 27 grams of D-76 powder and mix it into 500 mL of warm water. I usually mix it into about 450 mL in a large beaker and transfer it to a 500 mL amber bottle, then I top off the bottle with warm water. This directly mixes a 1:1 dilution.
Great post, Matt, thanks.It isn't that 250 ml are required for every roll. It is that 250 ml are required for every roll in order to ensure consistency from roll to roll. With D-76, if you use less than 250 ml, you can compensate (mostly) by extending the time.
However, the qualities will be optimized if you do use at least 250 ml per roll. Anything less will result in at least some reduction of quality.
And one of the changes over time will be a change in the appearance of the grain as the development byproducts (restrainers) build up.
The problem with using stock D-76 to replenish is that the activity of the stock is one thing, while the restraining effect of the development byproducts is another. Replacing a certain amount of used developer with fresh developer will cause an increase in activity but, unlike with X-Tol or T-Max developers, the decrease in activity that results from developing a roll won't be nicely matched by the sum effect of replacing a quantity of used developer (removal of byproducts) and the addition of fresh developer.
That is why there are/were special versions of D-76 and other developers that were to be used as replenishers.
All that means that your development times won't be consistent, as you proceed.
Of course, the relative change may be small, if you only use a portion of the developer's replenishment capacity - i.e. only re-use it a bit, and then discard it before it runs out.
- Develop 4 rolls in 1L of fresh, stock D76
- Save the used developer
- Develop next 16 rolls mixing the saved used-once developer with fresh stock at 2:1 ratio and using +30% development time
- Discard the developer.
- Start over
I feel like everyone is over thinking this problem. OP can use his developer, then fill the used developer into his empty bottle. For the next stage he can just decant 50% of the used developer and mix in with 50% of his stock solution. After developing with this, then just discard the whole thing. The cycle then repeats where he can pour in the full stock developer and after developing the film, store it in the bottle, and then decant 50% and add 50% of stock buffer for the next development.
By the way, I don't know why I prefer D-76 to ID-11, but I do. I feel more confidence.
@Juan Valdenebro You seem to be extremely sensitive to even small deviations from perfect developer. You see profound differences between D-76 stock and D-76 1+1, you see strong differences between XTol and D-76. You do not under any circumstances want to use a replenished regime. It has to be D-76 stock, period.
In this case your best solution is to simply put up with the extra cost of using D-76 single shot. Even used this way it will be much cheaper than your film rolls you develop with it, and you do not risk issues from carryover or previous development cycle having an effect on your developer. If you are that critical, then there is no path left but single shot use of whatever developer you prefer - in your case D-76.
Hi Bill,Juan I agree it takes less time with stock to reach high enough contrast to make soft light look good on film.
But I think it has more to do with the contrast than the fact it’s stock. You could probably go with 24 to 32 minutes in D-76 1:1 and get the same nice contrast.
Trying and seeing this might help you decide to stick with 1:1 even in soft light, because 18 minutes might be good too, and that’s not too much time.
Regardless of whether your preference for D-76 stock applies to generic shots or just specific lighting situations: if D-76 stock is the absolutely only developer which cuts the deal for you in some situation, then D-76 stock used single shot it ought to be. If D-76 1+1 won't work for you, then D-76 mixed with used D-76 will be even further off, plus a lot more unpredictable, because the first roll may have different levels of exposure, and it may have different combinations of silver halide.No, I've said I use 1+1 and 1+2 too, and also other developers.
But D-76 stock is what I like for overcast with 35mm ISO400 film.
That, at EI640: at EI200 I prefer Perceptol 1+2.
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