Are chemicals universal?

[RalphLambrecht]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to film photography (and photography in general). I'm looking in to developing films myself and I have a noob question. Are developing chemicals universal to all B&W films? All brands? All speeds? If I have Kodak TMax 400 can I develop with Ilford chemistry? Are there film/chemistry combinations that doesn't work well or doesn't wortk at all? Thanks in advance.
P.S. Sorry if someone asked these questions before. I just didn't know what to search for...

Regards

Sowulo

as universal as it gets;consider buying bulck chemicals and mixing your own; I find that very rewarding.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

A developer is a developer is a developer. Apologies to Gertrude Stein. But be aware that film manufactures test their films against THEIR developers.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Black & white film chemicals are not universal, each type of film and each developer for that film has its own development time. Color slide and color print film have their own universal chemicals.