D-76 losing speed ?

lhalcong · Apr 15, 2014

Is there such a thing as aging D-76 losing film speed compared to a fresh mixed batch ? The film is TRI-X 400.

snapguy · Apr 15, 2014

daid

I mixed up a batch in 1963 but I am pretty sure it's dead now. You can't use it forever, so obviously there is a limit. If you have the Kodak data sheet that should give you some info as to how many rolls you can run through it. Have you thought of using it as a one shot and discarding the old stuff after each use? A full bottle of D-76 in a tightly stoppered bottle should last six months.

Gerald C Koch · Apr 15, 2014

Kodak recommends using D-76 with 6 months of mixing it. One of the problems with this developer is that it is somewhat irregular in its behavior depending on its age. HC-110 is a better alternative and produces result almost identical to D-76.

lhalcong · Apr 16, 2014

I had my Tri-X process rated at ISO 320 to render Zone I at very close to .10 D / for some reason I decided to measure again . it would seem that zone I is losing density as the last few times I measured it , I was getting .05 and even .03 the very last time. I havent really perfomed scientific test to proove this but I just wanted to ask if that was possible that not fresh D-76 (I really cannot remember how old) can actually lose film speed. I will be mixing a fresh batch and test again but like I said, I wanted to know if this was possible or did I introduce another possible issue (variable).

chwhitaker · Apr 17, 2014

I don't know about losing film speed, but a commonly discussed problem with D76 is that its pH rises over time -- well within its 6 month shelf life -- which causes increased contrast. You can find a description of this in Anchell's Film Developing Cookbook. There are various ways to fix this, but the easiest is probably to get TD-16 developer from Photographer's Formulary. It's D76 that's been tweaked so that it holds a steady pH over its 6 month shelf life.

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RattyMouse · Apr 17, 2014

Gerald C Koch said:
Kodak recommends using D-76 with 6 months of mixing it. One of the problems with this developer is that it is somewhat irregular in its behavior depending on its age. HC-110 is a better alternative and produces result almost identical to D-76.

I'm always a bit amazed that anyone chooses D-76 over HC-110. I guess if you only develop small amounts of film it makes sense. Otherwise HC-110 is so incredibly easy to use and completely worry free from aging questions or doubts.

hoffy · Apr 17, 2014

RattyMouse said:
I'm always a bit amazed that anyone chooses D-76 over HC-110. I guess if you only develop small amounts of film it makes sense. Otherwise HC-110 is so incredibly easy to use and completely worry free from aging questions or doubts.

That would be assuming you can get HC110 in all markets......

Ian Grant · Apr 17, 2014

RattyMouse said:
I'm always a bit amazed that anyone chooses D-76 over HC-110. I guess if you only develop small amounts of film it makes sense. Otherwise HC-110 is so incredibly easy to use and completely worry free from aging questions or doubts.

It's because D76/ID-11 is a very good developer of it's type, very consistent particularly when replenished, replenishment extends it's shelf life and capacity. It's surpassed by Xtol though these days.

HC-110 isn't to everyones taste there's a slight speed loss (drop in shadow details) compared to D76, it's not as sharp.

For large amounts of film replenished Xtol is by far the best all round choice, very economic and reliable.

Ian

Ian Grant · Apr 17, 2014

lhalcong said:
Is there such a thing as aging D-76 losing film speed compared to a fresh mixed batch ? The film is TRI-X 400.

You shouldn't use freshly mixed D76 immediately it should be left for around 24 hours, it's far more active when made up and requires time to stabilise.

As Gerald says it should last for 6 months with no problem.

Ian.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 18, 2014

Yes, D76increases in sctivity with agedue to raising Ph.several self-mix formulae exist ,which buffer the Ph and therefore fixthe problem,making D76 a very stable developer.I have used them for up to 1 year after mixingbut always mix fresh as it is simple enough to do if you have the raw chemicals at hand.

baachitraka · Apr 18, 2014

I may also recommend the self-mix formulas like D-23 and mix every time fresh. You may get very similar results when compared to D-76. BC

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Xmas · Apr 18, 2014

http://www.freelists.org/post/pure-silver/D76-and-variations

if you are going to mid your own and not replinisht

Mainecoonmaniac · Apr 18, 2014

In processing BW film, aren't shadows done developing first before the highlights? So if the negative lacks shadow, isn't the film is just under exposed?

Ken Nadvornick · Apr 18, 2014

RattyMouse said:
I'm always a bit amazed that anyone chooses D-76 over HC-110. I guess if you only develop small amounts of film it makes sense. Otherwise HC-110 is so incredibly easy to use and completely worry free from aging questions or doubts.

I mix my own buffered D-76d because if recent past results are any indication of future performance, Kodak HC-110 may be a dead man walking. But back in the day HC-110 was my standard.

Ken

MartinP · Apr 19, 2014

Try ID11 from Ilfordphoto instead. It comes in two packs of 'ingredients', rather than one, but seems consistent and long-lived whilst being functionally identical.

Xmas · Apr 19, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
In processing BW film, aren't shadows done developing first before the highlights? So if the negative lacks shadow, isn't the film is just under exposed?

The fog level, the shadow detail and the high lights all increase with development at different rates, cept if bits of your shadows are below the films threshold when nothing happens... apart from fog increasing.

So no shadows above fog could be underexposure or under development or foggy developer.

The published D76 developer is not the lowest fog soup some of the near clones are lower.

pentaxuser · Apr 19, 2014

snapguy said:
I mixed up a batch in 1963 but I am pretty sure it's dead now.

I think that after 51 years there is just a small chance that it is dead now Did you mean 1963? Do you mean that the same batch is actually sitting there somewhere with liquid in it? Amazing

pentaxuser

brian steinberger · Apr 19, 2014

MartinP said:
Try ID11 from Ilfordphoto instead. It comes in two packs of 'ingredients', rather than one, but seems consistent and long-lived whilst being functionally identical.

+1.

I love ID-11. Been using it for years and always seems consistent for me. I use my batch within 6 months easily.

D-76 losing speed ?

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