Dektol - Why so popular?

[miha]

Shipping costs. The Ilford Liquid was stocked in Gallon jugs at the local shop.

Bromophen is no heavier as it is powder as well.

 

[BradS]

Why Dektol (aka D72)?

Unlike film developers, I have never used any other paper developer. I learned to print way back in the 1970's - with Dektol. There's nothing magical about it. It is very simply: cheap, readily available and reliable. It just works.

These days, availability is not what it used to be so I mix D72 from scratch. Same great reliable performance.

 

[miha]

I've always meant to try Bromophen, but the way Ilford describes its working properties one would expect it to be a warmer tone developer than Dektol, so it would not appear to be a direct substitute.

In some ways, yes. It was the developer of choice with their WT papers before the Harman Warmtone liquid developer was launched.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Tom, can you elaborate on these differences? Maybe liquid dektol isn't available anyway in the U.K. so its Hobson's choice but I am just curious as to what they were. Thanks?

pentaxuser

Liquid Dektol is no longer available over here. The process of making a developer concentrate means changing the compounds used which in turn give different results. A liquid Dektol (e.g. dilute 1+9) would give similar results to PQ universal.

One factor I've realised is that one really needs very few papers developers, perhaps a D-72 and a warm tone developer, e.g. ID-78; with a soft developer if you're printing on graded paper. - ILFOBROM GALERIE is a favourite.

Tom

 

[eng1er]

I also have been re-using it for up to 3 days in a row by pouring the diluted tray solution into a dedicated bottle in between sessions.

I always leave the working solution in the tray and cover it with Saran wrap (plastic stretch wrap). Not over the lip of the tray but actually on the surface of the liquid. Make sure you cover the entire surface and it will prevent oxidation for a few days.

 

[removed account4]

John, I will for sure!

excellent!

post your results
people always say " huge grain like golf balls" but it is not so, it is smooth tonality and nice grain

have fun!
john

 

[MattKing]

Liquid Dektol was badged as PolyMax T in North America.

I have seen conflicting information on whether it is still being produced.

Most of it is/was sold in 5 litre cubitainers. I think it was intended to replace Ektaflo.

I have a bunch of the quart bottles of PolyMax T concentrate that are all past their expiry date. They seem to be working fine.

Around here, if you go into a store that just has a few remnants of current darkroom supplies, there is likely some packets of Dektol there.

 

[snapguy]

wrong

The notion that "most" Americans are "u.s. centric" is specious at best and stupid at worst. I, and a couple of hundred of my fellow photographers that I happened to know and work with or in opposition to, have been buying photo chemicals and gear from Freestyle since the 1950s. They carried a vast array of papers and film and other stuff from the far corners of the world, sometimes at very good prices compared to domestic brands like Kodak. Some were great, some were not so great. You could pick and choose from an international bazaar. Checz film, Italian photo paper, German and Japanese cameras. Leitz lenses made in Canada or Indonesia. Then came Chinese goods. Sometimes you found Brazilian goods which were re-branded from some other country.
Anybody remember Freestyle when it was in a little hole-in-the-wall on Sunset near Western?

 

[Jeff Kubach]

For those interested in a liquid version of Dektol with enhanced capacity and tray life, Ron Mowrey's (aka Photo Engineer) Liquidol might be worth trying. It is available through Photographer's Formulary.

I'm going to have to remember that.

Jeff

 

[removed account4]

from what i understand the powder form of detktol has things in it to keep it mixed
it really isn't much different than mixing it from scratch because the "stuff added"
doesn't do anything but keep in mixed ...

its like suggesting that cain's mayonaise and helmann's are that much different
because one uses a different preservative to keep it from separating into eggs and oil

the liquid bag i used to buy from calumet in cambridge ( RIP ) and it was made locally
i believe it was called solludal / d72 ...

 

[DannL.]

I've been using Dektol since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I suspect the reasons are many, but here are a few . . . It was readily available, inexpensive, easy to mix, and gives consistent results. Since they started putting it in plastic sealed bags it has helped with long term storage. The old paper/foil bags didn't fare as well. I use it primarily for paper, dry plates and x-ray film. I occasionally use it with regular B/W film, also.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Cause Dektol is dirt cheap and every camera store from here to the planet Neptune sold it for decades. It's what teachers like AA pushed, and
everybody knows that everything he wrote can never be improved upon (yuk yuk). And being a Kodak product, it had very predictable quality control and packaging. Of course, many clones have been marketed over the years. But yeah, the official brand contained a sequestering agent, which means you need just one package of powder to stir. I still use it once in awhile when I deliberately want a slightly greenish bias on cold toned papers (which I usually don't).

 

[miha]

SNIP... and every camera store from here to the planet Neptune sold it for decades...

Well, not in the stores available to me (pre internet, that is); I could by EFKE products in a general store 20 years ago, but not Dektol. This is what John had in mind I believe.

 

[removed account4]

Well, not in the stores available to me (pre internet, that is); I could by EFKE products in a general store 20 years ago, but not Dektol. This is what John had in mind I believe.

yup

miha,
i am guessing slovenia is beyond planet neptune ( or at least it was pre-internet )

john

 

[RalphLambrecht]

- It's powder which is inconvenient - there are many liquid quality developers available;
- It's metol based which can be problematic to some - most other makes (powder & liquid) are phenidone based;
- It doesn't last particularly long when mixed - there are longer lasting developers available in powder and liquid form;

Still, it's seems to be incredibly popular. Can those who use is as their main developer explain its strengths. Thanks.

Dektol is a long-lasting,but more importantly, a a neutral to warmpaper developer that is very consistent over a long timeand very predictable developerthat is easy to mixan store developer, which has been a fovorite of severalwell-known darkroom workerswho inadvertently advertised for it in their workshops and through heir publications; it's a stable and reliable developerwith a great eputation.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Why not Bromophen (or LPD). Just curious.

for many it's the obvious first choice and after that; it's what you're use to;neverthe less a good choice,because it just worksand is reliable,I started using it in the md 1990sbecause,it was easy to get in the US.These days, I mix it myselfand that seems to be identical to the commrcial mix,which is a credit to Kodak for not making to ig of sa secret of its formula.It's recommended by Kodak and their research and recommendations always have been very trustworthy;I never got bad advise from them.Also,their technical papers are excellent and written for the average as well as the advanced user.Kpdak did things right when they did it right!

 

[Bob Carnie]

I used Dektol up until a couple of years ago, I have switched to Ilfords Multigrade in liquid for 1: 9 and am very happy with the results.

I just got harder and harder to get Kodak products here once the factory was Demoed.

 

[Zedwardson]

Even today, I went to the two stores that remain in the city I live in. One had Dektol and Tmax, the other had Dektol, Ilford, and technidol. Simple fact is that it is a easy product to store and sell. Heck, if I was crazy enough to open up a camera store, I would buy Dektol to stock my selves, as i knew I would not loose money on it.


(Holy heck, looked at the prices of Technidol on ebay. Might have to do some investment buying the store out of its remaining stock. )

 

[Ian Grant]

The liquid Dektol is a different product compared to scratch-mixed D-72 or packaged powdered Dektol.

Tom

In the UK, Dektol was always available as a 5 litre bottle which was mixed at 1+9 as a standard, though was good sometimes to make it stronger for more contrast. Sadly, was discontinued a few years ago. Used to use loads of it too.

We had D163 in the UK and European market instead of D72/Dektol for years, it (D163) was never sold ore published in the US data-guides.

Liquid Dektol was sold as Polymax (or something similar) at one time and is essentially a PQ variant of D72 using Dimezone and like similar concentrated loquid Print developers (from all major manufacturers) uses a mix of Carbonate and Hydroxide to allow for greater concentration. Sodium Carbonate is the limiting factor in converting a powder MQ developer formula into a commercial liquid concentrate PQ equivalent so it gets replaced by Potassium Carbonate and Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide. the ratio effects shelf life particularly when opened.

Ian

 

[miha]

yup

miha,
i am guessing slovenia is beyond planet neptune ( or at least it was pre-internet )

john

This is a tough one, John. I wish I knew the answer.:confused:

 

[miha]

I used Dektol up until a couple of years ago, I have switched to Ilfords Multigrade in liquid for 1: 9 and am very happy with the results.

I just got harder and harder to get Kodak products here once the factory was Demoed.

I thought I read you were using Dektol. Good to know Multigrade works for you just as good.

 

[miha]

.Kpdak did things right when they did it right!

Yes, Kodak was excellent on many accounts. Still is!

 

[Bob Carnie]

yes for the bulk of my printing career, now I use the Ilford product because they are making a stand and supplying us all with chemicals and paper .

I thought I read you were using Dektol. Good to know Multigrade works for you just as good.

 

[jp498]

A 5L size I considered pretty inconvenient; 5L jugs are basically made only of unobtainium. What I can do though, is after it's mixed and dissolved, put away 1 gallon (4L) of concentrate, and use the remainder to make working strength developer for immediate use.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Dektol - Why so popular?

Two words: It works