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Help, A few Questions about film Developers

Napoleon

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So I recently reaffirmed my love with black and white film. Does anyone still use T-max liquid developer? I used to mix just what i needed for a Paterson System 4, 2 reel tank which I holds 20 oz of developer. Does anyone still mix like that and have notes on mixing instructions? If not do you have anyone have any alternative developers they use?
 

Christopher Walrath

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The Kodak site still has PDS's on chemistry, including the T-Max devs. I use HC110. But I usually one shot it like you used to.
 

Jeff Kubach

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I have use Tmax developer in the past, great stuff! Just follow instructions.

Jeff
 

MattKing

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StoneNYC

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Welcome to APUG,

There are MANY developers out there, Kodak Tmax and Ilford DD-X are the top most expensive and very good, the cheaper Kodak HC-110 and Adox Adonal (Rodinal) both also very popular for a myriad of reasons, and hundreds in between...

Welcome back to film.
 

dorff

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Well, I have used it both one-shot and mixed to 1:4 with multiple use and time adjustment. I found the one-shot route to be more convenient but wasteful of a now scarce and expensive developer. Results were similar from both, so I can't really say one-shot is particularly better. Arguably it will give better consistency than roll 12 on a 1 liter batch, though. It does not make sense to me to use this developer for anything but pushed fast films, or where you are desperate to drag shadow details up. Its tonality for medium and slow speed films is not in my view better than "stock standard" developers like D76 or Rodinal, and it is much more expensive than those. Still, if you want to standardise on one developer for everything, it will get the job done.
 
OP
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Napoleon

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Thank you everyone. I have done some basic experimentation with the following. 2 rolls 400 ASA Tri-x Developed in D-76 at room temp for 8 minutes, looked really nice, good tonal range. Now here is were a take the train and drive it off the cliff. I found some of what I can only guess is 14 years plus T-Max 100 120 film as it expiration date was 02/2000 . Well I decided to shoot it and then process it in a new method I found out about. It is as follows, Water Rinse for 2 min constant agitation, Room temp D-76 1 min agitation and then left to stand for 59 mins. I then rinsed and fixed for 12 mins as I used to knowing that T-Max has a purple tint to it if not fixed for a long time. Again Thanks all, and I will keep you posted on my return to the wonderful world of film.
 

Mark_S

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Napoleon - Welcome back to film

I use development similar to what you describe when I have an image with very high contrast. The initial development brings some density to the shadow regions, but when you leave it without agitation for a long time, the developer gets exhausted locally near where the highlights are, so you do not get as much density there as you would with constant agitation. This can be taken a step further by doing the stand development in the cold - such as the refrigerator.

That said, I don't like the idea of doing something where you have too many unknowns - if you are dealing with old film and don't know how it will respond, I would use a developing technique which you know well, and when experimenting with a new developing technique, use a film which is a known quantity - that way you will be able to understand what is doing what in your process.
 

gone

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Years ago I used to send my stuff out for developing, and the lab I used went w/ T max developer. My negs always looked very nice.

Now I do my own stuff, shoot mostly Tri-X, and the only developers I have personal experience with are Acufine, Rodinal and D76. They all work great, it just depends on what look you're after. I'm always the weak link in the development chain, not the developer, which is why I nearly always use D76. Pretty fool proof.
 

Regular Rod

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Are you happy to mix your own developer?

If so you could make your own to use as you describe. Have a look at OBSIDIAN AQUA. Very easy to make up. Economical to use (1ml of developer in 500 ml of tap water). It also happens to be a fantastic developer, preserving fine grain and delivering very sharp results. You can use it semi-stand and stand to take advantage of its compensating properties too.

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...ol-staining-developer&highlight=obsidian+aqua

RR
 
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StoneNYC

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RR don't confuse the poor guy, this is for someone who's been doing this a while and knows where to get all the chems... Let him get started before he has to try and tackle your home made developer...
 

DREW WILEY

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I still can't get over the genius of naming a developer "obsidian aqua". Sounds like something that just got legalized in Denver.
 

Regular Rod

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StoneNYC said:
RR don't confuse the poor guy, this is for someone who's been doing this a while and knows where to get all the chems... Let him get started before he has to try and tackle your home made developer...
Click to expand...

OBSIDIAN AQUA is not MY developer by any means. It is fast becoming my favourite but it isn't mine. eBay or Google will help him find the very few chemicals needed to make it up.

My suggestion was made so that he will be more likely to get good results. OBSIDIAN AQUA is probably the easiest developer to get good results with. If he reads the link all will be revealed.

Here's how I make up mine:



RR
 

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Regular Rod

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DREW WILEY said:
I still can't get over the genius of naming a developer "obsidian aqua". Sounds like something that just got legalized in Denver.
Click to expand...

It's a very accurate name. OBSIDIAN AQUA produces very sharp negatives and preserves fine grain.

RR
 

StoneNYC

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Could have sworn it was yours? Then who made it up?
 

Regular Rod

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StoneNYC said:
Could have sworn it was yours? Then who made it up?
Click to expand...

It's all in that link to the Large Format Photography Forum that I put up earlier.

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...ol-staining-developer&highlight=obsidian+aqua

Jay DeFehr (a very helpful chap indeed BTW)

Mixing up developer is easy. 55 years ago, pocket money was in short supply, getting the chemicals and making your own was the only way to afford developer for some of us. I was nine when I made up my first developer. It was ID 11, which is the same as D 76...

RR
 
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Napoleon

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I do love the idea of making my own developer, as companies fold or go out of business premade stuff will become harder to find. I will download and file it away, I again thank you everyone for the great information. I will be asking more question as I get further along. As for now does anyone know of a good way to convert the ratios in to millileters for mixing working solutions from consentraites or diluting working solutions?
 
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