How many film developers?

[Patrick Robert James]

I have pretty much whittled it down to Rodinal for 35mm and PMK for medium and large format. I used Pyrocat-P for years but realized I liked prints from the negs I made back in the day with PMK more than the ones I was making with Pyrocat so I switched back a few years ago. Rodinal was the first developer I ever used and it has been my most used developer over the years. If I was stuck with Rodinal only I'd be fine. I've done all kinds of things with it. I even use it a certain way and call it SooperHooch. One of these days I'll write about it. I usually mix it myself using Gainer's EZ Rodinal formula but I am getting tired of doing that so I might just start buying it again now that Adox is making the real deal. Cost is just about a wash when you consider the time it takes to make it.. Or maybe I'll make a few liters and I'll never have to ever do it again.

I also have a couple favs that I will use occasionally. Beutler's is one. Almost but not quite interchangeable with Rodinal. If Glycin wasn't such a pain I'd probably use Edwal 10 quite a bit. Beautiful tones with that, but Glycin... I've made some beautiful negs with Edwal 12 as well years ago. That is even more of a pain because of PPD and Glycin. Great developer though. Just not worth it in the end. And I did like my dalliance with Defender 777 but availability was so unreliable it wasn't worth trying to make it standard. I've used so many developers over the years. These days I realize I never had to change from the beginning.

 

[Two23]

I only use HC-110 for film. The film is almost always FP4+, and occasionally Pan F or HP5.


Kent in SD

 

[P C Headland]

In order of use:

1. Rodinal
2. PC-TEA
3. 510-Pyro

Rodinal was the first developer I ever used, then got into mixing the latter two when film developers were becoming harder and more expensive to source (at least at the end of the world). I like the fact that all three have excellent keeping qualities.

If I had to stick to just one I'd probably go with PC-TEA.

 

[sojournermike]

At the moment

PC-TEA
Anchell/Stoekler metol/carbonate 2 bath
An old bottle of rodinal

I’d be quite happy if 5l packs of XT-3 became available, but the PC-TEA and 2 bath cover me quite happily at the moment and are cheap, forgiving and environmentally low impact.

 

[Helios 1984]

2 bottles of Agfa Rodinal pre-2004, a leftover of HC-110 clone and PMK Pyro.

 

[Randy Stewart]

A closet full of bulk chemicals and a copy of the Darkroom Cookbook, and I can have anything you can mention ready to go in 15 minutes or so. I also have an unopened bottle of Rodinal someone gave me 40 years ago, which will probably survive me unopened. As for routine use, I cobble up my own modified version of FX-37, which becomes more like FX-55, which I have dialed in (Zone System) for FP-4+ and HP-5+, in both 35mm and 120 roll forms. (No, they do not process exactly the same regardless of format.)

 

[Kino]

20 year old bottle of HC110 syrup, Xtol and the LegacyPro clone, Pyrocat HD in Glycol, D76 and jars of bulk chemicals to mix about anything (D23 mainly).

I like to experiment a bit, but tend to use D76 the most...

 

[markjwyatt]

I use ADOX FX-39 II for ADOX CHS 100II. I have used if for Ilford Delta 100 also. I use HC110 for HP5+, Bergger Pcanro 400, FP4+, and other films (including ADOX CHS 100 II) 35mm and 120. I have Rodinal (ADOX and Rollei- prefer ADOX, cleaner) that I have used for medium speed films (including ADOX CHS 100II). I have some W2D2+ that I use with some expired 120 AGFA APX 100 (the real AGFA). I want to try the ADOX D-76. In the 1970s D-76 is all I really used. I am curious about XT3 also. I tend to prefer liquid developers (one shot style), so that is slowing me down on the powders.

 

[TomR55]

I have Claytons F76+ and a little TMax. I use, in order of popularity, Ilford FP4, Kodak TriX, Kodak TMAX400, Ilford HP5 and and Kentmere 400. Lately, I’ve been considering dusting off the old digital scale, and mixing some D-76H because prior to relocating (five years ago) I always mixed my own D76 (fresh) and just about every film that I am likely to use will have a manufacturer’s specification for that developer.

 

[250swb]

I have Ilford DD-X, 510 Pyro, HC110, Rodinal, and Adox FX39-II at the moment.

I can't remember why I got the FX-39 but I tried it for the first time with HP5 and hated it, and perhaps for the reason that by all accounts it works better with slower films. More fool me because I've just started using Adox HR-50 in 35mm and with FX-39 (1+9) it seems like a dream combination with astonishing fine grain and acutance. For those who are worried about FX-39 quickly 'going off' my bottle was first opened six months ago and not used since then until recently, and there is little to no discolouration of the liquid in the bottle and times have not needed to be adjusted.