HP5 in HC110. What's next?

Hi All!
Restarted film photography after a 15 years stop 3 years ago as one of my freetime hobby. Built a darkroom at home and restarted wet printing too. Since then I wanted to use mostly the same film and chemicals to better understand what I was doing. Photography always was for me a freetime hobby and never read or studied anything about it, just learnt from my father (hobbist) and at a photoclub during university years and used my camera experimenting with many films and chemicals in the 80-90's. Now, since I discovered the secret world of APUG/PHOTRIO 3 years ago, I begun reading and trying to learn more and practice more. Now it's about 110 rolls in MF and 30 in 35mm that I use HC110 to develop mostly HP5 (but tried also FP4 and Acros 100). Recently bought some 4x5, 5x7 and WP/8x10 film to experiment on large format (Toyo Original Field) but always developed in hc110. Till now I think I can predict most times what I'll get on film with these two and am ready to discover something different or less scholastic. Was tempted by Pyrocat but I'm refrained by it's low availability here in Italy and it's potential danger in handling.


So what would you suggest to try as next HP5 developer to optimize HP5 use and get something more "artistic"? something readily available here in EU and suitable for a beginner, best if one shot and almost ready to use (no mixing complex chemistry allowed).


My photography is 95% family-kids-holydays in MF, 5% landscape (6x9 and LF). Film 90% HP5, 10% FP4. Prints 80% small (13x13, 13x18 and 24x24cm) for family albums, with max dimensions 30x30cm, Keepers printed big, 30x30/40, 60x90 or even bigger. Being a freetime hobby and having hardly freetime my developing sessions are 2-3 times a year developing 20-30 rolls each time (I have 4 jobo tanks developing up to 6 120 rolls each). LF: max 5-6 sheets in trays, but I'm looking for a tank for my 10 5x7 hangers...
Any suggestion would be appreciated
kind regards,
paolo

Rodinal will give a nice, clean grain with a nice tonal range.

Thanks Scott,
i forgot to tell that if in family photography my needs are highly satisfied by HC110 (not to loose the shot), It's in landscape that I'm looking to discover something new. Used few times SFX film in 6x9 and 35mm and was pleased with results.

I've used PMK Pyro for landscapes and I love it for both HP5 and FP4, the tonal gradations are very appealing, smooth and adds nice density for wet printing.

Very tempted by Pyro as my printing is by a condenser enlarger (Laborator 138) on RC VC. While in negative quality in 3 years I got to decency, in prints I have a long way to go... Still have to understand if split printimg brings to my work any difference.

But I need to develop many rolls at the same time, landscape and family mixed; do you think that PMK Pyro could be a "universal" developer?

I suggest going to Flickr and do some searching on various film and developer combinations. There's also this site.

http://filmdev.org/

The differences between any two developers are generally pretty subtle. If pyro is difficult for you to buy, and you are concerned over it's toxicity, there are many others to try.
Rodinal can give you a sharper appearance because of "edge effects" and it will also tend to accentuate grain, when you compare it to solvent developers like HC-110.
Xtol will give you slightly better film speed, as compared to Rodinal or HC-110 with less grain appearance than Rodinal.
Like Rodinal, HC-110 can be used at many different dilutions, and that will affect it's characteristics, you could go through a lot of film just exploring those differences, without changing what you already use.

Wolfgang Moersch's site has a lot of comparisons and samples showing his chemistry, though most of his developers are for paper;
http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/galerie/beispiele

Pyrogallol is quite toxic and I would certainly not recommend it to someone who has a family living in the same house.

I would suggest HC-110 as it is a general purpose developer suitable for landscape and people. A much safer alternative.

Thanks bdial,
I begun with HC110 at 1+39 and ended up to 1+49. My negatives often looks on the overexposed/developed side as I expose for shadow but compensate less during developing.

bunip said:

Thanks bdial,
I begun with HC110 at 1+39 and ended up to 1+49. My negatives often looks on the overexposed/developed side as I expose for shadow but compensate less during developing.

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A dilution of 1+49 is what I use. Many photographers over expose by a stop to get better tones. If contrast remains a problem then reduce development time by a bit.

Gerald C Koch said:

Pyrogallol is quite toxic and I would certainly not recommend it to someone who has a family living in the same house.

I would suggest HC-110 as it is a general purpose developer suitable for landscape and people. A much safer alternative.

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The liquid PMK Pyro is quite safe, but does need gloves.

I always use gloves. Do you know if Moersch Tanol or Finol are PMK pyro equivalents? Those are readily available through Mirko Boddecker’s Adox store

I don't know, I have always used the kit from the Formulary:

http://stores.photoformulary.com/pmk-pyro-metol-kodalk-liquid-or-dry/

bunip said:

I always use gloves. Do you know if Moersch Tanol or Finol are PMK pyro equivalents? Those are readily available through Mirko Boddecker’s Adox store

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probably very close clones...

Xtol 1+1. Lovely.

Now you should get serious and use a forgiving fine grain developer, XTOL and replenished XTOL.

Sirius Glass said:

Now you should get serious and use a forgiving fine grain developer, XTOL and replenished XTOL.

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Replenished XTOL is great. No separate replenisher needed. One thing I have to look out for that after 10 rolls or so, the standard 70mls per 35mm/120 roll is not enough. My negs got slightly thinner. It's impossible to over replenisher since the developer and replenisher is one and the same.

I’ll have to learn about XTOL. My main problem is that I process film once every 4-6 months so I was fine with HC110 and its shelf life

bunip said:

I’ll have to learn about XTOL. My main problem is that I process film once every 4-6 months so I was fine with HC110 and its shelf life

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I used HC-110 replenished also. HC-110 seems to be more robust than XTOL. HC-110 is very versatile with dilutions. It's going to be tough to use HC-110 replenished because they've stopped making it many years ago. I was lucky to find 4 bottles on eBay. That stuff is like gold.

Sirius Glass said:

Now you should get serious and use a forgiving fine grain developer, XTOL and replenished XTOL.

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If I never see this chart again it will be too soon.

I read Kodak XTOL literature http://wwwuk.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j109/j109.pdf
and it looks like being what I was looking for. According to kodak description it seem similar to Pyrocat in what you obtain

bvy said:

If I never see this chart again it will be too soon.

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Would you like a copy for yourself? I can send a pdf of it.

Sirius Glass said:

Would you like a copy for yourself? I can send a pdf of it.

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Excellent. Can you frame it too?

"Artistic" to feel like an artist? Go caffenol or even winenol!
HC-110 is great if you go artistic in normal way. Normal negatives to explore all artistic options in traditional artistic environment a.k.a. the darkroom. Bromoil, lith...
But if you are new style artist with scanner, I recommend to get Arista Lith AB premium Liquid developer. They have instructions how to do it with film. I did