HP5 in HC110. What's next?

[bunip]

Hi Ko.Fe. read “artistic” as less standard or less flat. And no, no alt processes or advanced techniques, I need to enjoy my hobby and learn how to print everytime better with basics all in a traditional darkroom; hybrid or digital don’t get my attention.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Excellent. Can you frame it too?

Not only have I done that, I made business cards with it to pass out to everyone. How about one more time?

 

[Chris Coppola]

D23 or a 2 bath d23 variant for portrait type stuff. I've really grown to love the d23 for some reason. Maybe it's simplicity

Fx2 for landscapes or anything you demand acutance.

I'm experimenting with pyrocat hd and I'm undecided thus far but it warrants further trial.

 

[trendland]

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

Well - bunip you can beat me for this and
I feel scary now some others will follow
as invited.
Yes I also have to know "avoid any extremes" - but why not ignore this in darkroom.
If you now have made first experience - hurry up and make it much more experimental-like! Because you stated you can't mix your chemisty this is my
advice to you -
Try out Spur :

it is a little expensive( avaible at fotoimpex.de ) but it is also with 2 films so it is relative ok !

The intention from my point of view is the following : Film developing is more easy than make a good tea.
But often it is seen with to much respect.

So let you become an expert immediately!

with regards

 

[MattKing]

It seems to me that HC-110 offers the best solution for the OP's needs. With the exception of mixing your own developer from component chemicals, only Rodinal offers the keeping properties that suit a workflow where film is only developed once every 4-6 months.

 

[Craig]

Or mix small batches from a powder developer like D76 or ID11 and use it up. Ilford ID11 is made in packages to make 1L, so you could mix it up, develop it's capacity and then mix fresh for the next developing session.

 

[trendland]

D23 or a 2 bath d23 variant for portrait type stuff. I've really grown to love the d23 for some reason. Maybe it's simplicity

Fx2 for landscapes or anything you demand acutance.

I'm experimenting with pyrocat hd and I'm undecided thus far but it warrants further trial.

By the time - somehow related to Eleanor or Sofia ?
with regards

 

[Chris Coppola]

By the time - somehow related to Eleanor or Sofia ?
with regards

Distantly supposedly

 

[bunip]

I'm gratefull to everyone's contribution. I'm looking for something new even if HC110 is really easy to use one shot and deliver satisfactory results. My request is mainly about what I could get more from this film changing developer. The Kodak chart provided is crude in answering my question but very effective. Now I know where I am and where I could go through each way.
Thanks

 

[M Carter]

Iflord's DD-X is really impressive with Ilford films. I much prefer HP5+ pushed to 1600 in DD-X vs. any speed of Delta 3200 (though it's rare for me to need a film faster then 400).

I've tried HC-110, but found it pretty boring after years of Rodinal. Rodinal just has a sort of mojo to the look. Like HC-110, it's flexible with using dilution to control tonality, and like 110 it's not the best shadow developer out there. I shoot with an extra half or full stop when using Rodinal. My remaining HC-110 is just used for making masks these days.

As far as "art" goes, I'm more into doing things like mixed tungsten and flash and controlling blur and focus, but other than that I go for pristine negs and then use printing to interpret the images. Mainly lith printing for me, some bromoil.

 

[bunip]

Well, looks like XTOL and DD-X are the more interesting for my needs, even if I could find an easy source for Pyro-something already mixed and only to dilute, I’d be tempted to try it. Think that will place those two in photoimpex’es basket to purchase.
thanks to all,
Paolo

 

[bunip]

As suggested from most I ended mixing some Xtol replenished and run through it more or less 40 rolls HP5 and FP4. This week printed the first two negatives. Printing was easy and I loved results. One was slightly overexposed compared to the other less exposed. Now I have my Xtol R going and found it's much faster to keep it ready and replenished than to prepare each time any HC 110 dilution. Now I'll try Nucleol BF from Bellini that should be similar to Pyrocat HD.
Thanks to all who came in with supportive suggestions.
paolo

 

[bvy]

Nice. So what developer did you decide upon?

 

[bunip]

sorry, was editing my post.

 

[bunip]

prints on MCP 312 matt in Eukobrom. these are small prints, 13x18cm or 5x7" but final prints will be much bigger according to what will happen enlarging 5X. Will decide final dimension on quality obtained. prints here are from my iphone picture, no scanner at the moment.

 

[bunip]

My first 6 120 rolls were processed in fresh xtol, then added 150cc to the used one and processed another 6 rolls, then added 200cc fresh and processed 6 more, than went on processing 6 and adding 240cc fresh. At the end I kept all xtol used as I needed 5000cc to fill my deep tank to process 5x7" in hangers 10 at time. Now I'm waiting for some more xtol to mix and use to replenish the used one to process the 5x7 film waiting since many months.
all 120 film was processed in jobo tanks 6 or 14 each time with manual inversions. 7min 20°c first minute agitation, then one inversion each minute. stop with citric acid, fix with tetenal odourless superfix 5 min. Unfortunately washed with Fotoflow 200
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/kodak-photo-flo-200-dilution.73459/page-5#post-2050171