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I want to try a different developer...

stradibarrius

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I have only used D76 up til now I have had good success but as I begin to build my knowledge base and read many of the threads posted here I can't help but be curious about other developers.
I am not a fan of grain. I like tack sharpness and as little grain as possible.
I love Acros 100 and PX125 film. I have just shot my first few rolls of Delta 400 and like the tanality but the grain was a bit more evident than I would like. I shoot 35mm and MF.

Having said all of that, is there a developer that would produce even better results than D76?
Attached is an example of a shot taken last weekend with a Nikon FE and Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 lens. Delta 400 @400/ D76 1:1.
 

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As a beginner, I think that you would be well advised to stick to D76 for a while longer and learn what it can do. You should not be getting a lot of visible grain, unless you are working in miniature format and blowing up the prints excessively. If grain is your biggest issue, stick to D76 at stock strength instead of diluted. After you are thoroughly versed in what D76 can do, you could consider trying Perceptol or Microdol-X—but you will pay a price in terms of film speed. For most purposes D76 and Xtol will give you the best combination of reasonably fine grain and good film speed.
 
Don't neglect your chem and wash temps. Shocking the film even a relatively small amount can cause larger (not more) grain. Excessive differences in pH should be avoided also.
 
stradibarrius said:
I think I read in one of Ansel Adams books that his favorite was D76???
Click to expand...

AA did not like or use D76. He thought it too mediocre of a developer to be used.

I agree, it is one developer that never comes to mind when I visualize a scene and how I may develop.
 
All good advice.

I'd only add that you'd do well to try the TMax developer, if a lack of grain is your big goal. I found it hard to find the grain when I was enlarging some TMX negs (35mm).
 
I would recommend giving Xtol a try. It seems to be a updated version of D-76 and offers more speed, which is generally welcome. You're not gonna see a huge difference in developers unless you jump to something like Rodinal or Pyro.
 
I started off like you on D76's equivalent of ID11 but then tried DDX and found it a much better developer. Less grain, great for fast films like D3200. While you may get better results from D76 by using it for longer I doubt if the grain issue will improve if that is one of your issues so I'd swop to something else. If you stick to manufacturer's times then that at least will tell you enough for you to know if another developer is preferable for you then you can take time to get to know that developer.

For extra fine grain try Perceptol. Surprisingly for a developer which is said to lose you a stop in speed it works very well with D3200 at EI 1600 and with some films it seems to get you "box speed" such as Fuji Neopan 400.

I'd use it at stock strength with D3200 film and with an EI of 1600 my best time is 20 mins. This is way longer than Harman's recommendation but Harman seem to have seriously underestimated the times for its D3200 film.

pentaxuser
 
stradibarrius said:
I am not a fan of grain. I like tack sharpness and as little grain as possible.
Click to expand...

Since you are interested in minimizing grain, you need to stop listening the the dull drone of the D-76 lovers and look at:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/chemistry/filmBWmain.jhtml?pq-path=14024
Then choose "Choosing a Film Developer"

The shadow detail developer for T-MAX is obviously T-MAX, but the grain is the worst of the products.

The finest grain developer for traditional films [read: Tri-X and Plus-X] is XTOL and NOT D-76. You could spend all your life studying the results of using D-76 and you will not get the fine grain of XTOL. Microday-X has finer grain at the expend of shadow detail and sharpness.

[STAGE DIRECTIONS]
INSERT the Greek chorus of D-76 users moaning loudly
[/STAGE DIRECTIONS]

If you want finer grain than that try Pyro Rollo which is a two chemical developer
Solution A for five minutes using constant agitation
Solution B for ten minutes using constant agitation
Solution A for five minutes using constant agitation​
[STAGE DIRECTIONS]
INSERT the Greek chorus of D-76 users moaning loudly
[/STAGE DIRECTIONS]

Steve
​
​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
whatever you switch to stick with it for a while
until you know it backwards and forwards,
and know how it will react to warmer / colder temperatures,
more or less agitations/ minute, continuous agitation, no agitation &c.
every developer tends to have its own personality ..
the biggest mistake i read about is people use a developer a handful of times
and then use a different one a handful of time ( repeat .. )
using a developer isn't a "speed date" its more like dinner+movie

don't for get to have fun

john
 
To be sure, D76 is a great all-around developer. Sort of in the middle of everything in terms of grain, resolution etc etc. To have fun, I would try something that tends towards some extreme. For example, you can go as sharp as you can (at the expense of fine grain) by using Rodinal. You may love the increased sharpness so much you can put up with the grain, or you may find you like added sharpness but not to the extent where the grain becomes that apparent. In which case, you know you should find something sharper / less fine grained than D76, but not quite to the same extreme as Rodinal!
 
JPD said:
D76 1+2 or 1+3.
Click to expand...

See above post [the one with the Greek chorus]. That will still not get as fine a grain as XTOL.

Steve
 
In my experience, XTOL produces finer grain than T-MAX developer with T-MAX films. T-MAX gives more shadow detail (film speed) but the grain is bigger. Remember that XTOL came out after T-MAX, so don't take the name at face value and assume that T-MAX developer is the best one for T-MAX films.

That said, I use both with T-MAX films and get good results. T-MAX developer is a great push developer and gives the best shadow detail of the Kodak developers. I have not found it to be particularly fine-grained in my experience and find the Kodak chard (at the above link) to be accurate.
 
If your simply in the experimentation phase then knock yourself out. Dabble with the dark arts and mix some older stuff. If you are simply thinking in the back of your mind that, as a proper photographer, it is your analogic duty to acclimatize yourself to as many means as possible in acheiving the ends then that is up to you. Me, I thought about swapping out from HC110 and TMax films. But I'm staying put. It works well with what I do and I have no need for anything else. I want to perfect what I use first.
 
stradibarrius said:
I haven't heard anyone say anything about Microdol-X?
Click to expand...

See my edited post. Microdol-X has finer grain than XTOL at the expense of the worst shadow detail and sharpness.
 
Philippe Grunchec said:
Ansel used mostly HC110.
Tanol is a staining developer, so is Sandy King's Pyrocat HD. Both excellent!
Click to expand...

That is probably because XTOL was not available when he was alive.

Staining developers have good characteristics too.

Steve
 
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