Ilford DD-X Storage

I've recently started developing B&W film at home. I've bought Ilford chemicals and the Ilford DD-X as developer. All of the chemicals in the set have a clear way of telling you whether they are still good to use or not:

• Ilford ILFOSTOP: contains a dye which makes the substance yellow and the color will change to a more purple once it's not good anymore.
• Ilford Rapid Fixer: has a way to test whether the fixer still works described in the manual (negative clearing time)

But about Ilford DD-X, I'm on the fence and confused, especially because on the Ilford website after downloading the PDF for this product it says that the storage (in half-full tightly capped bottles) is 4 months, but when I look on the bottle itself, it says 3 months. Four months would be reasonable because I shoot about 1 roll a week which amounts to about 16 in 4 months which is exactly the capacity of DD-X 1L. However 3 months is a bit short.

Does anyone have experience with this? What is the truth? Is it 3 or 4 months? Of course I don't want to risk trying to develop a film only to discover at the end that it failed for some reason. Is there a way to test that the developer still works? I'd imagine if there was - the manufacturer would've included it in the manual...

Would love to hear from someone with experience with this developer. I heard it gives good results and I'd like to continue using it.

Hi Gabriel, this very much depends on the storage conditions, the cooler and darker the better. Of course one should minimize the oxidation process, so decant in smaller bottles if available. However, all this being said, DD-X keeps fairly well.

Yes, it’s all in the oxidation. Smaller bottles is the safest bet.

Yes and try and use bottles that hold only enough DDX for one film or two if you develop two together. I accept that in a 1L bottle of DDX that is a lot of bottles to get together so it may take you some time to get enough 50/60ml bottles but once you have them then that's it for life. Until you get that many, you might want to consider spraying a protective gas into the 1L bottle after each decant of DDX.

pentaxuser

The question is: how do I know when it’s done? I was planning to keep it in the bottle it came with, but I really like the idea of many small bottles. Quite funny and should likely work well.

I was thinking to keep it in the fridge but I am not sure if that’s a good idea.

Gabriel Aszalos said:

Would love to hear from someone with experience with this developer. I heard it gives good results and I'd like to continue using it.

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Developer strength can be tested is several ways.

The straight way is a "drop test". Take a film end and lights open let fall a drop each minute, say 5 drops, then allow to develop film under the drops for (say) 4 minutes more (in total the first drop should develop for around the regular developing time)

...then rinse a bit with water and throw the film end into fixer. You''ll obtain a clear film end with 5 developed circles, one for each drop.

Make a drop test whe developer is just mixed. Then when you want to check strength of an old developer just make another drop test and compare with the original test. Room temperature has to be similar in all test for a fair comparison...

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The other choice... you may purchase test control strips (attached pdf), this is the pro way...

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For measuring densities without a densitometer you may scan the test strips/drop test alongside an Stouffer T2115 density wedge, later in Photoshop to may compare the gray levels of the test with those in the T2115.

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With those tests you will know if developer is mostly having the original strength, if you may apply some (aprox) correction, or if you better dump it. The drop test is not like a development because of no agitation, if you develop a test strip with agitation then result will match the film development situation, but a drop test is usually enough.

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Learn to preserve well developer. Mixing it with distilled water i alway good for long storage, also displace air, or add some tetenal Protectan spray or bare butane and seal weel. I've been keeping mixed Xtol beyond 9 months, but I always make a drop test to be sure that development will happen.

Gabriel Aszalos said:

I was thinking to keep it in the fridge but I am not sure if that’s a good idea.

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Freezer is good, but with lower temperature some chem may precipitate in some developers. Most important, avoid oxygen and better if you use distilled water.

Sorry for the double post - but what’s protective gas?

Gabriel Aszalos said:

The question is: how do I know when it’s done?.

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When it's brown in colour it's done.

Gabriel Aszalos said:

Sorry for the double post - but what’s protective gas?

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Bare butane does the same.

It displaces air/oxygen, if some oxygen remains, no problem, butane is heavier a forms a layer on liquid.

Air duster (canned air) for electronics also works

Gabriel Aszalos said:

Sorry for the double post - but what’s protective gas?

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For instance: https://www.fotoimpex.com/shop/images/products/media/2020_4_PDF-Datenblatt.pdf

Thanks for detailed explanations. I read about this drop test elsewhere too, but some say not to risk it and not to go past the recommended time. However I do like the idea of comparing the times against the first fresh batch. Another technique I just read Googlin' around was to drop some marbles (or something similar - I don't have marbles lol) on the bottom of the bottle to displace the air. Interesting idea.

Unfortunately I can't order that spray to Romania - it's just not cost effective given the transport. I'd have to include it as part of some bigger order... Maybe next month... Even using that I wouldn't know how long to push it without the actual test. I do like the test though and it sounds legit. But I wonder - if the time is off after a while - what does that mean? How would I adjust development time? Let's say fresh newly opened developer takes 5 minutes to go black, and then 5 months later it takes 6 minutes - do I just add 1 minute to development time?

Gabriel Aszalos said:

The question is: how do I know when it’s done? .

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Ideally get bottles that hold just a little more than is needed for one film, so if you need 60ml DDX at 1+4 for a 300ml tank get a bottle that holds 70ml. Before you use that bottle mix 10ml at the same dilution so that is 40ml and develop your exposed film leader for the same time as for the film. Compare the leader with a leader you kept from the very first bottle of DDX so you know that to be fresh DDX, giving you the ideal black . Is it as black as the original leader? If so then that bottle of DDX is fine.

How to check the blackness? Well l hold both leaders up to a a 100W clear incandescent bulb. A fresh developer makes the leader so black that the incandescent wire turns into an easily examined single wire that appears orange in colour. If the tested developer allows the same wire to appear much brighter then the developer may still work but not as well as it should. It may or may not be possible with an enlarger to make a print that is OK from such negative developer in a less than ideal condition but it will be second best

If you are a hybrid work who scans negatives then apparently all sorts tricks are available to get the " scanned prints" to be excellent but I really don't know enough of this new "art" to be sure if the claims I see about the miracle of scanning can be substantiated

I hope this helps

pentaxuser

Gabriel Aszalos said:

Unfortunately I can't order that spray to Romania

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No problem... use butane to recharge lighters... or air duster...

Gabriel Aszalos said:

How would I adjust development time?

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From a drop test it's difficult to to finely adjust the time, because agitation is not the same.

In fact development time is much more "elastic" than exposure. Specially in LF we modify a lot the original development times, you won't loss much if developmnt comes a bit short, but you will loss a lot from underexposure. Simply a moderately short development commands a higher grade paper, but you are to loss less than 1/3 stop in shadow detail, not much a concern if you exposed in the safe side.

You have a certain marging for the development time, if the drop test shows developer has lost a some little strength, then I'd develop N+1 time (time for pushing 1 stop, perhaps), but if 2nd drop is like 3rd drop in the fresh developer I'd simply throw the developer away.

Some developers can loss all strength suddenly (not only Xtol), the soup keeps well while preserving agent is degradating but still well protecting the developer agent, but when the preserving agent is exhausted then developer degradation rate can be quite fast, I was explaibed that...

With the drop test you just check that developer is active and you won't ruin the film, if you feel it's a bit weak then push +1, but if you find a remarkable difference don't try to correct much the time, throw it.

Drop test is a safety belt, if wanting to finely correct development time then use test strips, but making new developer is cheaper than adjusting time, so in practice you check with the drop test if the old developer is in shape, and if not you mix a new batch.

Let me recommend you 3 books, to be read in this order:

> The Darkroom Cookbook

> Beyond the Zone System

> Way Beyond Monochrome

miha said:

Hi Gabriel, this very much depends on the storage conditions, the cooler and darker the better. Of course one should minimize the oxidation process, so decant in smaller bottles if available. However, all this being said, DD-X keeps fairly well.

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you can also use a Mylar or plastic wine bladder. They’re available new from wine bag in a box suppliers in a variety of sizes. It’s a little pricey to start, but once you get going, you can store completely airless and decant without exposing the rest of the contents to air. It works quite nicely and you get as long of life as you can reasonably expect to get.

I use DD-X as my standard developer and my experience is that it keeps well for months in the original bottle. But if you want to play it safe, Put the 1 liter into two 0.5 liter PET bottles (soft/soda drinks or mineral water) or glass bottles. Fill one up completely so that there's no air left in it. The other bottle is the one you'll be using first. By the time that bottle is finished, the other completely full bottle is still fresh. That way you essentially double the life expectancy with minimal hassle.

Thanks a lot everyone for the good insight and suggestions.

spijker said:

I use DD-X as my standard developer and my experience is that it keeps well for months in the original bottle. But if you want to play it safe, Put the 1 liter into two 0.5 liter PET bottles (soft/soda drinks or mineral water) or glass bottles. Fill one up completely so that there's no air left in it. The other bottle is the one you'll be using first. By the time that bottle is finished, the other completely full bottle is still fresh. That way you essentially double the life expectancy with minimal hassle.

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This is exactly what I'm thinking about doing, and will be doing. Great idea!