Kodak HC-110

Mike Kennedy · Aug 14, 2005

I have a chance to pick up 3qts. real cheap (free) from a mate of mine who is relocating to Australia. In doing a bit of research I have found that it was a favorite of Ansel Adams so it seems like a good choice. I am trying to standardize my film developing and HC-110 looks like something I can stick with for all my Tri-x work.
Before I take the plunge I felt it necessary to ask fellow APUG members their experience using said developer. My FP4 and PanF will continue to be run through Rodinal.
Thank You,
Mike

Dan Henderson · Aug 14, 2005

I have used HC110 with HP5 and Delta 100 exclusively for 1 1/2 years with great results. The syrup seems to last forever. Rather than follow the directions, I make my working solutions directly from the concentrate just before use. I just went to "dilution H" (1:63 dilution, developed for twice the time) to counteract too-short development times with Jobo agitation and reciprocity compensation. Still works great. I get the nice, snappy negs I prefer, and grain that is often hard to find to focus on.

dr bob · Aug 14, 2005

If you have developed TX in, say D76, you might find the results with HC110 a little grainier and slightly more contrasty. I love the stuff for both TX and HP5+. Your mileage may vary.

ann · Aug 14, 2005

we have used this developer for over 30 years.

be careful with the times from Kodak with their new trix as they are not correct.
for some reason the new times for sol. b is less than 5 minutes which is not a good thing.

Some from Kodak has admitted there was a mistake, probably a simple typo, but will not admit it in print.

We and many others continued to use our old times with no problems. On the other hand, the old times for trix where 7.5 mintues, which in our lab was too much. We have been using 6 to 6 1/2 minutes for the standard starting times. The difference is based on individual equipment as these times are a result of testing.

Konical · Aug 14, 2005

Good Morning, Mike,

I always have some HC-110 handy. It seems to work well, or at least adequately, with almost any film. Dan indicated the key points, long life and ease of preparation directly from the concentrate. One additional plus is that it's relatively economical.

Konical

Lee L · Aug 14, 2005

Mike,

See http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/ for a good overview of HC-110. Our own Donald Qualls also uses it, often at high dilutions, so hopefully he'll post, or you can search APUG and the net with Google for Qualls and HC-110.

Lee

dphphoto · Aug 14, 2005

Hi Mike: HC110 has been my favorite film developer for over 25 years. As mentioned above the trick is NOT to use dilution B. I used dilutions E (3/4 of B) and H (1/2 of B) with 4X5 and 8X10 TMX and TMY with fine results. I've switched to JandC 200, and again HC110 works excellently.
I mix directly from the syrup. If you do that be very careful when measuring, and make sure you get all the syrup into your working solution.
HC110 was also a favorite of Brett Weston.

raucousimages · Aug 14, 2005

I use it for expansion developement on sheet film. I have had shots with a range of up to nine stops and still kept detail in the clouds but the dark shadows tend to block up.

Mix 1:128 @ 70f for 28 min on trix (other films differ)
adgitate for one min then adgitate VIOLENTLY for 5 sec. every five min.

seadrive · Aug 14, 2005

dphphoto said:
I mix directly from the syrup. If you do that be very careful when measuring, and make sure you get all the syrup into your working solution.

The trick is to pour the water into the container first, then top it off with the desired amount of HC-110. That way, the viscous liquid doesn't get a chance to stick to the sides/bottom of the container.

Nice stuff, especially favored by old LF photographers like Ansel.

ann · Aug 14, 2005

be sure to stir.

This is really don't a diffiuclt product to use. Seems so when discussed in writing. The trick is to be sure the container that you used to measure the developer in is cleared of any residue.
Be consistent in your technique, which is true of all processes

BradS · Aug 14, 2005

HC-110 is great stuff. Simply can't be beat for its economy and ease of use. I shoot mainly FP-4, 320TXP, and 400TMax and soup all of them in HC-110. I'm in the process of converting all of my process to dilution D (1+39). I find this one a little easier to work with (compared to the standard dil. B) and prefer the results. Everything in (there was a url link here which no longer exists) (except one) was done in HC-110.

If it was good enough for the likes of Adams and Weston...

df cardwell · Aug 14, 2005

Covington's site is very good. Use the medicine syringe: great.

HC-110 can be used very well in dilutions like 1+50 ~ 1+100. Building on the direction set by Adams' use of HC110 as a long scale developer, I found that by reducing agitation (say, 5 secs per 3 or 5 minutes) the tendency to build contrast in the highlights of some films is tamed. You can really achieve any affect with this stuff, and if I had one developer to use for any format, in any circumstance, it would be HC110.

Pretty good for developing fiber paper for those really long scale negatives, too.

mmcclellan · Aug 14, 2005

Mike,

HC-110 with Tri-X, and to some extent HP-5, is awesome stuff! But throw out ALL the times you get from Kodak and do your own tests. First figure out what your true ASA is (probably half the manufacturer's rating) and then test for development. You'll end up with an exposure index (ASA) and development times that are not even close to what Kodak tells you, but the results will be gorgeous.

And, like other postings say, mix it straight from the bottle -- I use a dilution of 1:61 to make two even quarts and the developing times are in the range of 8 mins or so with Tri-X; that works much better than using dilutions A or B, as specified by Kodak, as the times will be very short.

Are you shooting large format? Or small/medium? Not sure I would use it with 35mm, but with larger stuff, it's great.

JonPorter · Aug 14, 2005

I've been very pleased using HC-110 with 35mm Tri-X, Agfa 100 & 400, TMX, and FP4. I plan to test it with HP5 next. I use it 1:60 with reduced agitation for improved shadow detail. I figure HC-110 only costs me around $1 a month to use, and is very convenient; I use a 10ML measure to dilute from concentrate. Plus if Kodak ever discontinues their chemistry I can just switch to Ilfotec HC.

Claire Senft · Aug 14, 2005

HC is a very nice developer. It works nicely with PanF and FP4. If you run out of Rodinal you might want to try the HC110 with those films.

dphphoto · Aug 14, 2005

Hi: weighing in again. I've used HC110 with 35mm and gotten great results. TMX shot at 64, TMY at 250 and dilution E (about 7 min at 70 degrees for me, but do your own testing) work well. Also works well with Ilford HP5 at 320.

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 14, 2005

HC-110, Ilfotec HC have a couple common characteristics: They are highly stable concentrated developer stock solutions that do not tan or stain the emulsion under development. Depending on what end purpose you are trying to achieve, the lack of staining and tanning capability can be a blessing - or a curse.

HC-110 and Ilfotec HC achieve their long term stability by using an organic solvent (instead of water).

In principle, most concentrated developers can be prepared in organic solvents (like the glycols, glycerine or triethanolamine). If you mix your own, you are not restricted to using non-staining and non-tanning commercial concentrated developers.

See Pat Gainer's postings (and others).

Charles Webb · Aug 14, 2005

I have a question,
I have used HC110 since it was first introduced by Kodak. I am well aware of it's qualities, and would hate to not have it available in my Dar_ aah err
aaah bathroom.

My question is who has used HC 110 as a developer with the "stand or semi stand" technique? And what were the results? I have been studying the "archives" and have found much fantastic information there, I admit I hav'nt searched that much for mention of HC110. But would like to know if it works.

Thanks,
Charles

df cardwell · Aug 14, 2005

Read Ansel Adams for a starting point. It works. It's easy.

Konical · Aug 14, 2005

Good Evening, Charles,

In response to your question about HC-110 as a stand developer, I can only pass on the experience of one attempt. A couple of months ago, I did night shots of a floodlit subject. I shot four sheets of T-100 which I drum-processed in Technidol, my normal developer for night shots. I made one additional exposure and processed that sheet for 90 minutes using HC-110G as a stand developer. The stand-developed sheet is definitely denser overall and somewhat more contrasty than the Technidol-processed sheets; development appears to be quite even across the sheet, and it is a printable, though not ideal, negative. I intend to redo the shot and try the HC-110G at 45 minutes. I am hoping to zero in on an appropriate time for the HC-110G as a stand developer for my night shots, simply because it is a lot cheaper than Technidol. I hope this gives you a starting point.

Konical

hortense · Aug 14, 2005

seadrive said:
The trick is to pour the water into the container first, then top it off with the desired amount of HC-110. That way, the viscous liquid doesn't get a chance to stick to the sides/bottom of the container./QUOTE]
A suggestion: Try a veternarian animal syringe to measure small quantities (as little as 6.5 ml) of the HC110 concentrate (I use a 10 ml syringe). After extracting the concentrate (syrup), cycle the syringe in the developer mixture to rinse out this viscous consentrate. I think you'll find veternarian syringes are very inexpensive.

hortense · Aug 14, 2005

jdef said:
... Pat Gainer's Perverted HC110.
"Add 50 grams of ascorbic or erythorbic acid to enough triethanolamine (TEA) to make 750 ml and heat enough to dissolve.
Add 250 ml of HC110 concentrate. Dilute 1 + 50 for use with most films. It's good on HP5+."

Jay

How does this improve the use of HC110?

hortense · Aug 14, 2005

Charles Webb said:
My question is who has used HC 110 as a developer with the "stand or semi stand" technique? And what were the results? I have been studying the "archives" and have found much fantastic information there, I admit I hav'nt searched that much for mention of HC110. But would like to know if it works.

Thanks,
Charles

Charles,
APUG has been having an interesting dialog on ths subject. Steve Sherman has provided a lot of information. However, he (evidently?) feels he needs to study this process a little more. Last message was the he was shootng pics this weekend -and, would get back to us. He and Sandy King appear to be working together in on improvements of this process.

esanford · Aug 15, 2005

You mean there are actually developers other than HC110? Buy all you can. There is nothing out there any better!

jim appleyard · Aug 15, 2005

esanford said:
You mean there are actually developers other than HC110? Buy all you can. There is nothing out there any better!

Don't tell me we're going to have a "Church of HC-110????

Kodak HC-110

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