Low contrast paper developers?

[Colin Corneau]

Any other suggestions for a low-contrast paper developer, other than Kodak Selectol Soft?

Seem to remember a liquid developer that was very low-contrast but can't recall the name. Thinking of using with positive B&W paper...

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Well, there are a few: Agfa 105 and Ansco 120 (but only marginally so), to name a couple off the top of my cheat sheet..

 

[Colin Corneau]

I recall using one, ordered from Freestyle, that was quite a bit lower contrast -- did a test with a single image in both that (liquid) developer and my usual one.

A smarter man than me would have kept the info...

 

[jgjbowen]

Amidol and a waterbath...

 

[naugastyle]

There's a Photographer's Formulary version of Selectol-soft...haven't tried it yet because I have a lot of Selectol.

 

[dancqu]

Softer than Metol Only?

Selectol Soft or Ansco 120 or Beer's A are soft developers
because they use Metol only. Add hydroquinone and contrast
will build. The higher the ratio of hydroquinone to metol the
higher the contrast. Ansel Adam's version of Ansco 130 is
another example. Metol and glycine are combined for
low contrast. The hydroquinone portion is held
separate then added to the combination in
varying amounts to increase contrast.

Softer yet. I've experimented with a phenidone only
developer. If one can do without true blacks then
a phenidone only developer may do. Dan

 

[zumbido]

Diafine. I love what it does for paper developing. Its very low contrast is desirable in and of itself in some situations, and in others the low baseline leaves a lot of room for working with other techniques to create contrast or other effects.

30 to 90 seconds in Solution A, depending on the negative and your paper exposure, and three minutes in Solution B.