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Neopan 400 in HC-110?

RattyMouse

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I finally, after over 1 year of developing, processed my first roll of 35mm film today. After close to 150 rolls of 120, I decided to bite the bullet and try 35mm. This roll came out real well, using DD-X. At least I think it did. I won't know until the scans come back later in the week.

I've got over 80 boxes of Neopan 400 and so want to dial in this film real well for maximum IQ. Normally I use HC-110 to develop my HP5. I am wondering if folks here like the results that they get (got? ) using HC-110 to develop Neopan 400 at box speed. DD-X is normally my high ISO setting film developer but I'll use it for Neopan 400 if it is better than HC-110.

Thanks.
 
IMO doing a lot of Neopan 400 over the years I didn't find HC-110 the best choice; the slightly gain in grain didn't help and while it pushed very nice unless exposure was spot on the highlights would blow out and block up, in addition I didn't really connect with the softer mid-tones although many doing portraiture did. DD-X is a fine choice. If I had that much Neopan 400 I would try these to see what that film could do. Microdol-X or Perecptol 1:3, Rodinal 1:50, Xtol 1:1 or better yet well seasoned Xtol replenished. For pushing number one is Ethol UFG then Xtol 1;3 for like 1/2 hour.
Neopan was such a great film; in my 'hundreds of rolls' opinion it was more flexible than Tri-X with a wider variety of achievable "looks" depending on developer and how you treated it agitation-wise.
 
I suppose if depends if you plan to scan or print in the darkroom.
I haven't printed a whole lot of my Neopan shots, but scanning them is quite easy.

Can't say it's especially grainy in 35mm, even scanning them with my notorious grain-enhancing Nikon Coolscan V, but it didn't produce too much excessive grain.

These are actual 35mm shots, shot at ISO 400, developed for 5 minutes in HC-110 B:

Roxy by znapper74, on Flickr

Mommy's got the munchies by znapper74, on Flickr

If you don't roll down from it, you can sleep on it by znapper74, on Flickr
 
I guess I should try HC-110 before I write it off. Seems that Neopan 400 had many fans before it left us, again.
 
Just keep an eye on the agitation with Neopan and ANY developer; it needs a bit more initial agitation and then is very responsive to lighter agitation thru the rest of the development cycle. Standard for me was 45 sec constant to a minute constant (Xtol 1:3 or Replenished). It may seem like too much but Trust Me; it eliminates the potential for uneven development. The rest of the cycle you can go lighter; for me 3 light inversions with slight twist was perfect.
In the above example which are quite nice you can see that the highlights have more contrast, its way to easy IMO to gain too much density and contrast in the mid to high tones with HC-110, (especially with too much agitation After the first min) but like I said, with some portrait settings in soft light and a certain skin tone it works really well. Again; with that much film you should try a few different developers and then go have a good cry about when it used to be 2.49 a roll at B&H and they also had 120. sigh
 
I love Neopan in HC-110 dilution h (1+63). It's my favorite asa400 film.

It needs a longer wash but worth it.
 
wblynch said:
I love Neopan in HC-110 dilution h (1+63). It's my favorite asa400 film.

It needs a longer wash but worth it.
Click to expand...

What benefit do you find in the higher dilution? Does it help with highlights or grain or what?

Does anyone have experience using a JOBO with Neopan400 and HC-110 or Ilfotec HC or DD-X?

I've only used Rodinal 1:50 with Neopan400@800 and love the results I've gotten with hand agitation.



But I was less happy with the rotary processed Neopan400@800 in 1:50 Rodinal it was much higher in grain and the blacks were mucky... Most of the examples aren't APUG safe, this was the best I could do lol...

 
Stone: Neopan 400 in HC-110 B has a development time of 5-6 minutes, which is considered very short.
Using dilution H, would yield a starting-point of 10 minutes, it is also easier to tweak and control the development process (think, 8 minutes or 12 minues versus 4 minutes 30 seconds or 5 minute 30 seconds).

By using the longer development-process and alter your agitation, you would be able to control the highlights better indeed.
 
polyglot said:
Stone: that's because Rodinal is extremely sensitive to agitation and is therefore basically the entirely wrong choice of developer for a Jobo. You probably over-developed.
Click to expand...

It works perfectly for Delta100 in the JOBO, already dealt with this in the "sharpness" thread and don't want to rehash it, yes I know about Rodinal's sensitivity to constant agitation. It wasn't so much over developed as just unpleasant grain, I like the grain it have with hand agitation. Both were grainy just different look.
 

Good point. Thanks.
 

Blimey - way too much grain for my taste.

David.
www.dsallen.de
 
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