Photographer Formulary B&W 65

[ronlamarsh]

Anybody else out there using B&W 65 paper developer from photographers formulary? If so what has your experience been?
I use it with Arista EDU ultra FB(foma) and find it gives a beautiful image color, has great capacity and is relatively inexpensive.

 

[nworth]

I used it for a while, and it's OK. The main feature is its longevity. It comes in two bottles. One has the developing agents, and the solution is slightly acidic. The other bottle has the alkali. As a result, the stock solutions keep for at least a year, even after opening. It is based, I hear, on Ansco 130, but with phenidone instead of metol. The stock solutions are fairly concentrated, so it is quite economical to use.

 

[ronlamarsh]

Just OK

I am curious about your opinion that B&W 65 is ok. What do you use that you have found to give you better results. I am always open to trying new things.

 

[noblebeast]

I used it and loved it. Very good range of tones. Then I tried Ilford Warmtone and fell in love with it as well, and since I use Ilford WT paper most often I find it a slightly better match - still great range of tones but better highlights - and simpler to use; I never played around with different dilutions with the Formulary developer so I doubt I ever explored its full potential.

Joe