Soft developer for film how to make it.

[joho]

Soft developer for film how to make it.

well not soft as in contrast - but in grain ???

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

D-23 stock is pretty good. POTA as well. Both easy to make, requiring only two ingredients. D-23 uses Metol, while POTA uses Phenidone. I use them both.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I should add that I use POTA to tame the contrast of films like Adox CMS 20, or when subject luminance ranges are excessive when using conventional films.

 

[joho]

@Andrew O'Neill
what is POTA ??? it was something for technical-pan.?

Phenidone can I make ???

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

POTA is a film developer. POTA stands for Photo Optics Technical Area. Developed by US military. It was designed for specialty films (like copy films) to yield near-normal contrast and extremely fine grain. I would only use it with such films, or when subjects contrasts are extreme. Yes, I have used it with Tech-Pan.
Phenidone is a developing agent. It's more efficient and stable, compared to Metol. The same level of development can be obtained in both less time and at a lower concentration.
I'm not a chemist, but I suspect that you cannot make Phenidone. Just buy it from a chemical supplier. I'm in Canada, so I order it from Jacques at Argentix.
Personally, I prefer to use D-23. It's very versatile. For fine grain, I use it straight. If I want a little more sharpness, I dilute it 1+1 to 1+3.

 

[joho]

thank you !!

 

[jim appleyard]

D-23 is very easy to make and inexpensive, too; 3 chemicals: water, metol and sodium sulfite. Order from a chemical supply house. I like Artcraft Chemicals in Altamont, NY, but purchase wherever is convenient for you. You can use D-23 as a stock solution (no diluting) to using it 1+1 to 1+3, like Andrew said.

If you wish to shave grain a bit further you can buy Ilford's Perceptol from camera stores like Adorama, B&H, or Freestyle. Also easy to use.

D-23 is also available pre-made from photoformulary.com as 'film developer 23." https://stores.photoformulary.com/film-developer-23/

 

[Craig]

To clarify, you are looking for a fine grain developer, not low contrast?

POTA is a very low contrast developer, intended for microfilms and other high contrast films. D23 is also not a fine grain developer

If you want a fine grain developer, try Ilford Perceptol. You'll get about a 2/3 stop speed loss with it though.
As a general purpose developer, my preference would be Kodak Xtol or Adox XT-3, whichever is easier for you to get where you live. That avoids the speed loss of Perceptol, but still gives very fine grain.

 

[koraks]

Phenidone can I make ???

No, you need to buy it. Pretty much the only developing agent you can make at home is rodinal, but that's the opposite of what you want.

 

[Milpool]

I think OP wants fine grain, not low contrast. POTA is one of the grainiest developers if you develop to anything resembling a normal gradient.

D-23 is good, as are most general purpose solvent developers like XTOL etc. Ilford Perceptol should give finer grain than those.