The universal developer for these films?

[Jordan.K]

Ok, you guys only have to help me out if you feel so inclined....... I realize that with searching around for a bit I could find most of this info, but I don't have much time. Everyone here is usually very helpful, so I thought I would ask. Here goes, I need the developer that will work best with these films:

1. Fuji Acros 100, in 120 and 35mm
2. Fuji neopan pro 1600 in 35mm
3. Ilford Pan F Plus in 120 and 35mm
4. Ilford Delta 400 in 35mm
5. Ilford HP5 Plus 400 in 120 and 35mm
6. Agfa APX 100 in 35mm
7. Agfa APX 400 in 35mm
8. Agfapan APX 100 in 120
9. Agfapan PPX 25 in 120

I would really appreciate any help. Thank you in advance.

Jordan

 

[Ian Grant]

That's a very open question.

If I had to chose one developer for all those films it would be Xtol, I keep it as my developer for commercial work and use it on a replenishment basis. I have in fact used it with all those films you list with excellent results. You could also use ID11 (D76).

My main developer of choice is now Pyrocat HD, but I've not used it with Neopan 1600, again it gives superb results.

Ian

 

[Jordan.K]

Thank you Ian. I realize it was a very open question and I really appreciate you offering your help.

 

[jim appleyard]

D-76/ID-11 is generally considered the "universal" developer. That, of course, doesn't mean you have to use it. There really isn't a bad dev on the market. It's all what floats your particular boat.

However, I really like the APX films in Pyrocat HD, lovely stain!

Lots of folks consider Rodinal to be thier dev of choice. And while you can do your 400 speed films in Rodinal, the grain may not be to your liking. However, Rodinal is convenient, inexpensive and lasts forever.

HC-110 could be considered the "liquid" universal film. It will handle all of these films well and is like Rodinal, but gives finer grain.

 

[Andrew Moxom]

The answers you get will be varied and subjective. However, here are my .02 cents worth:-

1. Fuji Acros 100, in 120 and 35mm I get great results with Rodinal 1:50
2. Fuji neopan pro 1600 in 35mm Never tried
3. Ilford Pan F Plus in 120 and 35mm ID11 1:1
4. Ilford Delta 400 in 35mm ID11 1:1
5. Ilford HP5 Plus 400 in 120 and 35mm ID11 1:1
6. Agfa APX 100 in 35mm Tetenal Ultrafin 1:30
7. Agfa APX 400 in 35mm Never Tried
8. Agfapan APX 100 in 120Tetenal Ultrafin 1:30
9. Agfapan PPX 25 in 120Tetenal Ultrafin 1:30

 

[SuzanneR]

Jordan.. I'll second the suggestion for x-tol as a good all purpose developer. I've used it with Hp5 (as well as D-76) with good results. Are you planning to shoot all these films? A lot? Or are you looking to narrow this down a bit to one or two films and/or developers?

 

[Ian Grant]

As Jim says ID11/D76 is generally considered the standard commercial developer for all films, I suggested X-tol because I find it very slightly better but the differences aren't that great.

Ian

 

[kevs]

ID-11 is my 'standard' dev, I rarely use anything else. Perceptol is an excellent choice for the slower films.

 

[Jordan.K]

Man, you guys are great! These rolls are from someone who requested my assistance in helping them develop their film. I haven't used anything but tri-x in hc110 in probably 5 years......... gonna be moving on to HP5 in 8x10 really soon though. I really do appreciate all of you helping me out. I hope you all are well.

 

[Zvonimir Ervacic]

Here goes, I need the developer that will work best with these films:
Jordan

Hi Jordan,

My developer choice is PMK for landscape and general outdoor shots with natural light or Xtol for controlled artificial light shots or when I'm looking for high contrast prints.
If I have to chose one it will be PMK since I can get high contrast prints from negatives I develop in PMK (extended developing time) but for some reason unknow to me I never get landscape shots I like when developed a film in Xtol. I guess it is me, not Xtol.

I use Efke 25 and 100, Ilford FP4, HP5 and just bough PanF film, still didn't try it. Printing in darkroom on Meopta Opemus with condeser head (looking to DIY point light source one day). Paper is Fotokemika Emaks FB glossy, Soft/Normal/Hard.

Pozdrav,
Zvonimir

 

[removed account4]

hi jordan:

you might also think about sprint film developer.
it is a good all purpose metol free d76/ID11 sort of developer
that works very good with all sorts of films.
it mixes very easy, 1:9 and is a liquid concentrate.
i like using it cause it dosen't like to block highlights
if it can not be found close to you they mail order from their website
(and they are a sponsor of apug )
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

they are good folks, friendly and helpful!

john

 

[MikeSeb]

Xtol, straight or 1+1.

 

[Anscojohn]

Replenished D-23

 

[PHOTOTONE]

There are practically as many "favorite" universal developers are there are photographers. Scientifically, D-76/ID-11 is the developer "standard" that other developers are compared to. Is it the best? No..but no developer is "best". If you have a "universal" developer, then it is a compromise. It can't be the "best" developer for all films under all conditions.

For example: Are you wanting to use a developer "one-shot" and dump? Pour back and replenish? Use in Deep Tank and replenish. Use with a rotating drum? Semi-stand development? Use in an automatic continuous cine-type film processing machine? Do you want a staining developer? or one completely free of stain? All these require certain qualities that you can't find in just ONE developer.

D-76/ID11, HC-110 and Xtol will work OK with all the films you list, and give you OK results. Maybe even outstanding results if you learn the developer/film technique required for each film you list.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

That's quite a lot of film you've gone through there, Ian! I've used Neopan 1600 with Pyrocat, and I don't particularly like it. Ilfotec DD-X was great for it, and Xtol was also good.
Those two along with Sprint film developer are the ones I generally think of as great general purpose developers. Like Ian, I've settled on Pyrocat as my mainstay, simply because it works so damned well with Tri-X and FP4+ for my purposes. But I don't like it with Neopan 1600, the grain looks weird.
Good luck, that's quite an inventory of film you have there.
- Thomas

That's a very open question.

If I had to chose one developer for all those films it would be Xtol, I keep it as my developer for commercial work and use it on a replenishment basis. I have in fact used it with all those films you list with excellent results. You could also use ID11 (D76).

My main developer of choice is now Pyrocat HD, but I've not used it with Neopan 1600, again it gives superb results.

Ian

 

[P C Headland]

If you want to mix something yourself, you could try PC-TEA. It's worked very well with every film I've run through it.

 

[Ole]

At the moment I'm using Ilfotec-HC for everything. Still haven't found a film it doesn't give good results with.

 

[rmann]

Diafine - if you are looking for something easy to use with everything.

 

[fschifano]

I've used many different films. All have responded well to D-76 or XTOL. Want a safe bet? Use D-76. There is plenty of good data for just about any film out there. Want to start experimenting? Use something else.

 

[2F/2F]

I agree wholeheartedly with Ole. Ilfotec HC is the perfect developer in my book. There is nothing it can't do, and it is pretty darned convenient and versatile. It is easy and quick to use. You can't beat a concentrate that keeps forever, as far as convenience goes. Those who say that this developer has bad image quality must have really really really good microscopes on hand when viewing their prints in galleries...oh yeah, you don't view prints with microscopes in galleries...so nevermind. I would say it is pretty indistinguishable quality from any other black and white developer I have tried. Also, consistency is *by far* the most important quality that a developer can have, and nothing is as consistent as HC in my experience and testing. This consistency comes from its high concentration and long keeping time, so any similarly concentrated developer would be just as consistent, I suppose, as would any powdered developer, as long as you use it right away. However, once I have a film tested and have times for such and such development, I have never had the slightest variance of any kind with HC or HC-110. I have had such with powdered developers. Any developer will develop all of those films just fine. I just have to know: why shoot so many? Seems to be a lot of redundancy. Especially both Fuji and Agfa medium speed and Agfa and Ilford high speed. Did you find a lot of film for cheap or sumthin'?

 

[cmo]

All of these films and many more come out great with XTol 1:1, even very different films like Efke 25 and even the chinese Lucky films (though they are really c.r.a.p). It's a great developer, but also cheap, flexible, very suitable for pushing. I tried many other developers, but this is my "swiss army knife", the modern substitute for D76 or Rodinal and better in almost all situations.

 

[Rolleijoe]

Ok, you guys only have to help me out if you feel so inclined....... I realize that with searching around for a bit I could find most of this info, but I don't have much time. Everyone here is usually very helpful, so I thought I would ask. Here goes, I need the developer that will work best with these films:

1. Fuji Acros 100, in 120 and 35mm
2. Fuji neopan pro 1600 in 35mm
3. Ilford Pan F Plus in 120 and 35mm
4. Ilford Delta 400 in 35mm
5. Ilford HP5 Plus 400 in 120 and 35mm
6. Agfa APX 100 in 35mm
7. Agfa APX 400 in 35mm
8. Agfapan APX 100 in 120
9. Agfapan PPX 25 in 120

I would really appreciate any help. Thank you in advance.

Jordan

For a "softer" look, HC-110 1:50 straight from the syrup for 10min
For a "sharper" look, Rodinal 1:50 for 10min
For all APX films, Agfa Studional (available from Freestyle on special order)
It's Agfa's perfect developer for everything. 1:15 for 6.5min. Fine grain, more tonality than Rodinal.