WD2D+ inquiry and mass info thread--post all your WD2D Knowledge here

hello,

so i'm about to try my first foray into pyro with some wd2d+ and just some basic questions and since of all the developers, this one seems to have the least info available, please post any & all info you may have learned while using this soup.

generally i tend to like slow films with fine grain although i've used a lot of neopan 400/D-76 1:1 in the past. lately i've been experimenting with lots of the german films and rodinal @ 1:100. i really love the tones of rodinal but sometimes the grain is a bit too much although i'm really loving acros with rodinal

1) EI--is there a general rule for EI when using this or other pyro developers? i like to overexpose around a stop with most films i've been using. i'm assuming that overexposing is the way to go since pyro seems to keep the highlights from blowing out from what i've read.
also, any specific films which don't respond well to overexposing with wd2d? (i know some of the efke films are shot at box speed--stick with this for wd2d+?)

2) agitation--the instructions specify lots of agitation. stick with that or use less? also, how vigorous?

3) pre wash--is pre wash necessary? use just water or LFN? i know the instructions specify but just wondering what the experts say?

4) dilution--1:1:50 is what wimberly says but any other dilutions used and what do they do? higher dilution for finer grain or stand?

5) specific films--what's your favorite film with wd2d+? any film just not work or better left to something else?

ok, and the disclaimer--i know i'm asking a lot here and that there will be lots of different opinions. one thing i'm not trying to do is stir up any argument about how pyrocat or pmk may be better than wd2d--just trying to learn about wd2d for now.

thanks, thanks, and thanks

Yo should always test for your personal EI, regardless of the developer, rather than ply a general rule of thumb. I tray develop my sheet film and although I use PMK I do use a presoak. Here are my choice of films - in 4x5 and 5x7 either Tri-X or FP4+ and in 7x17 HP+.


steve simmons
www.viewcamera.com

I was fortunate to attend one of John Wimberley's workshops last summer. He invented WD2D+.

From what I learned, you can certainly develop any film you want in WD2D+. It produces more image stain with traditional films such as Tri-X, HP5+, Plus-X, FP4+, PanF+, etc. John uses FP4+, and he built and tested the developer using that film. (There's your first hint.)

He rates film at 1/2 box speed and uses a spot meter.

Use distilled water for presoak and for diluting the developer to working strength. No additives needed.

Agitate as directed, gentle agitation cycles for roll film (toroidal pattern is best -- that's to rotate as you invert the canister). Constant gentle agitation for sheet film. John uses trays.

Stand development is an unknown from the workshop. John doesn't do it. You can always try it, but you're on your own.

WD2D+ produces excellent negatives when handled according to the directions. As with other pyro developers, the image stain masks and thereby decreases apparent grain. I plan to test it more thoroughly in the future.

If you really want the scoop on this developer, attend one of John's "Light and Silver" workshops. They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the time and effort to attend. John is a great guy and very open about sharing information. Check out his website as well.

Good luck with your quest!

Peter Gomena

Over the next few weeks I'm going to run a series of tests with this developer and HP5+. I'll post back what I discover. In the meantime, has anyone used it in a Jobo Expert Drum and if so, what happened? (I know the instructions recommend trays, but...)

superloaf said:

hello,

1) EI--is there a general rule for EI when using this or other pyro developers? i like to overexpose around a stop with most films i've been using. i'm assuming that overexposing is the way to go since pyro seems to keep the highlights from blowing out from what i've read.
also, any specific films which don't respond well to overexposing with wd2d? (i know some of the efke films are shot at box speed--stick with this for wd2d+?)

Click to expand...

As a rule, I always shoot one stop below box speed. Highlights are always easier to control than lack of detail in the shadows.

superloaf said:

2) agitation--the instructions specify lots of agitation. stick with that or use less? also, how vigorous?

Click to expand...

Just like John says. I am more a 3 inversions per minute kinda guy, but with the results I get from WD2D+, I do what the instructions say. 15 seconds every half minute.

superloaf said:

3) pre wash--is pre wash necessary? use just water or LFN? i know the instructions specify but just wondering what the experts say?

Click to expand...

The prewash gets rid of anti-halation coatings, lets the film absorb the developer evenly. Use the formula given.

superloaf said:

4) dilution--1:1:50 is what wimberly says but any other dilutions used and what do they do? higher dilution for finer grain or stand?

Click to expand...

Finer Grain? I don't understand. Use the developer and then figure out about the grain. I use this primarily on 120 and sheet film, grain isn't a problem.

superloaf said:

5) specific films--what's your favorite film with wd2d+? any film just not work or better left to something else?

Click to expand...

Agfa APX100 sheet film, HP5+ Sheet and roll film. Amazing. Amazing tonality, amazing shadow detail. I generally use small tubes in a Patterson tank and develop my sheet film just like roll film.

superloaf said:

ok, and the disclaimer--i know i'm asking a lot here and that there will be lots of different opinions. one thing i'm not trying to do is stir up any argument about how pyrocat or pmk may be better than wd2d--just trying to learn about wd2d for now.

thanks, thanks, and thanks

Click to expand...

I like using HD Pyrocat on my 5x7 stuff. That is processed in a drum. I use Rodinal 1+100 on a lot of my 135 film. other than that, the only reason I use anything but WD2D+ is if I do something stupid and need to pull out the Diafine. Ya know what I mean.

Do it like John says, and prepare to be amazed.

tim in san jose

Don't freak out when it turns your TF-4 orange. That's normal.

thanks, guys. it seems that this developer works fairly straight forward with no surprises. just wanted to hear the basics so i didn't get a bad start. sounds like i'm in for a treat--looking forward to getting into it. just waiting for the distilled water to settle (as per instructions.)

curious about how it works with neopan, both acros and 400. i love those films but the info on this developer is quite scarce, especially with those films.

one more thing: i've read how the negatives produced with this dev appear thin. how thin are we talking about here? and how do you know if they are undeveloped? and will more developing time produce a "normal" looking negative and if so, are they printable?

I've only tried TX and APX 400 with this dev, but they worked very well; lovely stain and highlight detail. I did a couple of wedding with it and it was some of the best b/w work I've ever done at a wedding (thank you very much!). I will go back to it when I run out my current supply of chems.

EI--shot these two films at 200.

By asking which films are better, I assume you mean which films stain better? Some films stain more than others, but even the films that don't stain heavily can benefit from pyro devving.

Does anyone have any experience in comparing the "+" version with the known formula original? If it's simply the EDTA addition as I've read, what sort of amounts/types are involved?

With Acos 100, I have developing 4x5 sheets in WD2D+ at 11-12 minutes single sheet in a 5x7 tray with continuous agitation. Temperature and "N compensation" as suggested in the data sheet from Photographers Formulary. For Neopan 400 I have been developing 120 for 11 minutes using the method suggested on the PF data sheets. N+1 and N+2 compensation work well for these films. I also use WD2D+ on Tri-X, FP4+, HP5+, and Delta 100. My other developer is XTOL usually at 1:1 or 1:2.

John wouldn't divulge the changes to WD2D that resulted in WD2D+. He has an agreement with Photographer's Formulary to keep the exact formulation proprietary. We even threatened to take his picture with a digital camera during the workshop, but he still wouldn't talk. ;-)

Peter Gomena

[ In the meantime, has anyone used it in a Jobo Expert Drum and if so, what happened? (I know the instructions recommend trays, but...)[/QUOTE]

Ian it works perfectly fine. Beautiful negative...

This dev is my favorite. Very easy and reliable. My usual combo is with Tri-X but with Efke 25, Verichrome and FP4 I had beautiful results.
Process 35, 120 and 8x10 all on Jobo, all is good.

G.

Thanks Guillaume. It'll be interesting to compare WD2D+ with Rodinal for HP5+. With Rodinal I can shoot at EI 800 and still get good negs. Losing two stops of speed (and all that lovely depth of field) may just be too much for me to cope with...

HP5 is a true 400 as opposed to Tri-X. I'm sure you can keep some decent speed and depth of field... with WD2D+. To my experience it's tuff to block highlights with it. Once I forgot the Jobo and left it on an extended time (really !) , they were ok...
But Rodinal is another "King' !

That sounds good. I shall try to find out how far I can push HP5+ with WD2D+. Thanks again.

craigclu said:

Does anyone have any experience in comparing the "+" version with the known formula original? If it's simply the EDTA addition as I've read, what sort of amounts/types are involved?

Click to expand...

Craig, your answer may be herethere was a url link here which no longer exists)


I found my notes for this dev. (I'm such a pack-rat that I keep everything; problem is there's so much stuff the house is like a black hole) and they say to NOT use a stop bath. A 1+1+50 dilution is recommended, but I have that scratched off and indicate a 1+1+20 would be better. The author of an article at unblinkingeye.com uses 1+1+15. I guess testing is a good idea.

Whoops, that article was for platinum printing. Hereis is anyway:http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Pyro/pyro.html