What is your Favorite General Purpose Film Developer?

markbarendt · Feb 27, 2012

welly said:
Only ever used LC29. Once this bottle is used up (or perhaps even before), I'll be giving D76 a go (as appears to be recommended on this thread!)

Why?

What are you trying to change?

The reason I'm asking is that there will be trade-offs.

For example D-76 might be (slightly) better in the shadows than LC29 but that may come at the expense of some mid to high tone separation.

Which of those attributes is more important to you?

Roger Cole · Feb 27, 2012

welly said:
Only ever used LC29. Once this bottle is used up (or perhaps even before), I'll be giving D76 a go (as appears to be recommended on this thread!)

D76 is nothing special. But that's why you see it so much here - it's nothing especially good or bad or fast or slow or fine grained or grainy or.. you get the idea. If there was generic "film developer" D76 would be it, thus the popularity as general purpose.

charlief64 · Feb 27, 2012

One more for D 76

madgardener · Feb 28, 2012

markbarendt said:
Afternoon Mad,

So after 18-months you must be about ready to branch out.

Yes, I am, but trying to figure out where to branch out too is the problem. There are so many choices. I am thinking about HC-110 because of the long shelf life and the different dilutions for different situations. I'm not sure about the grain, I've heard its a "grainy" developer, and I'm not sure about that. Any thoughts on that? I noticed that so far nobody has commented on it as a general purpose developer.

baachitraka · Feb 28, 2012

Rodinal 1+100 (Stand Development) when using auto-exposure(OM-2sp) otherwise 1+50 agititation @every 5th minute and always only one film APX 100.

hobbes · Feb 28, 2012

dmdair said:
Just wanted to see what Film Developer you use for general purpose black and white film developing? I like D-76 1:1 for must films, what about the rest if you?

I can see many people have different definition of the "General Purpose" term.

To me, general purpose means: at least equally acceptable sharpness and grain with maintained speed.
Therefore, my general purpose (which does not equal to "popular") developer is Crawley's FX-15 that I mix myself.
Saying so, I'd refrain from calling Rodinal a general purpose developer.

markbarendt · Feb 28, 2012

madgardener said:
Yes, I am, but trying to figure out where to branch out too is the problem. There are so many choices. I am thinking about HC-110 because of the long shelf life and the different dilutions for different situations. I'm not sure about the grain, I've heard its a "grainy" developer, and I'm not sure about that. Any thoughts on that? I noticed that so far nobody has commented on it as a general purpose developer.

Development can change grain some but bigger changes are available by switching films. Also grain is affected by print size. When I switched up to 11x14 as my normal print 35mm 400 speed b&w films started becoming a problem for me, where at 8x10 they were fine. This is a very personal thing, some images still work and Delta 400 hangs in there better for me than HP5. FP4 though has become my primary B&W film to get the detail I want without the grain getting in the way.

So my questions for you are; what do you want to change and where do you see your print size going?

Simon R Galley · Feb 28, 2012

DD-X usually or ID11 if I am being lazy, you cannot go into a darkroom here ( and we have lots of darkrooms ) without finding a tank of ID11 being used for some QC task or another...

Simon. ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

markbarendt · Feb 28, 2012

Simon R Galley said:
DD-X usually or ID11 if I am being lazy, you cannot go into a darkroom here ( and we have lots of darkrooms ) without finding a tank of ID11 being used for some QC task or another...

Simon. ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Wonder why?

What is it that you like better about DD-X?

vedmak · Feb 28, 2012

Xtol for fast films, Rodinal for slow

K-G · Feb 28, 2012

Athiril said:
Xtol Replenished.

+1

Karl-Gustaf

Maris · Feb 28, 2012

K-G said:
+1

Karl-Gustaf

+2

All films go through my 4 year old batch of Xtol replenished. Ok, different films have different developing times but the developer stays the same.

Thomas Bertilsson · Feb 28, 2012

Maris said:
+2

All films go through my 4 year old batch of Xtol replenished. Ok, different films have different developing times but the developer stays the same.

+3

This is also how I soup 99% of my negatives. The nice thing about Xtol, in my mind, is that I replenish with stock developer. So I can use Xtol 1+1 to push process in case I need it. It gives a fair bit more shadow detail than the replenished soup, and with the under-exposure I actually get highly similar tonality. Wonderful stuff.

Athiril · Feb 28, 2012

I really like Xtol Replenished @ 24 celsius.

One of my fave combinations with that, is Delta 400 exposed at 100 and pulled... but with very minimal agitation.

Harry Lime · Feb 29, 2012

100 asa or slower:
Rodinal.
But I can't remember the last time I shot a roll of 100asa film...

400 asa:
Barry Thornton's 2-bath for anything up to 400asa (Tri-X / TMY-2 400).
This is by far my most used combination.

Delta 3200:
@1600 in DD-X
A combo made in England.

Push Processing:
Tri-X @1250 in Diafine, sometimes XTOL or DD-X

Basically BT 2-bath and Diafine.

Sirius Glass · Feb 29, 2012

Replenished XTOL

monkeypunch · Mar 1, 2012

D76 for 35mm. Rodinal for medium and large format, at least that's how i've been working lately.

Keith Tapscott. · Mar 1, 2012

Kodak D-76 B/W film developer diluted 1+1 does the business for me.
The other products I use are Ilford's stop-bath, rapid-fixer, wetting-agent and Galerie washaid.
I use Multigrade developer diluted 1+9 for all B/W papers.

Helinophoto · Mar 1, 2012

Tetenal Ultrafin, preferably at 1+20.

For 120 Rodinal for a little more grit.

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned TU, because it really is a nice devm smooth grain, good speed. Lasts for ages too.

Philippe-Georges · Mar 1, 2012

Normally it's Pyrocat-HD and good old Agfa's replenished Refinal for pushing...
BTW, does anybody has some Refenal laying around and wanting to sell it? I am slowly running out of my old stock!

fotch · Mar 1, 2012

I use to use UFG Film developer and liked it. When we moved out of the city, the local camera stores I shopped at did not carry it and I switched to D76. So far, no one has mentioned it, does anyone on this forum use it or ever tried it? Just wondering.

paulrocon · Mar 1, 2012

Xtol 1+2

kb3lms · Mar 1, 2012

XTOL 1:1. Will be trying replenished XTOL after reading this thread since so many seem to like it.

eselmarvin · Mar 1, 2012

Rodinal 1+50, 14min or 1+25 11,5 min, both with Tri-x

david.jade · Mar 1, 2012

DD-X 1+6. Gives a great exposure range for both 100 & 400 Tmax and you can store the concentrate for a very long time.

What is your Favorite General Purpose Film Developer?

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