What is your Favorite General Purpose Film Developer?

[dmdair]

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?

 

[removed account4]

caffenolc with a smidgen of ansco130 in it

 

[brian d]

D-76 or Adox APH 09

 

[fotch]

D76

 

[ColdEye]

Rodinal, specially stand development.

 

[hoffy]

D76

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

DIY D-76d at 1+1.

Nectar of the Gods...



Ken

 

[MaximusM3]

Rodinal, of course

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Whatever I'm used to.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

HC-110 1+49

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Rodinal, HC-110 and D-76. All are awesome.

 

[MattKing]

HC-110 1+49

Me too (although I use other dilutions as well).

 

[Ian David]

I have settled on ID-11 (1+1) as my general developer for the moment.
Ian

 

[johnnywalker]

hc-110 dilution H or B, or ID-11 1+1

 

[EASmithV]

HC-110 1:60 for 4x5 and 8x10, Rodinal Stand Dev for 120, and D76 for pushing Tri-X 35mm

 

[brian steinberger]

ID-11 1:1

 

[Jeff Kubach]

D-76 or T-Max.

Jeff

 

[antmar]

+1 for Rodinal.

 

[Trond]

XTol and Rodinal

 

[Roger Cole]

General purpose? I suppose D76. I always keep it in stock. Any film you want to try, there's data for it. (I use it 1+1 one shot only, don't do enough film to replenish.)

I also use T-Max RS, mainly for Kodak films as I haven't bothered working out times for others, and Diafine when I want the compensating effects of two bath development or when Tri-X at EI 1000-1250 is just right but it's not dim enough to justify TMZ or Delta 3200. I develop both of the latter in T-Max RS at up to 3200 with results I like.

I have some Rodinal and plan to give it another try. I never got it to work to my satisfaction last time I tried it. Heresy, but there you go.

 

[munz6869]

Rodinal & DDX

Marc!

 

[mablo]

Rodinal although I don't think of it as a 'general purpose developer'.

 

[John Austin]

Very ancient, very replenished D76d, made up on the 3rd May 1985 and kept going ever since - But kept going carefully with test patches at zone VIII and XI to make sure everything is going well every week or so

I use the alternative replenishment method whereby a fair bit of fresh D76d is used with the D76d replenisher - 70ml of replenisher to 80 inches square each (a sheet of 10x8", 4/5x4 or 1/120 or 1/36-35mm) of mix instead of just the 28ml of D76dR - (See "76 Years of D76, Ryuji Suzuki, Silvergrain.org)

I use a narrow measuring cylinder with a piece of tape glued to it with the number of films to be replenished marked up the tape, for three sheets I top up the the third line and so on

Recently I bought a step wedge via APUG to calibrate a densitometer I had been given - This gives me much greater information on the state of the developer, a crucial thing when using old replenished dev' - Replenished dev' has to do a lot of work it to keep it young and healthy, like all us

 

[Ed Bray]

My go to developer in the past has been Ilford LC29 but after using Caffenol CL with a semi-stand process that will be my first choice for anything going forward other than if I need something in a hurry, as the 65 minute dev time is the only downside so far (apart from the smell).

 

[Ian Grant]

Pyrocat HD is all I use these days, so reliable and easy to use and the negative print so easily.

Ian