Which film/dev - relative noob...

I did warn y'all in my intro that I'd have plenty of stupid questions

Realizing that there is no "right" or easy answer to this question, I'm hoping I can get some help in narrowing down the vast array of choices for film and developers to make my return into black and white film shooting a bit less.. hmm... anxious and obsessive???

I'm going to be shooting 120 and 4x5. For now, it would be nice to shoot the same emulsion in both, and dip in the same stuff. In 4x5, QuickLoad or ReadyLoad formats have their advantage - that limits me to Acros or TMX, either of which would work well. I'm not opposed to picking up some regular film holders, though. I have prior experience w/ HC-110, dipping TMX, TMY, Tri-X in it - though I get the feeling that perhaps HC-110 is not the most loved developer on this forum?

My end goal for now is to keep things simple - to find one (or maybe two) emulsions that will be versatile, and a developer that will produce nice negs that doesn't require a lot of extra or technical effort to use, and a process between the two that will be somewhat tolerant of my mistake.

Are there any generally accepted, "Can't go wrong with these" combos? Or am I asking an unanswerable question?

Thanks!

Dave

How about Ilford FP4+ and HP5+ and developing them in Ilford ID-11?

Great combos available in 120 and 4x5.

I use HC110, Bill Schwab uses HC110 and so does Sander McNew, so does.......... Where do you get the idea that HC110 is not the most loved?
I find that I am hard pressed to look at any B/W print and say what film developer was used. Personally I think that a lot of hype has become attatched to "the best film developer, film etc."
If you have experience of using HC110/TX then I would not advise a change unless you want something else, but what?
Go from there.
Regards,
John

sprint film developer and just about any film you like to use will work well.
it is ez and you just dilute 1:9.
i've used it with ilford panf, hp5, hp4, pan x, plus x, tri x
ekfe25, agfa400, tmax 100+400 ... can't really say anything bad about it.

have fun!
john

Good advice here, and you are wise to spare yourself the turmoil of infinite film/developer combos as you get up to speed with your numbers and times.

If I were choosing only one developer, it would be Xtol or, more likely, its homebrewed cousins Mytol or PC-TEA. Nothing wrong with HC-110, however. I find myself mixing my own developers more often, since it's frequently a stretch between batches of film, so making my own means they're always fresh.

Of the film options you mention, I'd take TMX since it's available both in 120 and in Readyload. TMX-Xtol is a great combo; in fact, Xtol is Kodak's recommended developer for its T-grain films.

Start with those and get to know them like the back of your hand; then branch out when you find you need capability or a "look" you aren't getting from your standbys.

If you have experience with HC110 then I would stick with it for awhile. it is fairly economical, keeps forever. I recently found a 4 year old half full 500ml bottle at the back of a cupboard that I thought I had used up. Tested it and worked fine. You can dilute it for stand development and once you get bigger then 35mm it works with any film. I especially like it with HP5 and TriX.

As you get into sheet film, unless you want to work with a staining developer such as Pyrocat HD, the differences in developers are way overblown. The important thing is getting the proper exposure on film. Whatever you decide, stick with one film and developer combo untill you learn all of its potential.

If you do go the HC110 route here is a link to a site that has all the HC110 info you will ever need:
http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/

Bergger / Exactol-Lux

Try Bergger 120/4x5 and Exactol-Lux (a staining-type developer)

Perhaps a bit more expensive than some, but easy to use and produces magnificent negatives that are easy to print.

Jim Chinn said:

Whatever you decide, stick with one film and developer combo untill you learn all of its potential.

Click to expand...

That's good advice, I think Actually, I might violate it, though, and pick two films - it'd be nice to have a higher speed alternative in the bag, too. Though, anything that I do that requires FAST film speed is likely to be digital these days, anyway, so maybe not....

I'd be hard pressed to tell you where I picked up on negatives for HC-110 - I've read so much stuff on this forum already, I've forgotten at least half of it...

I'm thinking, then, HC-110 and 100TMX for the time being, and possibly add in Tri-X or HP5 at some point for a 400 speed alternative. See where that gets me... Just checked - I still have Kodak Rapid Fixer and Indicator Stop Bath concentrates (I don't think those expire?), but no developer concentrate. No hypoclear, either. So, I need a couple of supplies to get started, but no big deal. Its been long enough, I need to go reread "how to" again...

Thanks!

Well, we can only give our own experiences/preferences, as you said, there is no right answer. I use HP5+ for both 120 and 4x5, develop both in PMK (tank for the 120, tray for the 4x5). The only format I do differently is 35mm (still HP5+), because I find PMK grainy in that small format (just my personal opinion, Gordon Hutchings recommends PMK for 35mm). That would be my approach with HC-110 (which I used to use, many years back) also - fine for 120 and 4x5, but grainy for 35mm.

I keep coming back to Ilford FP4 for medium speed and Tri-X for higher speed. They compliment eachother wonderfully and both work great in my favorite film developer, Pyrocat-HD. But they would also look wonderful in HC-110, there are plenty of photographers on this web site to prove that point, to mention two: Sanders McNew and Bill Schwab. (Tri-X and HC-110).

I think the benefit of FP4 is its availability. 35mm, 120 rolls, and almost any format you can dream up for sheet film. You would naturally need to get standard film holders. But it's a gorgeous film, one that does well in almost any situation.

But you're getting my personal opinion when you really want your own. All the other suggestions are great. There are very few films out there that will give you outright bad results. You may want to stay away from the cheapest films, as they more often get problems reported with them than more well known brands.

Good luck, enjoy the ride. Pick one or two, like you say.

- Thomas

XRe said:

That's good advice, I think Actually, I might violate it, though, and pick two films - it'd be nice to have a higher speed alternative in the bag, too. Though, anything that I do that requires FAST film speed is likely to be digital these days, anyway, so maybe not....

I'd be hard pressed to tell you where I picked up on negatives for HC-110 - I've read so much stuff on this forum already, I've forgotten at least half of it...

I'm thinking, then, HC-110 and 100TMX for the time being, and possibly add in Tri-X or HP5 at some point for a 400 speed alternative. See where that gets me... Just checked - I still have Kodak Rapid Fixer and Indicator Stop Bath concentrates (I don't think those expire?), but no developer concentrate. No hypoclear, either. So, I need a couple of supplies to get started, but no big deal. Its been long enough, I need to go reread "how to" again...

Thanks!

Click to expand...