Why So Many Kodak Standard Developers?

[Sirius Glass]

I love that chart. But our endeavor here in the last few comments is about DK-50. Not searching for the best all around developer.

Always a good time to consider a change for the better.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

You may have noticed that many of us have our niche projects and are not looking for something "better." Ascorbic acid developers have their own issues.

 

[Sirius Glass]

You may have noticed that many of us have our niche projects and are not looking for something "better." Ascorbic acid developers have their own issues.

One can always learn by digging in or expanding out. Every think can be an opportunity.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

One can always learn by digging in or expanding out. Every think can be an opportunity.

You don't get it. This is the path I, and many others, choose to do. I've been "into" photochemistry since about 1985. Thousands of experiments, readings, etc.

This is what I choose to do.

 

[foc]

I found a few old PDFs from Ilford with their equivalent in Kodak and Agfa (film & chemistry)
I think some of the equivalents don't seem correct to me....................

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

The reason for different developers is not the photographer's taste, but their specific effect on different films' tone and grain.
D-76 produces an appropriate curve on contrasty Tri-X, while HC-110 makes soft HP5+ more vibrant... TMaxDev gives more speed and pushability for TMax for films, while Xtol and PyroHD are bought by people who consider less grain means better photographs.
What I mean is developers have real differences, and it's not true we can use any developer to shape a film's curve as if it was developed in any other developer: sometimes it can be done to a certain degree, but not always.
That's why several developers and different types of developers survive.
IMO we need a few: one for sharp grain and acutance, one for grain control in portraiture, one for upswept curves, one for pushing when there's no better option...
I have not found any developer that's the best option for all films and types of scene.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The reason for different developers is not the photographer's taste, but their specific effect on different films' tone and grain.
D-76 produces an appropriate curve on contrasty Tri-X, while HC-110 makes soft HP5+ more vibrant... TMaxDev gives more speed and pushability for TMax for films, while Xtol and PyroHD are bought by people who consider less grain means better photographs.
What I mean is developers have real differences, and it's not true we can use any developer to shape a film's curve as if it was developed in any other developer: sometimes it can be done to a certain degree, but not always.
That's why several developers and different types of developers survive.
IMO we need a few: one for sharp grain and acutance, one for grain control in portraiture, one for upswept curves, one for pushing when there's no better option...
I have not found any developer that's the best option for all films and types of scene.

Thank you for a great synopsis.

 

[MattKing]

It's best not to rely too much on Kodak's recommendations for developers like DK-50.
Those recommendations were entirely appropriate when they were current, but the films and typical usage were significantly different then when compared to the nature of current films and current usage.
Remember that, in many cases, those recommendations were made when 120 film was considered a small format - 135 was "miniature" - and a lot more people were using hot lights and condenser enlargers.