Your favourite developer?

[modafoto]

Hi

Now that there is a thread discussing favourite films I would like to start one on favourite developers and what you use them for and why.

Myself, I use Rodinal for films rated 160 or lower. HC-110 for films fra 200-800 and T-Max for faster ones.

 

[clogz]

Rodinal and Rodinal Special but most of all Amaloco AM74 and home made split D23. Lately I have grown to like two bath developers more and more, esp. the Ultima (D23) which gives good tonality and textured shadows with most films. However in spite of what is usually said about 2 baths I find that change in dev.times does make a difference.
Hans

 

[Ole]

Home-made FX-2. Lasts forever, develops anything. Nice gradation on large negatives, and high acutance for small negatives.

 

[Deniz]

Rodinal for everything..
well i aonly use 4x5 and 8x10 anyways so grain doesnt bother me..

 

[David R Munson]

HC-110 for anything and everything. I love it and have not seen reason to change thus far.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Hey Ole, where do you get your Glycin?

I have standardized on home made Pyrocat-HD for most films.

Kodak Techpan is an exception. With Techpan I use either home made Diafine or home made Perfection Micrograin.

 

[Jorge Oliveira]

For general pictures (PX @200) ascorbate based devs, in Patrick Gainer's long lasting organic bases (PGlicol, TEA).
For available darkness homemade Diafine (TX @1250).

Jorge O

 

[david b]

I currently use xtol for everything including Tri-X and APX 100 and probably the APX 25 that I have left.

xtol keeps the film speed closer to the manufacturers recommended speed and is a fine grain developer.

 

[Annemarieke]

Kodak D76 or Ilford DD-X for FP4 and Tri-X
Technidol for Technical Pan.

 

[Dean Williams]

D76 1:1 is far and away the most popular developer in my darkroom. Mostly for TX and FP4. I have a long history with it, and it works well with so many films. Gainer's vit C-Metol quite a bit, also very versatile. I always have some Rodinal handy for that certain look. I've been using some of the Forte type films, (EDU and Classic pan) and I like their 100 and 400 speed emulsions in Calbe A49.

Dean

 

[JohnArs]

XTol for almost everything

I use XTol for almost everything because I like it sharp and almost at the written filmspeed so a 100 ASA is almost 100 ASA and on a test of a german lab mag it was the winner some years ago!
Use it for TMX 100 -3200, Acros 100, Ilford Delta 100- 3200, also for Kodak HIE infrared!

 

[modafoto]

THANKS

Hi

Thanks for the posts. I seems that there are lots of devs to try out. I will never drop the goooood ole Hot Rod, but I'm heading for the shops tuesday to buy some Ilford ID-11 and Ilford Microphen.

And by the way: Thank you all for your contributions on this site. I'm a daily visitor like a lot of you!

Greeetings Morten!

 

[jansenh]

Xtol/Rodinal combo

I'm in a persiod of 135-film shooting only. And for my Tri-X (400TX) I use a mix of Xtol and Rodinal. Beautiful classic D76(xtol) tonality with the higher actuance of Rodinal. The best properties of each of these superb developers!

100ml xtol stock - 400ml water - 2,5ml Rodinal - 20 minutes - 20 deg celcius