Whats is the best developper for film

[michel_b_rard]

I use 3 black and white films: Ilford Delta 100, Agfa APX 100 and

Tmax 100.

What kind of developper film can be the best for this 3 film, for

keep fine grain, sharpness and contrast?

 

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Michel Bérard

[christian_harkness]

Hey - you will get 6669.7 different answers on this one. I'll stick

my neck out and recommend Rodinal 1:100 for all of them.

 

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chris

[markedwardsmith]

I have to agree with Michel, Rodinal 1:100 for 22 min is excellent.

Also Ilford Ilfotec DD-X (liquid) 1:4 for 7 min is excellent as

well. Get ready for the onslaught of different receipes.

[marc_leest]

for 35mm: XTOL 1:1

[richard_ilomaki3]

Michel;

 

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Since this is the Alternative Process forum, I have to say split D23,

as it is a proprotional developer and gives a long scale neg without

blocking up the highlights. That is just what is needed for Pt/Pd

printing which is my field of interest.

 

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The best films I have found for that purpose are T Max 400 & 100,

exposed at half the rated speed. T max 400 is likley the best as one

would never have a grain problem with contact printing, but I had a

box of 100 T Max 100, so I used it and it is great.

 

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cheers

 

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check out teh Palladio website and their wonderful little book on

preparing negatives for contact printing.

 

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Cheers

[don_sigl]

Michel:

 

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The best film developer Ihave ever used (And I have used all

mentioned in this thread) Is Gordon Hutchings Pyro formula, PMK. If

you are looking for tack sharp grain and controlled contrast, its

probably what your looking for. I highly recommend you purchase

Gordon's book "The book of Pyro".

 

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Here are the highlights

Pyro is a very old developing agent which was used in the thirties

and forties for large format. people like Edward and Brett Weston

used it fairly exclusively.

There were many formulas including the kodak ABC formula and Weston's

own personal recipe.

The problem with Pyro was that it was notoriously hard to control,

which made it almost useless with small roll films.

The PMK formula adds metol to the Pyro formula and brings it under

control.

Pyro is a staining developer. It leaves a green yellow stain on the

negatives. The stain is highly desitrable because it acts as a mask

and allows for printable highlight detail that can otherwise blow out

with conventional developers. The stain also benefits VC printing by

acting as a lower grade filter for highlights. The result is less of

a need to burn in highlight areas.

The developer produces razor sharp grain. A good test is to load a

conventional negative in the enlarger and focus with a good grain

focuser. Then load a Pyro negative of the same subject and focus with

the grain focuser. You will easily see the difference in grain

sharpness.

 

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I used d-23 prior to the Pyro discovery. I shoot mainly HP5+. I can

tell the difference between prints made from each negative at a

glance.

PMK was designed with Ilford films in mind. You will get excellent

results with HP5+ or FP4. I have also had excellent results with the

Delta and Trix films, although I don't use them much.

 

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Pyro can be purchased from the Photographers Formulary. If you don't

want to mix up your own, I see now that the developer can be

purchased prepackagesd in some professional camera stores.

 

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Good luck

 

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Don

[paul__3]

PMK is great, but for Pyro I vote for the Wimberly formulation. It

gives you that extra stop which may be more of a priority with the

100 speed films you're using.

[joe_lipka3]

I will jump in with the D-23 as a two part developer. Works just

dandy for making pt/pd negatives.

 

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Note to Richard Ilomaki - Do you have a URL for the Palladio web site?

[ken_burns1]

There never has been, and probably never will be, a film developer that is best.

[art_haykin]

There is no "best" anything: camera, lens, tripod, lightmeter, paper, chemical, etc. The "best" is what works best for YOU, and suits your particular shooting requirements. If there were a "best," then wouldn't nearly everyone be using it?

[jnanian]

try ansco 130 1:5 72º 7 mins