Help with basic B&W developer characteristics

[andy_may]

<p>Hello to all. I have been shooting, processing, and scanning my own B&W film for about 2 years and feel that I have a good, basic working knowledge of the subject. I have been limited to using D-76 as my only developer for 2 reasons; first because of limited availability (I live in Thailand), and second because even if I did have access to other developers, I wouldn't know how they would be different from D-76. </p>

<p>My question: Is there a resource that can outline the basic differences, characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, etc. between standard developer formulas? I have read about developers that provide high acutance, fine grain, speed increasing, speed decreasing, increasing tonal range, staining, etc. but how do I know which ones do what when compared to each other? Whenever I search online to "try" a different developer, I just get discouraged not knowing what the different developers do nor how I should adjust my technique (exposure, development, etc.) accordingly. </p>

<p>I have realized there are a million variables in developing B&W and want to get a better understanding of these variables. Of course I know "it depends", but is there some way for me to learn the basic characteristics of the standard developers before I waste time and money? I want to be more deliberate about creating a "look" but just don't know what my options are. Also, I have read "The Negative" and "The Darkroom Handbook" and it has not helped much.</p>

<p>Your help is appreciated. </p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/reader/0240802772?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#noop">The Film Developers Cookbook </a> would be a good start. </p>

[randall ellis]

<p>I'll second the Film Developers Cookbook - it goes into detail of the different developer categories, how you can manipulate each of them, and how to understand what is going on. All important concepts. When you try anything new, change only one thing, other wise you will not be able to tell which change resulted in what different in outcome. If you have one developer that you like now, change only the developer, not the film or your methodology. If you do not have a standard developer now, pick something like ID-11 or D-76 to start out with so that you have a good general purpose developer as a starting point. It will be easier to judge the differences if you begin in the middle, so to speak...<br>

- Randy</p>

[tim_kohlman]

<p>I'm probably in the same situation as you are. I've used D76/ID11 exclusively in the past and have only just started experimenting with other film developers.</p>

<p>I tried Microphen, since I often push film and I've just started using Rodinol, I have no idea about the chemical differences with those developers I just use them.... I noticed the difference straight away, especially with pushed film where the grain is more evident and the contrast is higher. Generally the appearance of grain and the contrast and tonality is how I judge a negative+developer combination.</p>

<p>You can test it fairly easily by shooting multiple shots on the same film and developing them with the different developers. I shoot a roll of 35mm of the same subject and cut up the film into strips</p>

[middle]

<p>In my experience developers differ not just from each other, but also dilutions of same developer differ significantly in their results. for example, the kodak HC110 works much better when diluted to 1:64 as opposed to the suggest dilution on the bottle.</p>

<p>I would advice, you can play with a few developers, based on what's available, I am sure in each you will find ways that they behave their best behavior. </p>

<p>I second Tim in shooting several same bracketed exposures, and developing them in different developers, or developing them in different dilutions of the same developer, to see how the latitude of the film changes.</p>

<p>cheers,<br>

middle</p>

[chris_waller]

<p>I think the book you are looking for is 'Developing' by Jacobson and Jacobson, published by Focal Press. It's a mine of information on developers and gives hundreds of formulations.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>I got my cue from an example in "The Negative." There is a recipe for D23 in there; it's a fine-grain developer. Metol is the main component. Metol likes cold water. It'll give you the fine grain. But, by itself, it will be too soft.</p>

<p>Hydroquinone likes warm water. It'll be high contrast. It's also fast-acting in warmer water (over 22C, I use mine at 24C). The faster acting a developer is, the more likely it'll develop the grain out big and fat.</p>

<p>Most developers on the market are combinations of the two. If you come across an ingredient like a phenidone, it'll mimic the hyrdoquinones, if I remember right. You can develop with metol only (D-23) or hydroquinone only as the active component in the developer; but, if the two are used together, they will be five times more powerful than if either substance were used alone. This is party why in metol-hydroquinone developers you will see much smaller quantities of the developer called for than in the single component recipes.</p>

<p>Make notes on what is in the developer, what you used it on, in what dilution and at what temperature, and you'll begin to identify trends in performance easier. </p>

<p>Coincidentally, metol will thrive in the cold water (near 50F), but hydroquinone will stall out and do very little developing in cold water. So, I've heard. The 20C mark, so often noted in lab recommendations, is a good spot for overlapping hydroquinone and metol together. It's a temperature that will get you fair performance out of both materials.</p>

<p>If you want to get a look at what a hydroquinone-only negative will look like, splash about an ounce of Dektol in a cylinder and then top off with water to 500mL. Dektol is not hydroQ only, but it can yield a similar look. Run the negatives at 6 to 8 minutes, regardless of film type in water temperature from 20 to 24C. </p>

<p>There will be some recipes with Borax. It's a buffer. It helps the grays. </p>

<p>There will be some recipes with Potassium Bromide. It's a retarder. I have learned to leave this out, as I have found it's often a useless component. It gets included in a lot of Metol/hydroquinone superadditive developer recipes because the stuff is so powerful it can run away with itself; so, the retarder helps to cut down on things, reign it in, and reduce fog. </p>

<p>Ansel Adams did a better job of explaining the components of a developer in a book of his I read called "The Print." My copy was, I think, from the 1950s. There was about a two page spread in there discussing about five main roles that developer ingredients play. As you read the recipes, it helps to think about which of those five categories a compound fits into. I ended up thinking about it as, active developer, supporting ingredients with some developer characteristics (sodium sulfite, for example), pH controllers (set the solution up for the reaction, but don't develop the films on their own), retarders, and two-combo components (usually for making a compound in the water of the solution that has some characteristic that's wanted). Come up with a system like that to help you scrutinize the ingredients; it'll make reading the recipes easier. After a while, you will be able to read a recipe, and have a rough idea of how things will trend; I use D-76 as a yardstick for understanding developers. </p>

<p>Metol, fine grain, cold water, slow acting. Hydroquinone, puffy grain, warm water, high contrast.</p>

<p>Studs use hydroquinone.</p>

[photo_smith]

<blockquote>

<p><strong>Metol, fine grain, cold water, slow acting. Hydroquinone, puffy grain, warm water, high contrast.</strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually Metol is very fast acting (almost immediate reduction) but soon becomes tired due to the oxidation and the formation of sulphonates. Hydroquinone on the other hand although more vigorous (that is the potential for reduction is higher) has a very high induction period. <br>

Where the relationship of the two main ingredients of the MQ developers really comes into its own is when the immediate acting Metol slows as the hydroquinone induction period ends. The super-additivity then comes into play as the oxidised Metol which was formed into suphonates reacts with the hydroquinone and 're-forms' the Metol giving it a kind of second wind.<br>

The two main types of developer MQ (Metol-hydroquinone) and PQ (Phenidone-Hydroquinone) both benefit from super-additivity and give greater reduction potential than either chemical used as single reduction agent.</p>