Need help! Brain melting!

[james_naughton]

So I've finally made the decision to start developing my own B+W and

my tiny brain is begining to bubble and boil. I shoot about 50% Tmax

3200 the rest being Delta 400,Pan F 50 and Delta 100. I am about to

shell out my (few) hard earned dollars on all the stuff (SS

tanks,reels,changing bag blah blah blah) but I have no idea what

developer to use! So I thought to my self lets ask! So I'm asking!

Now I plan to average out the answers (which means I'll probably

start looking for something called Ilfomax or xphen -anyone try xlax?)

and some how I'll come to a decision. Any suggestions on stop

baths,fixers and wetting agents would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch folks

James

[barry schmetter]

I've been having great results developing the Ilford Delta films (100, 400, 3200) in XTOL 1+1 . I've been using this combination for several years and have been very pleased. As an aside--have you tried Delta 3200? I think it's a nicer film than Tmax 3200--finer grain and smoother tonality.

[stephen hazelton]

It sounds like you've been having work done by a lab- what have they been using? Is there any reason to change?

[barry schmetter]

Oh, and for the other solutions, nothing is critical, but I use the following:

 

-Kodak indicator stop

 

-Kodak Rapid Fix (without hardener solution)

 

-Kodak Photo-Flo

[james_naughton]

Thats the problem, Stephen, my lab guy hasen't been near the darkroom in 9 months! Too busy, roof caving in,no water etc.When he does get in there he is really good but he has about 20 films of mine sitting there for months. As I have a film scanner I just need the films developed and am trying to sift through the vast amounts of info out there. So I'm picking some (really good) brains.

Thanks,James

[eric_chamberlain]

You should ask him what developer specifically that he uses on your work. As for the other solutions, fixer and stop aren't an issue unless you are using exotic developers. Just buying Kodak of these two is fine. As for wetting agent, I heard many people like Edwal LFN over Kodak Photo-flo.

[martin_morgado]

Last night I developed a roll of Delta 400 in Ilfotec DD-X, 1:4 8 mins - first roll of Del 400 and I was very pleased. I also used Edwal fg-7 @ 1:15 for 13.5 mins, no sodium sul, for new t-max 400 -the negs looked awesome! the swadow detail was really nice!

 

Take it with a grain of salt though, I am also new to home developing.

 

M

[paul_klingaman]

Of course choosing a developer will depend largly on your desired effect. It sounds like with the wide variety of films you are using, you need to do a little experimentation to find what you like. That said, I'd recommend D-76. I use it accross the board, but only shoot a few different emulsions (mainly HP5+ and Tri-X, sometimes Acros and Delta 3200). Your mileage will vary depending on how you expose your film, how you scan your negs., etc. Your film choice seems to be largely Ilford...if memory serves, Ilford's web site has a great table with their suggestion of developer/film combo for the desired effect. You might find a good starting point there too.

 

I realize this advice might make for more brain boil, but I hope it helps. Have fun and experiment. Mainly run many, many tests. When you're happy with something, stick to it and tweak it. It's a very rewarding process.

[dk_thompson]

might want to just keep it simple and stick with either Ilford or Kodak, or maybe even Sprint if you can find it. Sprint chemistry is easy to use, all liquid--mixes up at the same dilution for each step. low odor, the developer is pretty darn close to D76 1:1. The old standby D76 or ID11 is a good place to start. The only film that might be picky in that list of yours is TMZ...depending on how you rate it, it can be touchy with the developers. Still, hard to go wrong with D76....

[lex_jenkins]

Personally, I'd avoid Xtol. While the disappointing results I got with it can be traced to oxidation that spoiled Part A of the two-powder mix, I just don't want to mess with any chemistry that's so sensitive to oxidation and can't be relied upon in unmixed or mixed storage.

 

That's why I'm not going to use Ilfosol-S again after this bottle is done - it's a good developer but has a short shelf life. The concentrate is good for only 2-4 months after opening. Apparently the ascorbate component in Ilfosol-S and Xtol oxidizes rather quickly, making these unsuitable for long term storage. The reliability issue concerns me enough to override any possible advantages these developers offer.

 

I recommend a developer that keeps better. HC-110 concentrate has a long life after opening. However it's a limited developer and not to everyone's taste. I like it with Tri-X but I'm not sure how it would do with faster films like TMZ and Delta 3200.

 

Rodinal has excellent keeping properties in concentrate and is a very versatile developer for slow and fast films. Again, tho', it may not be the best choice for ultra high speed films like TMax 3200.

 

D-76 and the Ilford equivalent, ID-11, are extremely versatile developers suitable for almost any and every film. The stock solution will keep 6 months, no problem, provided air is kept to a minimum in the bottle. For best results split the stock solution up into several smaller bottles rather than one large bottle with an ever-increasing air space.

 

For TMax 3200 or Delta 3200 I'd be inclined to recommend Microphen based on my results with TMax 400 pushed to 800 and HP5+ at 400.

 

If you want to keep it simple and start with one all-purpose developer to explore for a while, I'd go with Rodinal or D-76/ID-11.

[ken_burns1]

There are going to be at least a billion different recommendations, so I am going to keep it simple. For film, use Kodaforgfa D-tolphen. For prints, use Ilfogfadak Neudek Multi-Ultra. For stop bath, try aceticitric acid diluted 1:1,000,000. For fixer, use Agfordak Spreed-Rap undiluted for 10 seconds. Always use a good Hypo Exterminator followed by a 24-hour wash. This should be followed by a good wetting agent like Edwagdak Flo-Dry at 1/100 the recommended dilution. In other words, you're going to have to try everything yourself to figure out how to get what you want!!!

[joseph_walsh2]

I use all those films (except I much prefer Delta 3200 to the Kodak version)

I use Xtol at either 1-1 or 1-2.

 

I have had great results and no problems. Still, when knowledgable and experienced darkroom folks like Lex Jenkins caution you, you'd best listen. And he is far from being alone in his suspicion.

 

What to do? Answer: If you do your part Kodak D-76 will never let you down.

[david_walters]

Hi James,

 

You're going to love developing your own film, it's a big part of the tactile pleasure of photography! In answer to your question:

 

Wetting agent - Ilford Ilfotol,stop - Ilford Ilfostop,

fixer - Ilford Hypam rapid fixer,

fix hardner - you guessed it, Ilford,

wash aid - Ilford Universal Wash Aid.

Most of the films I use I now develop in Xtol, 1:1, though I have used ID-11 for years previously.

 

Have fun stumbling around in the dark!

 

David

[pete_glass1]

Stick to the basics w/film developement:

HC110 developer: The most versatile soup ever concocted. Good for traditional films, as well as TMax, etc.

Indicator stop bath: Always the easiest and most effective.

Kodak Rapid Fixer: The standard for negative use.

Orbit Hypo Wash: Easy and standard.

Follow instructions for mixing and use, and you will produce quality negs, foolproof.

[chris_waller]

I use Rodinal. It's fine for slower films (i.e. 200 ASA or lower). It also gives good but very grainy result swith 3200 ASA films. It has the advantage of being very cheap and has legendary keeping qualities. Also try HC110. I use Rodinal with Delta 100 rating at 50 ASA and devving at 1:50 dilution, 20 C, 6.5 minutes. Very sharp indeed with beautiful shadow detail.

[eric_chamberlain]

I'll agree with Pete G. If you are just getting into the swing of home development, stick with simple chemisty that has a nice shelf life. I'm in the same position, started developing a few months ago after taking some classes several years ago. I'm using HC110, but it seems like rodinal has a good following as well. But for rodinal, you'll have a much harder time getting ahold of it. I don't see it in local shops, and BH doesn't ship it. HC110 is fairly versatile with films (no flames please, just remembering the Kodak BW dataguide) and it has several different official and unofficial dilutions for you to play around with, all based off the same stock solution (read: great for one-shot developing for experimental rolls). Have fun with it. Oh yeah, don't use the $7 SS rolls that Adorama sells. If your cheap like me, and don't want to shell out for the $20 Hewes, get the $10 Kalt reels from BH.