What are the characteristics of developers? What to choose?

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michielp
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Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:24 am
Location: Netherlands

What are the characteristics of developers? What to choose?

Post by michielp »

Hi There,

What are the characteristics of the different types of developpers? Why would one choose the one above the other. And how to decide what dilution is best?

Any suggestions for great websites, perhaps?

I am trying to find my way through the vast world of filmdeveloping!

Mike
Last edited by michielp on Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

zonejumper
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Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:51 pm
Location: SW FLORIDA

Post by zonejumper »

Hi, I have been away from this for a while, but here it goes. First, if you haven't done it yet, you should find some information on the zone system. Then next, you might get a grey card and get calibrated. That is, record everything and strive to maintain strict time and temprature standards. The object of this is to be able to duplicate your results every time you shoot the grey card through out the various combinations of f stop and shutter speed. Once you do that, then you can start expanding or contracting the zones by under or over exposing film and compensating by under or over developing the exposed film. The result should also be predictable if you are calibrated. If you are forced to shot in very high contrast settings, you can then trick the film possibly by manipulating the exposure and development. Or, you can search for developers that are designed to raise or lower contrast with film exposed normaly. I hope that I understand this well enough to have explained something of value to you. I used to love using rodinal 100:1 shooting tri-x with some variation of exposure. The results for me were often exciting when you can see results like shadows in shadows. Now I am just getting back to all this after a 30 year absence. So, I hope you will not hold it against me too much if the explanation is not very well put. Good luck, and get callibrated if you can using the zone system.

Ornello
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:49 am

Post by Ornello »

None of this has anything whatsoever to do with the poster's question. He is asking about DEVELOPERS.

zonejumper
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:51 pm
Location: SW FLORIDA

Post by zonejumper »

yea, I guess you could just use any old developer to compensate for under or over exposure. Thanks for the help you failed to give him or me on the topic

Ornello
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:49 am

Post by Ornello »

zonejumper wrote:yea, I guess you could just use any old developer to compensate for under or over exposure. Thanks for the help you failed to give him or me on the topic
There are various types of developers. There are very small differences amongst the most popular types.

Keith Tapscott.
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:58 am
Location: Plymouth, England.

Re: What are the characteristics of developers? What to choo

Post by Keith Tapscott. »

michielp wrote:Hi There,

What are the characteristics of the different types of developpers? Why would one choose the one above the other. And how to decide what dilution is best?

Any suggestions for great websites, perhaps?

I am trying to find my way through the vast world of filmdeveloping!

Mike
There are probably more film and developer combinations, than there are winning number combinations to win the National Lottery. :)
The industry trade standard developers are Kodak D-76 and Ilford ID-11 which are considered to provide the optimum balance of emulsion speed yield, sharpness, grain and gradation. ID-11 is Ilford`s ISO rating developer. Finer grain than D-76 and ID-11 can be had, by using an extra fine grain developer such as Kodak Microdol-X or Ilford Perceptol, but there is some loss of emulsion speed yield with these. Slightly higher speed yield can be had by using developers such as Ilford Microphen or Kodak T-MAX developer, these are formulated to help boost the shadow densities but there is a penalty of slightly coarser grain.
There are also some more specialist developers designed to help improve image definition such as Tetenal Neofin, Paterson Acutol and FX-39 although grain may be coarser than a standard developer.
Kodak also produce a developer which uses a Phenidone derivative along with an ascorbic acid derivative which is probably some where intermediate of D-76/ID-11 and Microphen, but is claimed to be less toxic and more eco-friendly.
Some of these are only available in dry powder form of which you have to mix with a specific volume of water to make a stock solution, others are supplied as liquid concentrates which are diluted to a specific ratio with water to make the working strength developing solution which many photographers find more convenient.
I would suggest that you try one or two different films with a popular developer type to start with and if you like the results, stick with them until you feel more confident to try something else.

Ornello
Posts: 882
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:49 am

Re: What are the characteristics of developers? What to choo

Post by Ornello »

Keith Tapscott. wrote:
michielp wrote:Hi There,

What are the characteristics of the different types of developpers? Why would one choose the one above the other. And how to decide what dilution is best?

Any suggestions for great websites, perhaps?

I am trying to find my way through the vast world of filmdeveloping!

Mike
There are probably more film and developer combinations, than there are winning number combinations to win the National Lottery. :)
The industry trade standard developers are Kodak D-76 and Ilford ID-11 which are considered to provide the optimum balance of emulsion speed yield, sharpness, grain and gradation. ID-11 is Ilford`s ISO rating developer. Finer grain than D-76 and ID-11 can be had, by using an extra fine grain developer such as Kodak Microdol-X or Ilford Perceptol, but there is some loss of emulsion speed yield with these. Slightly higher speed yield can be had by using developers such as Ilford Microphen or Kodak T-MAX developer, these are formulated to help boost the shadow densities but there is a penalty of slightly coarser grain.
There are also some more specialist developers designed to help improve image definition such as Tetenal Neofin, Paterson Acutol and FX-39 although grain may be coarser than a standard developer.
Kodak also produce a developer which uses a Phenidone derivative along with an ascorbic acid derivative which is probably some where intermediate of D-76/ID-11 and Microphen, but is claimed to be less toxic and more eco-friendly.
Some of these are only available in dry powder form of which you have to mix with a specific volume of water to make a stock solution, others are supplied as liquid concentrates which are diluted to a specific ratio with water to make the working strength developing solution which many photographers find more convenient.
I would suggest that you try one or two different films with a popular developer type to start with and if you like the results, stick with them until you feel more confident to try something else.
Most developers in use today (with miniature film) fall into two categories: solvent fine-grain and acutance. D-76/ID-11 and Microdol-X, etc., fall into the former category; Acutol, Rodinal, etc., fall into the latter.

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