Film developers

Rollei12 · Feb 4, 2015

Dave442 said:
I started with D76 powder Developer, good and cheap, but for smaller batches of film developing it is much easier to use the liquid developers. Like the powder, with liquid you usually make a stock solution and then for each session make the working solution. So with HC110 it would be 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water to make stock solution and then the working solution would be further diluted. Or go straight from concentrate to working solution if developing very infrequently.

I take it all the instructions are with the product? This sounds fun

Dave442 · Feb 4, 2015

The product has some basic instructions. There are guides for each product from the manufacturer and then many other guides. Finally you need to make notes when you develop and then adjust in subsequent developments as your water is different from others.

gsgary · Feb 5, 2015

For timings try Massive Dev Chart, I usually develop more than it states because I like contrasty negs

timor · Feb 5, 2015

Rollei12 said:
So some other questions here...

Which is a recommended choice to get started with: Kodak or Ilford? I seem to like the liquid chemical idea better than powder but maybe powder is better?

With making dilutions, if you dilute the fixer where do you put it? Certainly not back in the bottle the concentrate came from because you'd be adding water to everything else. So do you put it in another bottle to use that amount for your next roll? How long will the diluted mix last?

When I see something like 1 + 4, I'm taking a guess that mean 1 part chemical to 4 parts water?

The magic of b&w film is, that everything is a personal choice. The best of film or chemicals is what works best for you. That is why you will not get any singularly answer. Any developer can give you foot results with any film. There is a large number of veritable starting with technical state of your camera nobody can really take in account. B&w film is an empiric affair, very persomal , one has to work out own way. Manufacturers, or ours for that matter, recommendations are only a starting point. By changing some of the variable you may arrive at your perfect negative and suddenly you may see your way is different than ours. Shoot film, develop how you like or can, see results, don't get frustrated if not that good, think what's wrong, apply change, try again. After 4-5 rounds you will start to feel it.