Better Living Through Chemistry | Picking Your Developers

Developing your film at home is both rewarding and frustrating at the same time and to add on an extra layer of complexity there is a lot of developers out there that you can use, especially in the black & white field. While certainly not as much as there used to be, there is still an excellent selection of developers to suit almost every person's need, without having to dive deep into building your developers from base chemicals. Ultimately every photographer has a different taste but if you're starting out with home development the choices may seem a little overwhelming so I'll be breaking down the different characteristics you may look for in your developing and what I feel are the best choices for each characteristic.

General Purpose Developing
While there is always a temptation to dive right into the exotic, I have found it best to get your feet wet with a bit of boring, the idea behind a good general purpose developer is that it doesn't do anything beyond developing your film and letting you explore what your films can do first before altering it through changes in exposure and development. These developers often come in large volumes and allow for development using a stock dilution to help maximise the number of rolls you can develop in a kit. The first one in this mix is the old favourite, Kodak D-76. D-76 along with the various clones available including Flic Film Classic MQ, Ilford ID-11, FPP's Dalzell76, and many others comes in either a 1 gallon or 1 liter volume and offers up use as a reusable stock solution or you can dilute it down to 1+1 or 1+2 into a one-shot developer. In all cases, this developer will handle a good 90-95% of your development needs and can even offer up some use for push and pull development. And there is almost a development time for every B&W film available today and even in the past.

Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-200 - Ilford ID-11 (Stock) 6:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 100 @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Flic Film Classic MQ (1+1) 9:30 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei RPX 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak D-76 (Stock) 8:00 @ 20CKyocera Contax G2 - Carl Zeiss Biogon 28/2,8 T* - Rollei RPX 25 @ ASA-25 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 8:00 @ 20C

Second on my list for a good general purpose developer is Ilford Ilfosol 3, despite the drawbacks this is an excellent choice when starting with home developing. The developer comes in a liquid concentrate that is easy to work with and takes little effort to pour and mix. You only have two dilution options 1+9 and 1+14 that will both produce similar results it all depends on how many rolls of film you have to develop. Ilfosol 3 can only be used as a one-shot developer and it oxidises far quicker than other liquid developers. That means that you will want to shoot all your film and then run through to bottle as quickly as possible. Alternatively you can use canned air to help displace any oxygen or use glass marbles to keep the volume up. You also have a tonne of options for developing film with most modern film stocks having a listed time.

Nikon FG - Nikon Series E 50mm 1:1.8 - Ilford Pan F+ @ ASA-50 - Ilford Ilfosol 3 (1+14) 4:30 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei RPX 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfosol 3 (1+9) 5:00 @ 20CPentax 645 - SMC Pentax A 645 35mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfosol 3 (1+14) 2:50 @ 28CKyocera Contax G2 - Carl Zeiss Planar 2/45 T* - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Ilford Ilfosol 3 (1+14) 7:30 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - JCH Streetpan 400 @ ASA-400 - Ilford Ilfosol 3 (1+3) 5:00 @ 20C

And the third choice I have for general purpose developing is Adox FX-39 II, I first discovered this developer several years ago and it quickly became a fast favourite. This is another liquid concentrate that has only two dilutions available and is easily mixed into a one-shot working solution and in both cases they produce similar results so it all depends on how economical you want to be with your bottle. It also has a longer shelf life than Ilfosol 3, I've had one bottle go for a year and still was running strong by the time I drained the concentrate. The one thing that FX-39 II has that the previous two do not is a set of universal times for films exposed at box speed if there isn't a listed time. But don't worry, there is a lot of listed times available for the developer.

Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-80 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:30 @ 20CMinolta Dynax 600si Classic - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Agfa Silvertone @ ASA-400 - Adox FX-39II (1+9) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 85mm 1:1.8D - Ilford Delta 100 @ ASA-100 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 7:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 9:30 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow @ ASA-400 - Adox FX-39 II (1+9) 10:30 @ 20C

Sharpness
Sharpness is both overrated and highly valued in the photography field, it's a bit of a buzz word. That being said there are several excellent options out there to help improve your film's sharpness. While sharpness can holistically mean a combination of edge sharpness and tonal contrast, these developers are used strictly to increase the edge sharpness of your images. The downside is that it will also increase the visible grain. The number one choice from anyone in this field is Rodinal, these days you can get it under several different names, Adox carries the copyright for the Rodinal name but in Canada we have the best clone, Blazinal. Rodinal can be used one of two ways, the first as a standard developer using either a 1+25 and 1+50 dilution for one-shot or you can stand-develop the film in a 1+100 or 1+200 dilution for either 1 hour or 2 hours respectively. While many people would avoid using Rodinal with faster films, I find that it does work well with both slow films that are already sharp, mid-speed films in the same vein and even faster films.

Hasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-200 - Blazinal (1+25) 7:00 @ 20CNikon F90 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Bergger Pancro 400 @ ASA-800 - Blazinal (1+25) 13:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Distagon 50mm 1:4 - Rollei RPX 25 @ ASA-25 - Blazinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - CatLABS X Film 320 Pro @ ASA-320 - Adox Rodinal (1+25) 9:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 45mm 1:2.8 N - Ilford Ortho Plus @ ASA-80 - Blazinal (1+50) 15:00 @ 20C

Next on my list for increasing the edge sharpness of your film is Ilford Perceptol. While not necessarily a sharp developer, it does an excellent job in increasing sharpness while keeping visible grain under control. Perceptol is mixed from powder into a stock solution which you can use as a reusable developer (4 rolls per liter) or as a one-shot diluted either 1+1 or 1+3. It isn't the most economical developer either way as it is only available in a 1 liter kit. This is also the developer that does wonders with almost every film that you develop with it, the one thing you will notice in some cases is that you will have a bit of speed loss with faster films.

Pentax K1000 - SMC Pentax 55mm 1:2 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 18:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 (400TX) @ ASA-320 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 12:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm 1:1.4 - Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 @ ASA-80 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 13:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Pentax 645 - SMC Pentax A 645 35mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 100 @ ASA-50 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 13:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei RPX 25 @ ASA-25 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

On the rarer end of the spectrum there's SPUR HRX. SPUR is known for producing developers designed for increased sharpness and resolution and HRX certainly fits the bill. I mean there name is short for Speed Photography, Ultra Resolution and HRX is for High-Resolution X. Now the one thing that might turn people off of HRX other than sourcing the chemisty is that it's a two-part developer with a single dilution. So there's a bit of math involved by dividing the amount of concentrate in two. And HRX will hand down some amazingly sharp images but on faster films there is a speed loss and an uptick in visible grain.

New Mamiya 6 - Mamiya G 1:3.5 f=75mm L - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-250 - SPUR HRX (1+17) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Canon EOS Elan IIe - Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 - Oriental Seagull 400 @ ASA-400 - SPUR HRX (1+13) 12:30 (Constant Rotation)Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - SPUR HRX (1+20) 11:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - FPP Frankenstein 200 @ ASA-125 - SPUR HRX (1+17) 7:45 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa - Zeiss Opton Sonnar 1:1,5 f=50mm - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-100 - SPUR HRX (1+20) 9:30 @ 20C

Fine-Grain
On the opposite end of the spectrum there's fine-grain developers. These are ones that are designed to reduce the amount of visible grain. Now in the past this has often resulted in a loss of edge sharpness but most modern developers are a balance of retaining sharpness while reducing the amount of visible grain. Number one on my list is Ilford Microphen. Microphen, a cousin to Perceptol does an excellent job with reducing grain while maintaining decent edge sharpness and controlling contrast. It can be used as both a stock reusable solution (up to 10 rolls) or as a one-shot developer in either a 1+1 or 1+3 dilution. This works incredible well in the stock dilution in cutting down grain on some of the worst offenders like Fomapan 400, Fomapan 200, and ORWO N74.

Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei Retro 80s @ ASA-80 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 9:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI-S Nikkor 105mm 1:2.5 - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Microphen (1+1) 9:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Ilford Ortho Plus @ ASA-80 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 9:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Lomography Berlin 400 @ ASA-400 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 7:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Microphen (1+1) 9:00 @ 20C

Second is the obvious choice, Kodak Xtol. This is the second fine-grain developer released by Kodak and was the final developer to come out of Kodak. You can also find it in several clones including Adox XT-3 and Bellini Foto Eco Developer plus several others. If you do a high-volume of developing then Xtol and XT-3 come in 5 liter volumes. The one thing that stands out for Xtol is that not only does it cut down on the visible grain, it also helps retains some level of edge sharpness. Now recently there were some concerns over the quality of the Xtol developer coming out of Sino Promise, but now that manufacturing has switched back to a US based company there doesn't seem to be the same problem. In all cases you can use the developer in stock form as a reusable developer or dilute it to one-shot in either 1+1 or 1+2 dilutions with only slight changes to how the developer acts.

Nikon FM - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Fomapan 200 @ ASA-200 - Adox XT-3 (Stock) 6:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - FPP Mr. Brown @ ASA-6 - Kodak Xtol (stock) 10:30 @ 20CPentax 645 - SMC Pentax A 645 75mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X Pan (TXP) @ ASA-1250 - Kodak Xtol (Stock) 12:00 @ 20CHasselblad - 500c - Carl Zeiss Distagon 50mm 1:4 - Fuji Acros 100 @ ASA-100 - Kodak Xtol (stock) 8:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-1600 - Bellini EcoFilm (Stock) 11:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The final choice is an interesting one as it is the developer that Xtol replaced, Kodak Microdol-X. Today you cannot find Microdol-X new, but if you come across a sealed pouch of the stuff then it should still be good! Rather LegacyPro makes a perfect clone of Microdol-X called Mic-X. This can be used three different ways, first is in the stock form where it is a perfect fine-grain developer and reusable but at the cost of reducing some of that edge sharpness. Second in a 1+3 one-shot dilution it does increase edge sharpness and in the third form a 1+1 one-shot dilution it is a balance of both. But even in the stock form with a modern sharp film, you don't see much reduction.

Pacemaker Crown Graphic - Schneider-Krueznack Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 - Kodak Plus-X Pan @ ASA-125 - Kodak Microdol-X (Stock) 8:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - LegacyPro Mic-X (1+1) 9:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Minolta Dynax 600si Classic - Minolta Maxxum AF 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-25 - LegacyPro Mic-X (1+3) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Canon EOS 3000 - Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 - Arista EDU.Ultra 200 @ ASA-200 - LegacyPro Mic-X (1+1) 8:30 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 (Yellow 8) - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - LegacyPro Mic-X (Stock) 9:15 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

Compensating Developers
A compensating developer is such a loaded term which is why I'm putting it in the final spot for this entry. The main reason is that I have already talked about a tonne of different developers that can be considered compensating. Ones like Xtol and Microphen all are in this category. These are developers that will help cut down some of the negative impacts of both push and pull development which compensate for over and under exposure. They also work well with expired films and help reduce grain and cut down on overly contrasty scenes or films. At the top of my list for compensating developers in Diafine. Now Diafine can be hard to acquire today, but there are similar developers being produced, I do believe that Bellini Foto has one and Flic Film has teased at something similar. Diafine is a two-bath developer, meaning you develop the film once in Part A then develop the film a second time in Part B. There is also a standard set of times that if you expose the film at an ideal speed you can develop multiple rolls at multiple speeds at the same time. And the best part is that I've seen good results no matter what film I've used with Diafine. And if you do get your hands on the stuff it tends to last forever.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 24mm 1:2.8 - Eastman Double-X 5222 @ ASA-1600 - Diafine (Stock) 4:00 + 4:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D - FPP XRay Film @ ASA-400 - Diafine (Stock) 5:00 + 5:00 @ 20CKonica-Minolta Maxxum 70 - Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm 1:1.7- Arista EDU.Ultra 100 @ ASA-200 - Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20CNikon FE2 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-250 - Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20CMinolta Dynax 600si Classic - Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm 1:1.4 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-800 - Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C

Second on my list might raise some eyebrows but it's Kodak HC-110 along with the various clones including Ilfotec HC and LegacyPro L110. The one thing I like about HC-110 is that you can adjust how the developer can adjust to either help increase contrast or decrease contrast and even get into compensating territory. Now if you're running the stronger dilutions like A (1+15) and B (1+31) it acts more like a general purpose developer. But once you get into more dilute mixes like E (1+47), F (1+79), G (1+119) H (1+63), and even a special 1+90 with a fixed 18 minute time that will develop most B&W films when exposed at box speed. Now many people will turn there nose up at HC-110 these days because of the change of how the developer handles, it works well in Ilfotec HC that behaves similar to the original HC-110.

Minolta XE-7 - Minolta MD W.Rokkor-X 28mm 1:2.8 - Svema FN64 @ ASA-64 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 16:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Konica-Minolta Zoom AF 17-35mm 1:2.8-4 D - Lomography Potsdam 100 @ ASA-100 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 7:30 @ 20C>Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - JCH Streetpan 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. F 12:30 @ 20CKyocera Contax G2 - Carl Zeiss Biogon 2.8/28 T* - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 4:30 @ 20CKyocera Contax G2 - Carl Zeiss Biogon 2,8/28 T* - Eastman 5363 @ ASA-25 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. G 22:00 @ 20C

And finally there is Zone Imaging 510-Pyro, this is one of my favourite developers to use when I want a good balance between edge-sharpness and fine-grain. Now Pyro developers are not for everyone as there is a lot of extras needed to get the best out of the developer and your negatives. But between all the available pyro developers, 510-Pyro is the easiest to handle. It has only one concentrate and is mixed 90% of the time at a 1+100 dilution. It is thicker than other pyro developers but does have an incredibly long shelf-life. Honestly, I have yet to find a film stock that 510-Pyro doesn't like.

Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - CatLABS X Film 320 Pro @ ASA-320 - Zone Imaging 510-Pyro (1+100) 12:15 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-80 - Zone Imaging 510-Pyro (1+100) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE2 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (B+W 092) - FPP BW Infrared @ ASA-200 - Zone Imaging 510-Pyro (1+100) 7:00 @ 20CMinolta Dynax 600si Classic - Minolta Zoom AF 28-80mm 1:4-5.6 - Derev Pan 400 @ ASA-320 - Zone Imaging 510-Pyro (1+100) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)Rolleicord Vb (Type-2) - Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:3.5/75 - Kosmo Foto Mono 100 @ ASA-100 - Zone Imaging 510-Pyro (1+100) 7:00 @ 20C

Like anything related to photography it all comes down to personal taste. The best thing you can do is to get together a good collection of developers that will suit not only the film stocks you regularly use but also how you want your images to look. There is some wisdom in picking a single developer and film stock, I'm more one who has a set list of films to use for any situation and then picking the right combination. Now this comes from developing my B&W film at home and fine tuning my process, so it will be worthwhile to keep detailed notes so that you know what you like and what you dislike. You can check out all my past developer reviews to help get you started on your development journey.

#musings #adoxchs100ii #adoxfx39ii #adoxrodinal #adoxxt3 #agfasilvertone #antwerp #aristaeduultra100 #aristaeduultra200 #arras #bwdevelopers #bwphotography #belgium #belliniecofilm #berggerpancro400 #blazinal #bobcaygeon #burlington #cambridge #canada #canoneos3000 #canoneoselaniie #catlabsxfilm320pro #centrewellington #chemistry #derevpan400 #developing #diafine #districtofcolumbia #dundas #eastman5363 #eastmandoublex5222 #fergus #flicfilmclassicmq #fomapan100 #fomapan200 #fppbwinfrared #fppfrankenstein200 #fppmrbrown #fppxrayfilm #france #fujifilmneopanacros100 #galt #georgetown #guelph #haltonhills #hamilton #harborsprings #hasselblad500c #homedevelopment #ilforddelta100 #ilforddelta400 #ilfordfp4 #ilfordhp5 #ilfordilfosol3 #ilfordmicrophen #ilfordortho #ilfordpanf #ilfordperceptol #jchstreetpan400 #jerseycity #kawarthalakes #kodakd76 #kodakhc110 #kodakmicrodolx #kodakplusxpan #kodaktmax400 #kodaktrix400 #kodaktrixpan #kodakxtol #kosmofotoagentshadow #kosmofotomono100 #kyoceracontaxg2 #legacypromicx #lindsay #lomographyberlin400 #lomographypotsdam100 #london #mamiyam645 #michigan #milton #minoltadynax600siclassic #minoltamaxxum70 #minoltamaxxum9 #minoltaxe7 #montreal #moosejaw #newjersey #newmamiya6 #nikonf5 #nikonf90 #nikonfe #nikonfe2 #nikonfg #nikonfm #oakville #oldfort #ontario #orientalseagull400 #ottawa #pacemakercrowngraphic #pentax645 #pentaxk1000 #quebec #rockton #rolleiretro80s #rolleirpx100 #rolleirpx25 #rolleirpx400 #rolleicordvb #rolleiflex28f #sandwich #saskatchewan #shakespeare #spurhrx #stratford #strathroy #svemafn64 #toronto #unitedstates #washingtondc #zeissikoncontaxiiia #zoneimaging510pyro

Special Sauce or Spezial Sauce? Digging into Compard R09 Spezial, a special developer with an interesting story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qKB6aFsNh0

#filmphotography #photography #homedevelopment #believeinfilm #shootfilmbenice #youtube #chemistry

Palm trees and sunbeams #photography #blackandwhitephotography #filmphotography #homedevelopment

Cold dark days are here, it might be the right time to try Diafine!

http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/2023/12/27/developer-review-blog-no-48-diafine/

#filmphotography #homedevelopment #diafine #believeinfilm #shootfilmbenice

Diafine, universal developer or magic juice? Quick answer: it’s both, but it’s not for everyone!

https://youtu.be/PTwef5XMRNY

#filmphotography #homedevelopment #diafine #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Film Development – Picking A Black & White Developer

Despite being far more niche these days, film photography still hangs on. And while there are plenty of options out there for getting your films lab developed and colour film developed, both C-41 and E-6 is fairly uniform no matter what chemical you buy. Except for E-6, Cinestill has a unique E-6 kit, but that's a whole other thing. When it comes to Black & White, there is a tonne of options available to you for development. It can seem a bit overwhelming at times. But I have spent close to a decade developing my own Black & White at home and have tried a pile (but not all) of developers out there. If you're getting started with home development, hopefully, I can guide you through some options to help make your life easy and give you some information and background for picking a developer to suit your needs.

The GP Developers
If you only have room in your chemistry set for three developers, these four are the ones that will deliver and be able to develop any B&W film in any given situation. While they won't be the best for any push or pull development, HC-110/Ilfotec HC can work in a pinch. But for your general-purpose development or getting used to the process, these are the best ones to start with.

Kodak D-76/Ilford ID-11
When it comes to a developer that will give you a strong base and economical, Kodak D-76 or Ilford ID-11, this is a developer that will do it all, developing both B&W films and B&W Papers. It is also an economic developer as you can mix it up from powder and then develop right off the bat from this stock solution. One gallon will develop x rolls of film, which runs out to a cost of x per roll. But you can also dilute it down to a 1+1 or 1+2, but then it becomes one-shot (use once and dispose of). D-76 will develop both traditional and t-grained film without issue. It also shows off what a film can do; it doesn't add or subtract sharpness or grain, and there is no real change to the contrast. While D-76 is only available in 1-gallon sizes, ID-11 you can get in 1-litre quantities and larger. Plus, you can also easily mix up your own D-76. There is also a tonne of clones of this developer formula out there.

Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak D-76 (Stock) 7:30 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II @ ASA-100 - Kodak D-76 (Stock) 7:15 @ 20C[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/50162309476/ "FRB No. 64 - Film Washi "D" - Roll No. 1 (Kodak D-76)")Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D (Yellow-15) - FilmWashi Type D @ ASA-500 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 8:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Eastman Double-X @ ASA-250 - Kodak D-76 (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

Kodak HC-110/Ilford Ilfotec HC
If you're looking for something a little more customizable and has long term shelf stability and can be adapted to adjust contrast and even act in a compensating nature, then Kodak HC-110 or Ilford Ilfotec HC plus numerous clones is an excellent choice. This liquid concentrate developer is mixed with water to make up a working solution and mixed into various assorted dilutions. Under Kodak, these are often designated by letters such as Dilution A or Dilution B, but these are also in number form, so Dilution B is 1+31 and Dilution H is 1+63. And the best part is that there are tonnes of clones out there. I've found that you can control the film's contrast by making your HC-110 either stronger or weaker and help either increase or decrease any inherent contrast in the film. You can also use the more dilute versions to compensate to preserve highlight and shadow detail. Plus, with a highly dilute (1+150), do a semi-stand development with B&W films.

Minolta XE-7 - Minolta MD W.Rokkor-X 28mm 1:2.8 - Svema FN64 @ ASA-64 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 16:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Lomography Potsdam 100 @ ASA-100 - Kodak HC-110 Dil. E 6:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+79) 12:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-250 - Ilford Ilfotec HC (1+39) 9:00 @ 22C

Rodinal
Rodinal is the oldest commercial developer out there; it is bulletproof, lasts a long time and can be customized to suit your needs. While it isn't known to produce the finest grain, it certainly will deliver sharpness and solid contrast reproduction. Great for films that already have a fine grain structure. Generally, you will mix it in two different dilutions, 1+25 or 1+50. However, I recall one photographer mentioning that he would never mix Rodinal to 1+25. At 1+25, you will see more contrast and can be used to bump up the contrast on a low contrast film or day, and 1+50 will even things out rather nicely. You can also do several types of stand development, 1+100 or an hour or 1+200 for two hours. In both these cases, the developer will give a lovely compensation and will essentially develop any film shot at any speed. While limited to push/pull applications, you can probably manage a +/- one-stop. And the stuff lasts forever; even if you find a sealed bottle of the original Agfa stuff, it will still work. These days you can find the Rodinal name used by Adox, or here in Canada, we have Blazinal.

Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 45mm 1:2.8 N - CatLABS X Film 80 @ ASA-80 - Blazinal (1+25) 6:30 @ 20CMinolta XE-7 - Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm 1:2 (Yellow-12) - Adox CHS 100 II @ ASA-100 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 12:30 @ 20CNikon FM - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 - Blazinal (1+100) 1:00:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Verichrome Pan @ ASA-125 - Agfa Rodinal (1+200) 2:00:00 @ 20C

Kodak TMax Developer/Ilford Ilfotec DD-X
I almost considered putting TMax Developer and DD-X into the Speciality category. Still, I quickly realized that many people only use this developer style, and it does make for a good GP developer! While not a direct analogue, they are both designed to get the most out of modern TMax and Delta films or any modern emulsion. But they work well on other films; while they are not as economical as D-76, Rodinal, or HC-110, you can reuse a 1+4 dilution mixture at least for a few rolls of films. They also have compensating qualities that help with push processing or challenging films. Most of the time, you're working with a 1+4 or 1+9 dilution. While I don't use them every day, I know many people who do and have never been disappointed with the results.

Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak TMax Developer (1+4) 8:00 @ 20CModified Anniversary Speed Graphic - Schneider-Kreuznack Angulon 1:6,8/90 - Kodak Tri-X Pan (320TXP) - Kodak Tmax Developer (1+4) 8:00 @ 20COlympus OM-2n - Olympus G.Zuiko Auto-S 1:1,4 f=50mm - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - Ilford Ilfotec DD-X (1+4) 8:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-200 - Ilford Ilfotec DD-X (1+4) 6:00 @ 20C

Speciality Developers
Once you start getting into over and underexposure of your films, most general-purpose developers will be less than ideal for the push and pull processing needed. I say that lightly as I've had excellent luck with push processing in TMax Developer/DD-X and highly-dilute mixtures of HC-110. But the developers below are ones that I know do an excellent job in reducing the effects of the modifications and pushing and pulling in development.

Kodak XTOL
While many people use XTOL for high-volume development personally, I find it excellent for helping to tame the grain and contrast when you under-expose film (shooting it at a higher speed) and then push processing. Not only that, it is the newest developer to come out of Kodak. It also is slightly more environmentally friendly than traditional developers. And XTOL does what it claims to do; it lessens grain without reducing sharpness and also middles out the film's contrast. It also does a fantastic job when over-exposing and pulling the film in development. The one downside is that you can only get XTOL in volumes of five litres minimum. Kodak had released a one-litre kit, but it proved unstable.

Intrepid - Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 - Kodak TMax 100 @ ASA-32 - Kodak Xtol (1+1) 8:00 @ 20CHasselblad - 500c - Carl Zeiss Distagon 50mm 1:4 - Fuji Acros 100 @ ASA-100 - Kodak Xtol (stock) 8:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G - Rollei RPX 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak Xtol (1+1) 12:00 @ 20CNikon F2 Photomic - AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 - Holga 400 @ ASA-400 - Kodak Xtol (1+1) 9:30 @ 20C

Ilford Microphen
Probably my hands down favourite developer when push developing films. But it is best used when you under-exposure and push process films. While you can shoot films at box speed, I do find it doesn't work as well, often reducing contrast and softening the images. But working in the ideal conditions or one or two stops under the developer will even out the contrast, tame the grain and keep the film's inherent sharpness. I find it works best with traditional films (FP4+, HP5+) over T-Grain films. The best part is that it comes in one-litre kits and can develop ten rolls per litre with minimal adjustment in times.

Nikon FM - AI-S Nikkor 105mm 1:2.5 - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Microphen (1+1) 9:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm - Lomography Berlin 400 @ ASA-400 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 7:00 @ 20CNikon F5 - AF DC-Nikkor 105mm 1:2D - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 12:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-800 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 11:00 @ 20C

Ilford Perceptol
While Microphen handles under-exposure, Perceptol is excellent at over-exposure and pull development. Again you can shoot your film at box speed and develop normally, but it works the best with slight overexposure (shooting film slower than box speed). It does help bump up the contrast slightly and then increase the grain slightly, if only to improve edge sharpness. At the same time, it doesn't spend a lot of time in my chemistry cabinet. The downside is that a one-litre kit will only handle four rolls of film at the stock solution, and it is fairly expensive for the volume of chemistry.

Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 35mm 1:3.5 N (Green-1) - Ilford Ortho 80 @ ASA-80 - Ilford Perceptol (Stock) 13:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 100 @ ASA-100 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 17:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm 1:1.7 - Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II @ ASA-80 - Ilford Perceptol (Stock) 12:30 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 (400TX) @ ASA-320 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 12:00

Specalized Developers
These developers go above and beyond your standard push/pull developers and, in some cases, even alter the films themselves. These are great for high levels of compensation or working with old and expired film stocks, or doing fine-art processes.

FA-1027/Clayton F76+
Known among many film labs as the magic juice, FA-1072, also known as F76+, is an excellent liquid developer that handles most films. But it is designed to work best with Ilford HP5+, and you know they are right! At the strongest mixture 1+9, you can develop several rolls before the working solution is exhausted, and even when the concentrated developer has turned rather yellow, it still works like a charm. Plus, you can also make the working solution more dilute to stretch out the concentrate. And since the developer contains an anti-fogging agent, it will work on expired film and reduce base fog.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CGraflex Crown Graphic - Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+14) 9:00 @ 20CHasselblad 503cx - Carl Zeiss Distagon 50mm 1:4 T* - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - FA-1027 (1+14) 9:00 @ 20CHasselblad 500c - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei RPX 100 @ ASA-100 - FA-1027 (1+14) 9:30 @ 20C

Pyrocat-HD
If you have ever shot large format, then there is a strong possibility that the words pyro developer has crossed your mind or at least your attention. While Rodinal is an old developer, the base developing agent in Pyro developers is older. While there are many flavours of Pyro developers out there, I've only had the chance to use two, the old PMK Pyro and Pyrocat-HD. Pyrocat-HD is a less toxic (but still very toxic when compared to D-76) version of PMK Pyro with shorter development times and better staining action. The developer is credited to Sandy King. This is the ultimate in compensating developers, but it also leaves a stain on your negatives, which helps with printing. It comes in two parts, mixed generally at a 1+1+100 dilution, so highly dilute. This is one of the few developers that you don't want to use a chemical stop bath, and for best results, use the Photographer's Formulary TF-4 fixer for better stain retention. If you use film that doesn't have built-in emulsion hardening, give a quick 3-4 minute in a hardening fixer.

Pacemaker Crown Graphic - Schnider-Kreuznack Angulon 1:6,8/90 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-200 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 9:00 @ 20CContax G2 - Carl Zeiss Planar 2/45 T* - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-200 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 9:00 @ 20CPacemaker Crown Graphic - Fuji Fujinon-W 1:5.6/125 - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-64 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 8:00 @ 20CKyocera Contax 645 AF - Carl Zeiss Distagon 45/2,8 T* - Kosmo Mono 100 @ ASA-100 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 12:00

Rollei Low-Contrast Developer (RLC)
Rollei Low-Contrast Developer or RLC is perhaps the most specialized developer I include in today's post. That is because RLC follows in the footsteps of several other developers designed for use with technical films. Designed to reduce contrast and provide the best results in films designed to incredibly high-resolution and fine detail, it is one of the developers you can use to develop that cold-stored Kodak Technical Pan and Agfa Copex when you don't have any Technidol or Formulary TD-3 on hand. It can also work well on regular films with a speed reduction. Sadly the bottle only has enough concentrate for four rolls of 35mm film, and it is a bit on the expensive side.

Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II @ ASA-40 - Rollei RLC (1+4) 14:00 @ 20COlympus OM-2n - Olympus G.Zuiko Auto-W 1:3.5 f=28mm - Rollei Ortho 25 @ ASA-25 - Rollei Low Contrast (1+4) 8:00 @ 20CRolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Rollei Retro 400s @ ASA-200 - Rollei RLC (1+4) 9:00 @ 20CMamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 35mm 1:3.5 N - Kodak Technical Pan @ ASA-32 - Rollei RLC (1+4) 6:00 @ 20C

Now, this is only a starting point; there are tonnes of other options out there for your personal black & white development. I haven't even scratched the surface of all the wonderful developers being produced by Adox, and then there's motion picture developers, two-bath, monobath. It is a big wide world of chemistry out there today! But if this helps you get a decent set of chemistry for (almost) everything you want to do with your development, then I'm happy.

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