Black & White Film Developer Buying Guide
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
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*UPDATE*
It seems that I was off a bit in my assessment of Perceptol. See pinned comment in the comments below.
In this video, we review twelve of the most popular black and white film developers, compare them side by side, and hopefully help you come away with some idea of which solution is going to work best for your needs.
Big huge ginormous thanks to KEH.com for sponsoring this video. Check them out, and when you buy stuff, use the code "DENAE&ANDREW" for 5% off stuff. keh.com
For those who want to study the the contact sheets of film, comparing the different developers, you can download them here: www.dropbox.com/sh/2jaqkc3mbs...
📷 CHEMICALS DISCUSSED IN THIS VIDEO
Kodak HC-110: geni.us/BK1CP
Kodak D-76: geni.us/hgJn
Kodak T-Max: geni.us/tcIi1s
Kodak XTOL: geni.us/TiBm
Ilford Ilfosol HC: geni.us/qdDLqkL
Ilford Ilfosol 3: geni.us/wJx7D7
Ilford Ilfotec DDX: geni.us/uLJp6
Ilford Microphen: geni.us/sQgXRR
Ilford Perceptol: geni.us/5nB0
Cinestill Df96: geni.us/ZPnO
Ilford Rapid Fixer: geni.us/Ner7
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Great informative video. I use microphen and perceptol. I think you made a little mistake about perceptol. It’s designed for slow to medium speed film. You lose some speed of the film you use in turn for extremely fine grain negative. So normally you rate the film half of what it is to get the full range of tones. It’s good for pulling say hp5. Microphen is great for pushing film like you stated.
Really enjoy your videos. This must of been a very time consuming process. Great work 👍🏾
Thanks for that correction. I've pinned this comment to help others be more aware and added to description.
Denae & Andrew no worries. These videos are very helpful for the film community. Keep up the great work guys👍🏾
I’m looking for to you xpan alternative video
I really wish this video had timestamps. Here goes nothing, adding some:
04:58 Rodinal (R09)
06:48 Kodak HC-110
08:19 Ilford Ilfotec HC
09:33 Kodak TMAX
11:02 Ilford Ilfotec DD-X
12:15 Ilford Ilfosol 3
13:13 Ilford Perceptol
13:38 Kodak D76
14:42 Ilford ID-11
15:08 Kodak XTOL
16:55 Ilford Microphen
17:34 Cinestill DF96
People like you make CZcams run
Started in 73 with Ilford PlusX and Rodinal. I was studying photography at the time and went through libraries of photographic books. In the B/W category , I noticed an interesting thing in common with just about all the B/W pics , namely that virtually all of them were shot with Kodak Pan F or Tri X and developed in D76 . I tried it and the very first roll I developed and printed , I got great detail in both highlights and shadows . the Ilford/Rodinal combination resulted in chalky highs and muddy lows . After a bit of experimenting and with the very valuable help of my photoschool teacher , I finally got amazing pics with Tri X rated at 200 and D76 diluted ! plus 3 . Not a trace of grain on 16X20 prints and for portrait shots , I printed on Kodak Ektalure . What a Combination . Completely unbeatable ! Sadly , Ektalure seems to no longer exist. Incidentally , this was on 35mm film , using my Pentax Spotmatic which is still in use today and is used often !
Rodinol, stand development. Accutance is what we crave. Grain is gorgeous. *drops mic*
You put a lot of effort and dedication into that test.
My experience of developers is like that: The differences between developers are more subtle in reality than most people think.
Shadow detail is determined by exposure - highlights by the developer/time.
There is no magic bullett developer, you get something, you give something.
Stick to 1-2 Films and 1-2 Developer and learn their characteristics - thats all you need. Cheers!
These film guides are amazingly useful! I spent hours with them already, great work!
Thank y’all for continuing to put out invaluable content like this.
Thanks a lot for this video! Never had a more condensed sharp explanation comparing the strengths and weaknesses of developers.
Wonderful content here. Thank you to KEH as well for sponsoring you here.
I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to produce such an informative video. ✌
Dude y’all are continually putting out good work! Thank you for what you do, these film guides and comparisons are absolutely amazing, and the heart behind it is evident!
Thanks man!
Excellent! Really glad I found your great videos some months ago. Keep them coming.
I sure appreciate all that went into making this video and impetus behind it. Thank you! Been shooting film for a couple years now and when I first started I tried so many different Chems. I shoot medium format and, as of now, my go to chems are Rodinal and Xtol. Maily use the rodinal for semi-stand and Xtol for normal developing. Been loving the results. I think it is important to note that sticking with one film and developer for a while is a very good thing to do. Really helped me to nail my exposure and development process. To paraphrase what you mentioned in your video. The same film and developer combo can produce myriad results based on time, temperature, agitation, chem ratio, etc. Man, I love film! Thanks again
Thanks for the in depth. I’ve just gotten back into film photography and development and your channel has got my attention. Great info.
Your videos are great -- really helpful contributions to the vast body of information on film photography. I really appreciate the systematic and thorough approach you take.
Thank you for all the effort and time that it takes to make these guides. The duel exploration of the art and science of photography is what draws me to the pursuit. Seriously, thank you again.
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching
Hey. Thanks a lot for this video. Exactly what i was looking for and couldn't find elsewhere. I already tried c41 processing but thanks to you, i'm going into rodinal :D
When putting the cap back on the developer bottle, squeeze the bottle while screwing the cap on. Air will shorten the life of the developer. Some bottles of developer when they leave the factory already have the bottle squeezed to remove air from the bottle and have it in a bit of a vacuum.
@Randy, Being a wine guy, we have vacuum pumps for wine bottles. Have you heard of anyone using things like that to preserve chemicals?
@@kyledoss3782 Can't say that I have, but it sounds like those would work.
Your video was a great help. I'm an old Rodinal user, since 1966, and thanks to you, I don't see any reason to change. Thanks a bunch.
Well, I just learned a number of things I didn't know. Thank you!
Nice! A small return on the knowledge I've gained from you through the years. :)
Hi David. I also asked Andrew the same question above but would like to get your opinion as well. I know you're not a huge fan of stand development, but do you have any perspectives on whether any of these developers is better suited for stand development (actually semi-stand to avoid bromide drag)
@@BriteTap Rodinal is the only one of these that I've tried for stand developing. Last night I was developing a bunch of film (some of the 4X5 in stand solution,) and looked at my developers. I was wondering if RPX-D (Spur PXD), Ilfosol 3, Silvermax Developer, and Adotech IV could be used for stand as their typical concentrations are in the same ballpark as Rodinal's. So I'll probably take some text rolls and experiment with different concentrations of those developers to see if they work for stand development. RPX-D is the one I'm most curious about for stand developing.
@@DavidHancock Thanks much David. If you try a few developers, please post the results. I'm a subscriber and will see the posting. I may also play around with several developers.
@@BriteTap I definitely will. I'm going to shoot the test rolls this weekend.
Again, the work you put in those videos are amazing!
Worth noting: the cost difference you mention between Ilford Ilfotec HC and Kodak HC-110 is the other way round in the UK- and possibly elsewhere in Europe; so it's often a more affordable option here.
Very nicely done video and very informative! I have been a home developer since the early 1970's and I still learned something today. Thanks!
Excellent video, Andrew. We at KEH love your work!
Thanks Jon! We are very grateful to KEH
Keep these coming. I find myself coming back to these for refresher courses. To date I’ve used and love the Rodinal and HC110. These videos tend to have more core value than the other videos where people record themselves talking about themselves, their equipment, their trips and walking around with hokey music. In the end they offer about 2 minutes of mediocre content at best.
I think this video is great. I feel like it's a LOT to wrap your head around as well, especially if you're new to this.
I bet a chart for only everything mentioned in this video would be a HUGE help. A list of each developers specs and also a cross reference to what you get with each film per developer.
To advanced users this may seem like common sense. But, to someone who wants to confidently develop a roll of a certain film without fear of losing their one of a kind shot, memories, a loved one, etc., a chart would be greatly appreciated and invaluable!
Your knowledge is
This is such an underrated video. I've watched it a few times as its guiding my decisions on stock/developer combo. Thanks for this 🙌
You again!
I landed on another of your videos randomly.
It's a sign!
SUBSCRIBED.
This video is so damn important. This is the only video I've ever seen that catalogs this many films ISOs and types with this many developers. I can actually match delta 3200 with Ilford Perceptol (for example) thanks to this video. Stellar. Thanks!
Awesome video! I watched three times and as I am getting more into home development I am getting more out of it. Thanks guys!
Excellent information - thanks for all the hard work - I know this couldn't have been easy! I have settled on HC-110 mainly because I do not have the time to test all kinds of developers for various situations/film types. I know it gives good results, and hey! Ansel Adams preferred it, so it can't be bad! Cheers!
Wow, excellent comparative!!! A lot of things are really new for me. Thank you for share this information!!!
Thank you for all the great information, I know these videos take so much effort to produce.
Thanks Joseph. They do, but I enjoy it. :)
Second time I have watched this video - first when I was just starting out and now again today. Great information so thanks for your efforts. A tip to make containers airtight for storing liquids and maximising shelf life is to use concertina bottles to expel the air and run a bit of plumbers teflon tape around the top so the cap remains airtight. I also store my chemicals in the refrigerator (much to my wife's disgust).
Like to add my thanks for the video, I am just getting back into B&W Films and I did want to start developing my films. I did do developing many years ago in college. You did an excellent job making life in selecting a developer much easier.
I came to your channel as purely a Fujifilm digital shooter. I stuck around for your film content. So now... Well funnily enough, my first bottle of developer (DD-X) arrived in the post yesterday. Thanks for the inspiration!
Fujifilm digital... irony 😄😄
I'm a neophyte to home developing and appreciate your breakdown. It's certainly given me good direction. Thank you for the strong work.
Suggestions? You could always go into greater detail with a specific film and developer. It would create more channel content.
Excellent recap of the B&W developer space, well presented. Thanks!
Great content! It took me years to know some of the things you said. Its a great way to enter bw photography knowing these basics.
I have been wanting to get into B&W developing but was confused by the hundreds of developers to choose from. This video is great and answers all my questions.
THanks for taking the time to make this reference.
Sweet video. I shot 35mm black and white, took a break and have been shooting digitally and now am going back to film, this time on a medium format camera. ACROS was one of my favorite films in 35 and through doing some research I've heard that Fuji should be re-releasing the film this year, named ACROS II. I'd love to see a review on it when it comes out. I'll certainly be buying up some of it as soon as it comes out. Great channel! Long live film!
Thanks for a great job! I was searching for information about film developers and I feel I've hit the mother load. I now have a PhD in developers (twelve of them anyway), or at least now I can understand what they are talking about on the different forums, I even learned what 'acutance' means.
Thanks again and I will check out your other videos.
Really interesting content, so well done,I definitely have to watch it once again!
Great vid!I use HC-110 with most expired films because it has some fog suppressant. And the bottle of syrup seems to last forever since I only process a 2-3 rolls per month. If I need the detail with fine grain films I use Ilford DD-X. Nice to see a visual comparison of others though. I think we all appreciate your time & effort
Thank you. You have saved me and others hours if not days of research
Great presentation! Learned much; took copious notes. Very helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for the great overview. I like to pull process for increased dynamic range and find D-76 produces good results.
Thank you fo making the video, I plan to start developing my black and white film in the upcoming month. Still deciding whether I should use D76 or Kodak HC.
Great comparison video once again 🙂
How do you dispose of all those chemicals, though?
Thanks for the review! After looking through your files I liked XTOL the most.
Also noted for myself specifically for the T-Max film:
Cinestill Fd96: Good shadows, but less dynamic range
Kodak XTOL: Best dynamic range, but less sharpness
Ilfotec HC: Good DR, best sharpness, decent shadows
Kodak HC-110: Similar to Fd96, but better DR (also good for the Tri-X film for the best sharpness while maintaining decent grain)
Another great review! Soo much work you've must have put in and you should know that it is highly appreciated! My favourite developer is DD-X, but then I only use Ilford Delta 100, 400 and sometimes 3200. (I do not see any softening in either the 100, 400 or 3200) I used to use Kodak T-Max, but after testing Ilford for me there was no going back! Put simply: I am an Ilford guy! :)
Thanks Rickard. I'm really excited to try DD-X more. I was really impressed with it in my initial comparisons here.
really really great vid. I find that xtol with constant agitation brings back some of the contrast that it lacks
Your videos are really helpful. Thank you!
Thank you very much for producing these videos. They are very informative and helpful.
yw!
Amazing work you did!
I've used XTOL since it was introduced. Very happy with it for conventional and T-grained films.
Kodak Tri-x and D76 a classic and perfect combination.
Thanks for all the effort you put into this comparison. From my own experience Rodinal is good enough for "traditional" films like HP5+ or Fomapan. For "modern" films like T-Max or Delta Ilford DD-X is much better (although expensive). DD-X also pulls great.
Hi Andrew. Thanks again for this video. I started off developing TriX 400 in Adox Rodinal. Since a while I develop TriX 400 with a 1 + 1 dilution of Xtol. It gives such clean results. I will probably never go back to Rodinal. Finer grain, beautiful highlights, great sharpness, more shadow detail,... For people who love shooting TriX it is a really awesome. The only downside is the 5 liter jug. But even then it is so easy to use. No seringue. Just easy mixing. Cheers man.
love these guides, thank you
You're welcome!
Thanks so much for the run down. I'm an Xtol guy, but, when I burn through a ton, I'm open.
First I would like to say thank you so much for taking the time to do this video. Extremely helpful and well put together.
Second I want to talk about KEH and my honest experiences, so far. I've had to return 3 Mamiya 645 bodies and 1 Nikon f100 body. 3 listed at excellent (two mamiya and the one nikon) and 1 at bargain. Mamiya bodies had mirror lock up and shutter issues and metered prism wouldn't work. I fully film tested them and replaced batteries, cleaned contacts, etc. The Nikon had a rewind fork issue and would not rewind the film... at all. All these issues could have been avoided and noted if it were properly tested before selling. I'm left to believe that, no, they do not properly test their cameras. I tried calling multiple times to see what condition the bodies were actually in and they refused to give me a detailed answer. I would strongly caution anyone before buying from KEH and to try and check thier Ebay store first to see if the item is listed and try and get detailed answers. Otherwise it's really just a big gamble.
You're welcome. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've never had any issues with KEH. I would say used gear is a gamble no matter where you go. But the more data the better.
Very useful video…good examples, good commentary. Descriptive without being judgmental.👍🏽
Awesome video. Thank you so much for making!
Great video! I learned a lot. So far XTOL is my vavorite developer because I like the result and that it's more environmentally friendly.
This "Spy vs. Spy" setup reminds me of the 1970's (?) "Black and White Is Coming To America!" ad campaign when Ilford arrived on the U.S. market. The highlighted "White Spy" and Shadowed "Black Spy"-type setting featured female models, a "peaches and cream" White and "Dusky" Black in cheeky poses. Ilford claimed that FP4 could handle the 7 f/stop range easily, which created a set of stunning visuals. Eastman Kodak, caught off guard by these ads, had to hastily proclaim that this tonal range could be handled by Plus-X Pan, as well. Nevertheless, the campaign established Ilford in the U.S. market, and one didn't have to rely only on Freestyle Sales for foreign film.
Addendum: Photo Color, a 2 solution plastic bottle C-41 process began challenging Unicolor for the "home darkroom" market about this time.
On Monobaths: A photography magazine writer turned on his stopwatch to see how fast he could go from dry, unprocessed film to damp, processed, ready-to-print negatives. In "How to Process Under Pressure," this "stop the presses!" approach to film photography got across the finish line in about 5 minutes.
Thank you KEH!
That was absolutely awesome!
That’s a really helpful guide, thanks for taking so much trouble
Thank you for all the effort, that's absolutely insane! 👌 I prefer HC110 and for pushing HP5 Microphen. Your description of those too was spot on. 🙏
I thanks man. By the way, not sure if you saw it, but I gave you a shout out in my XPan alternative video a few weeks back
@@AndrewGoodCamera OH, cool! Haven't seen it yet. Thanks a lot! 🙏
late to the party but dang thank u so much
not only this video also the rest of the series!!
huge help!
keep shooting :D
Very informative. Thank you very much for explaining all the characteristics of developers in detail. #longlivefilm
Awesome!! Thank you. This is such good work.
This was incredibly informative.
bravo Andrew, that was brilliant :)
Some of the best comparative vids on CZcams for film shooters. I’ll just add one more to your list that ticks the boxes for
1. Full film speed
2. Long lasting
3. High acutance
4. Low grain
That is pyrocat Hd in glycol from photographers formulary. Very good developer that I may actually use as a standard when my other developers are gone.
I would consider Pyrocat to be more suitable for regular film shooters though, as it is quite tricky to use for beginners. Plus it's more toxic than most HQ-based developers. But definitely Pyrocat and PMK and other Pyrogallol-based developers are an interesting lot.
Great job man
This is some excellent content right here for us. Thanks so much.
You're welcome Talley! Thanks for watching.
Hey. This was superb. Thanks!
Delta 3200 is actually an ISO 1,000 film if you check out the technical datasheet. The manufacturers' dev times are great, but I have found deeper blacks and really nice shadow detail when pushing 1 stop when shooting at ISO 3200. This film with DD-X is an absolute dream combination!
just to clarify, by this do you mean you shoot at 3200 and develop at 6400?
@@katarina7520 Yep, that's exactly how I do it.
How long do you develop for?
@@professordarlenegold1871 12.5 minutes at 20 celcius. I just follow the Massive Dev Chart in most cases.
Thanks for sharing your work.
Very nice job, thanks. XTOL and Rodinal for me. I would agree with one of the comments below - my recent experience with KEH has been mixed at best. If they inspect, some of their inspectors need to be retrained.
Great video! Personally I use xtol, I do find it does have a slight yellow 'ish tinge at the end of its life. Powered developers are also super cheap to ship too! You are right, about 8 months is all I get before it expires.
Actually interested in learning how to develop IR film, it's something I'd like to try (in the future of course)
excellent as usual...bravo!
Awesome and very beneficial video. Thank you Drew
You're very welcome Ryan
I bought my mamiya rb67 from KEH - great camera and they are great in their grading
I would add Fomadon Excel which is Xtol clone and it's cheap in Europe, I think it's the best one from whole Foma's lineup. Very nice results, I use it for everything from slow to fast films, it gets me good film speed with detailed shadows and low grain. There should be also more from Adox, for example the Silvermax developer which works best with their Silvermax film (that's a little gem in itself since it's old Agfa? stock with high silver content which if remade today would be several times more expensive) delivering wide tonal range.
Xtol isn't contrasty developer itself but with films like Rollei RPX 25/Retro 80s or Fujifilm Acros (sadly discontinued already) you will get tons of contrast for your pleasure.
Thank you very much for this video!!!
Great video. Thank you!
D76 can be about 13-18 cents per roll if you use it with it's replenisher
Great video, most informative. I'll soon be getting back to shooting film, Ilford FP4 Plus, and developing in our laundry room. But I don't have a way of regulating water and developer temperature. Is there a developer you recommend that gives me some temperature latitude ? Thanks much.
Kodak D-76 and Ilford ID-11 have the exact same formula ;)
I like the Cinestill DF 96 it may not be particularly faster but it is easier and I get good Negatives. I used to use D-76 all the time. Great comparisons! I will try Rodinol.
Great video!
Thank you for this great video. Taught me a lot of things I didn't know. Personally I love the HC110, but I also have Xtol and Rodinal at hand which I also use frequently. At the moment I am experimenting with Fomadon Excel, and so far I am impressed by this one in terms of fine grain, but it seems to be a bit weak on shadow detail. I normally shoot box speed, but when pushing I use HC110.
Interesting. I'd not heard of Fomadon Excel
@@AndrewGoodCamera I'm very happy with it actually. It's is an Xtol clone and the price is not that different, but the foma one is available as 1L packages which is very convenient. On the negative side I find excel more difficult to mix.
Thanks for your video! I'm going with Kodac HC-110. Don't have to worry about "shelf life" is awesome. What fixer should I use?
amazing! thank you so much!
Everytime I watch your videos I am blown away. Huge undertaking for film, not even including the digital editing.
There are so many ways to develop, its mind blowing. Im lazy so I do Stand development with rodinal or my homemade rodinal. Xtol with anything over 400.
Is HC-110 still made anymore ? I always hated that syrup ! Mixing it is a pain.
I have always used kodak developer but I have started using Ilford.
Not only is HC110 still made, they have a new version they are releasing soon that is less syrupy.
Denae & Andrew Well that is great news ! Last time I heard about it like 5 years ago the rumor was they were ending it. I will go look for it.
I do like the liquid developers. Xtol is the only one I mix and store all developers in these:
www.freestylephoto.biz/1618202-Premier-Storage-Tank-2-Gallon