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Old 11th November 2012, 11:06 AM
DavidR DavidR is offline
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Default Choosing a film developer

I've only recently started to develop my own films and bought some Ilfosol 3 at the beginning of the year but due to the limited number of films I'm shooting I still have plenty in the bottle but from what I read regarding shelf life once opened its probably gone off now.

I want to support my local photographic shop who stocks a small range of chemicals and would appreciate some advice of which of the following might be best for me. I shoot both 120 and 35mm and am using Delta 100 and HP5.

The shop stocks Ilfosol 3, ID11 and Perceptol

I prefer fine grain results generally.

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks
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Old 11th November 2012, 11:49 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I would use ID11, it is a powder developer, but there is not a film that it cannot develop, I sometimes use D76 from kodak, which is the same developer, and I prefer to use it at stock, from which I get ten films, adding 10% to the developing time after the first film, following the Ilford data sheet, that is first film at standard time, then 10,20,30,40% up to 90%n for the last film, and the first is as good as the last. Just remember that after mixing you need to leave it to stand overnight.
Richard
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Old 11th November 2012, 12:08 PM
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photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
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I use the other method to Richard for ID11. I mix up a batch then use it at 1+1 as a single use developer. I use it till it is all gone which may take a year or so. The negs are as good at the end as the beginning.
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Old 11th November 2012, 12:31 PM
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You could ask your local shop to order some Ilford Ilfotec HC (download factsheet)?

It's an excellent all-round developer with great keeping properties. It's a thick syrup concentrate that you generally dilute 1+31.
The initial outlay may seem expensive but anything else may be false economy given your present processing circumstances.

Decantered into smaller bottles it will last an exceedingly long time!
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Old 11th November 2012, 12:42 PM
Michael S Michael S is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photomi7ch View Post
I use the other method to Richard for ID11. I mix up a batch then use it at 1+1 as a single use developer. I use it till it is all gone which may take a year or so. The negs are as good at the end as the beginning.
I do exactly the same with D76 and find it performs perfectly for a similarly long time, even when it's gone yellow through oxidisation.
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Old 11th November 2012, 12:55 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photomi7ch View Post
I use the other method to Richard for ID11. I mix up a batch then use it at 1+1 as a single use developer. I use it till it is all gone which may take a year or so. The negs are as good at the end as the beginning.
I do the same and also find it OK even if I have kept the stock for some time. I make up 1l lots and keep it in two 500-600 ml bottles (old brown Paterson bottles as they have a tight top and a plastic insert that makes pouring easy). I also give a squirt of Tetenal Protectan to a part filled bottle.
I also use it immediately after making up with no problems.
Mike
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Old 11th November 2012, 01:52 PM
paulc paulc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael S View Post
I do exactly the same with D76 and find it performs perfectly for a similarly long time, even when it's gone yellow through oxidisation.
Same again. A litre of stock used at 1+3 single shot usually lasts about three months. But I find I'm having to filter the stock after some six weeks or so due to some floaters growing - Looks like some kind of filament algae, but the brown bottles are stored in a cool dark space and the water is (usually) heated distilled H2O.

My go-to long life developer is a home mixed 510-Pyro which seems to last ten months or more.
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Old 11th November 2012, 05:41 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Once mixed both powder devs mentioned can be stored in cleaned winebags in boxes. Same with Ilfosol. It is pretty simple. In fact virtually self explanatory. It has been mentioned several times in threads. A search will give you the info.

If you are searching for very fine grain then Perceptol at stock will deliver but you lose a stop of speed so I'd rate HP5+ at 200/250.

Diluted at 1+1 you might get EI 320 with slightly less fine grain

Mike
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Old 11th November 2012, 05:52 PM
peterlg peterlg is offline
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good policy to support local suppliers.
You can get excellent results with any of the three devs. Perceptol requires up to one stop more exposure than box speed but it gives finer grain.
And with ID11 you're simply safe for all sorts of film. I used it as my only dev. for many years until I discovered Xtol.
Peter
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Old 12th November 2012, 12:42 AM
DavidH DavidH is offline
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Although I now use X-Tol most of the time because I can get it cheaper, it doesn't work any better than the excellent ID-11 that I used for many years.
The keeping properties of ID-11 always seemed very good to me, providing the stock solution bottle had little or no air in it (I used to put glass marbles in the bottle to keep the level of liquid high before I discovered Protectan) the developer was fine for months.
I only used Perceptol on odd occasions, so I can't give an opinion on its keeping properties, but it gives first class results if you don't mind the loss of speed.
I don't know about Ilfosol.

David
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