D76 developer question

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Goor - 13 Feb 2004 14:36 GMT

I have just purchased my first bag of D-76 film developer and have a few
questions about it as I have only work few times with EFKE FR16 (concentrate
developer 1:19) until now.
Film to develop is: B&W 35 mm, mostly EFKE KB (25, 50, 100, 400).
Tank is KAISER small tank for two rolls.
I have a KODAK Tech publications and got the developing times from
www.digitaltruth.com but still have some questions for the more experienced
users.
I have plastic bottles made for storage of photo chemicals (the one that
look like harmonica) the can be tightly closed.

Questions are:

There is a two way of working with it:
1. Full strength - just dilute powder in a 1 liter of water
2. Dilution 1:1 - ? - I suppose that solution you got from
"full strength" you then mix with same amount of water?
If you use 1:1 dilution then you throw away the developer after each roll or
two?

So why and when do you use full strength solution, and why or when you would
prefer 1:1 dilution?

Is there difference regarding contrast or shadow detail, or it is just
question of economic?
Which one would you suggest to someone that shot 1-2 film per 2 weeks (most
often)?

And which one is the best when you have 5 - 10 rolls of film to develop?

Do you suggest using a tap water (which is very hard here) or distilled
water?

What about using a D-76 R replenisher and why and how do you actually use
these?

Is it a problem if I use EFKE fixer instead of KODAK fixer?

To be as precise as I can:
I shoot just a small number of B&W film per month and only once or twice a
year there will be a bigger amount of 5 -10 films that can be developed two
by two (due to capacity of KAISER tank).
I would like to choose solution that will give a good contrast (just a
little above average), sharp negatives with decent shadow detail (lets stay
on D-76 for now).
I would like to have a solution that will give me a constant results that I
can modify (in a terms of contrast) with small change of developing times.
I would prefer the economical solution that will keep these economical?

It is possible that some of these "would likes" is in opposition with
others, but I will accommodate my priorities when I get decent explanations
what and why.

Thank you in advance for you answers or advice!!!

Reply to this Message

Jim MacKenzie - 13 Feb 2004 14:58 GMT

Hi Goor. You ask some very intelligent questions.

Mix D-76 per the instructions on the bag. As you suspect, if you want to
use the developer diluted 1:1, you mix equal amounts of water with
developer. If, e.g., your tank requires 300 mL of solution per roll, use
150 of water and 150 of D-76 stock solution.

Distilled water is ideal, but I use tap water with my developers and I don't
have any difficulties. The bigger worry with tap water is that it might
have suspended particles in it that can get into the emulsion and cause
marks in your prints.

Efke fixer will be just fine.

D-76 undiluted gives the finest grain it can along with nice tonality. I
find that when it's diluted, it gives slightly more grain, noticeably better
sharpness (acutance, to be precise) and is more economical and convenient.
When you use the developer undiluted, you can reuse it, but you have to
continuously extend the development time until the developer is exhausted.
With diluted developer, you use it and you discard it.

You can also use D-76 1:3. I have never done so. This maximizes sharpness
and results in more grain. Some people prefer it this way.

I think D-76 is a good developer for your sort of requirements. Those
accordian storage bottles work well enough if you squeeze the air out of
them. Buy small quantities of D-76 so that you use it up within a few
months. I wouldn't keep it more than five or six months; less is better.

Jim

Reply to this Message

Nicholas O. Lindan - 13 Feb 2004 15:30 GMT

> I have just purchased my first bag of D-76 film developer

Very good choice.

> There is a two way of working with it:
> 1. Full strength - just dilute powder in a 1 liter of water
> 2. Dilution 1:1 - ? - I suppose that solution you got from
> "full strength" you then mix with same amount of water?

Yes: 500ml D-76 full strength + 500ml water = 1 liter D-76 1:1

> If you use 1:1 dilution then you throw away the developer after each roll or
> two?

After each roll.

> So why and when do you use full strength solution, and why or when you would
> prefer 1:1 dilution?

1:1 gives:

1) Better consistency: you are always using fresh developer.

2) Economical: used full-strength developer does not keep well.

3) 'Better' image quality:
o Sharper looking image because of sharper, though more
prominent, grain
o Better shadow detail

4) Easier to bring to temperature if you use hot/cold tap water to dilute.

Full strength:

1) Finer grain through solvent action

2) Can be used in replenished systems

> Which one would you suggest to someone that shot 1-2 film per 2 weeks (most
> often)?

1:1, without a doubt.

> And which one is the best when you have 5 - 10 rolls of film to develop?

Same.

> Do you suggest using a tap water (which is very hard here) or distilled
> water?

Distilled water will always give more consistent results. D-76 is
a strong developer, though, and not much affected by water quality.
Here in Cleveland, Ohio the water is sometimes so bad that Rodinal
doesn't work. I have never had _bad_ results with D-76 and
Cleveland tap water, though I am sure consistency is not very good.

Boiled water is recommended for making the stock solution as the air is
driven out of the water.

> What about using a D-76 R replenisher and why and how do you actually use
> these?

Replenisher is used for laboratories developing large amounts of film:
10-100 rolls/day in 40 liter tanks. In these applications the developer
is 'seasoned' with developing by-products until it becomes very stable -
often this seasoning is started by throwing some color negative developer
into the tank! Sort of like the vintner who made his best wine the year
he murdered his wife and threw her body into the tank.

You can, of course, use replenisher for developing only one roll
of film/day/week/year - but why bother? 1:1 is the better solution
(cough) for almost all amateur darkroom workers.

> Is it a problem if I use EFKE fixer instead of KODAK fixer?

None at all.

> To be as precise as I can: I shoot just a small number of B&W
> film per month and only once or twice a year there will be a
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> can modify (in a terms of contrast) with small change of developing times.
> I would prefer the economical solution that will keep these economical?

D-76 1:1 is your best choice. Although Kodak needs all the sales it can
get, I will point out that Ilford ID-11 is the same stuff - and that most
photochemical companies also produce their own version of D-76.

Reference Martin Jangowski's post of 16 Jan, 2004:

To save the most money, make the developer yourself from the individual
chemicals. One remarkably cheap, and similar working developer is
'D76H':

Metol 2.5g
Borax 2.0g
Sodium Sulfite 100g
Water to make 1 liter

Borax is used for doing the laundry. Sulfite is used for preserving
food and maintaining the pH of swimming pool water. Both are very
cheap when _not_ bought at the photography store.

1 kg of metol will make 400 liters of developer, enough to process
3,200 rolls of film.

Total cost in Europe has been stated at .40 euro/liter.

Signature

Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio nolindan@ix.netcom.com
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.

Reply to this Message

Jorge Omar - 13 Feb 2004 16:37 GMT

Just a note:
If you go the boiled water way, boil for 3~5 min and let it cool to about
50 deg C without mixing or it will absorb oxygen again.

Jorge

>> Do you suggest using a tap water (which is very hard here) or
>> distilled water?
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Boiled water is recommended for making the stock solution as the air
> is driven out of the water.

Reply to this Message

Dan Quinn - 14 Feb 2004 00:17 GMT

> I have plastic bottles made for storage of photo chemicals (the one that
> look like harmonica) the can be tightly closed.

Those accordioned plastic bottles are not to be used. Even if they
were made of clear plastic they may be impossible to keep clean. I had
one which was opaque. I never used it.
Also, the plastic of which at least one brand is made is permeable to
air. That is according to one reasercher's work on the life span of
developers.
Use several small, full, sealed, bottles. Be sure to use distilled
to mix your stock solution. I've very hard tap water so use distilled
through-out my processing. Dan

Reply to this Message

Robert Whitehouse - 14 Feb 2004 20:56 GMT

Hi Goor -

I have simialr requirements ans shoot approx 1 roll of B+W per week. I use
D-76 and buy 5 litre packs. I make up 5 litres and store it in those squeezy
bottles that you mention (with cling film in the top). I find that this
lasts up to 5-6 months without problem.

I use it split 1:1. This has the added advantage that you can mix in water
of any temperature to help bring the final solution upto the correct temp.

If I am developing more than one film in the same session, I will re-use the
same batch of solution. I find that you can do up to two films without
extending the dev. time. Extend by 10% for the next two, then throw it away.

Rgds,

Bob W

> I have just purchased my first bag of D-76 film developer and have a few
> questions about it as I have only work few times with EFKE FR16 (concentrate
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.580 / Virus Database: 367 - Release Date: 06. 02. 04

Reply to this Message

Richard Nielsen - 09 Mar 2004 22:23 GMT

Well, althoug you've allready got all the advise you really need I'll give
you a few tips that may come in handy in the future.

First of all D-76/D-76R are my favorite developer even if I use others too.

I use demineralized water to mix the stock
I almost never use it diluted

I mix 5 litres of stock and 1 litre of replenisher.
I use vine bags (if you live in a vine producing area like I do you can go
to a vinery and ask to by a vine bag or to)
(a vine bag is a plastic bag with a vane used to contain cheap vine in, vine
that you by in qtys 5 or 10 litres at a time the bag is filled with vine and
put in a carton and when you want a zip of it you open the vane an fill your
glass)
The point is this you never open the container and hence no air is let in
because the container collapses as it empties.

Similar bags can be found at big photo-labs they go by names like
cubitainers etc. If you happen to have a Kodak lab in your naborhood ask if
you can have a couple.

I use the D-76/D-76R according to the instructions supplied by Kodak.

Used this way you get a very stable developer.
It is cheaper to use (compared to 1 litre bags)
However it also gives lower contrast due to buildup of bromides in the
developer (I think) and that may not be desirable.

Ok my that's my 2.46418 cents (at the current rate)

Richard

Reply to this Message