You may remember a while back a wrote a post about my attempt to test some developers. If not you can re-cap here. That post gave my thoughts and reasons.
I’ve now used 3 developers and here are the results so far.
You will notice the full frame above has three dots, at the bottom. That is because in order to scan them all together on exactly the same setting at the same time, I had to divorce the negs from the paper slip with the info on. So just to confirm, all three results are cut from the same roll of film, exposed within seconds of each other. They have all been processed at 21°c, with Ilford agitation, and wash. The only difference in the developing has been the developer.
I have used an Epson V600 to scan all, at the same pass. With exactly the same setting.
I guess you won’t be able to see much from the lower resolution, cropped images above. That said, as I sit writing this I think I can see that number 1 possibly has the best sharpness. Although sharpness is not really what I’m looking for alone. I think number 2 has the best tonal range and separation between the “test tones”, but only just. Number two certainly shows the least grain.
I have yet to try DDX or any other odd ball developers that take my fancy, but so far 2 is the clear winner for me. Which is which?….
No1 is ID11 1:3.2
No2 is Ilfosol 3 1+9
No3 is Rodinal 1:50
I deliberately did not keep track of which was which, until I’d looked at the scans full screen and wrote the above. I have to say I was surprised! I thought the best would be ID11. I know there are better specialist developers, but a want a developer that is relatively easy to buy. I want the least grain as possible. I was hoping that it would be a liquid for ease of mixing, although I’m quite capable of mixing it! Looks like I’m back to Ilfosol as my go to. (Although I will use up the Rodinal first, and do a 1:25 test too!)
S.H.O.U.T. 