Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There is a lot of discussion about developers and films. I think people loose sight of the fact that it is not enough to say that one developer is better than another. Do not get into the habit of using the same material all the time. Bear in mind that the reason we have so many developers and have had so many in the past, is because they are designed for different applications and situations. I favor Microdol - X but I also use a lot of DK-50 in Deep Tanks for sheet film. I love D-76, but preferred Ethol in 35MM dip and dunk tanks. For example, if sharpness is the main concern, you will use one developer, that might not give you full emulsion speed. If you favor fine grain, some developers are better than others, but if you use the better developer, you might loose something else. There are hundreds of developer formulas and Eastman offered far more developers than they do now. So, my advice is to decide what you want and choose the proper one. Become familiar with developers and see what works. One developer is never suitable for everything, if you seek everything from your negatives. RM