Please tell me what is the best filme developer for FP4+ HP5+ and for Agfa Pan 400.

-- Hirohiko Inatome (lamia@kh.rim.or.jp), September 11, 2000

Answers

FP4+ will give you excellent results with any standard developer like ID11 or D76 1:1 or stock solution. The same goes for HP5+. These days, I prefer using HC-110 since it's easy to dilute.

-- Sriram (r_sriram@bigfoot.com), September 11, 2000.

I just did my first roll of 120 HP5+ in Xtol. Looks good.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 11, 2000.

You really cannot go wrong with the compensating qualities of Split Bath Developers!!! Divided D76 if you want no speed gain of your ASA and ultra fine grain or Diafine with it's ultra fine grain and high acutance. Cheers

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), September 11, 2000.

It appears that the best developer is the one that works best for you and the types of shots you take. I've been very pleased with FP4+ and XTOL diluted 1:3. I also do HP5 in XTOL at less dilution, but haven't experimented a great deal with it- there may be better choices.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), September 11, 2000.

One of the reasons we do our own processing is because we can have control over the "look" of the image. For this reason, there are lots of developer formulas out there. All the suggestions that you have gotten so far will produce high quality, printable negatives, especially after you have made whatever adjustments of time, etc., that produce the results you want. Check the recommendations that come with the film, then go to the websites at Kodak and Agfa and look at what they like. With the Ilford films, ID-11, which is basically the same as Kodak D-76, is a common starting point. It works well for Agfa film, too. Rodinal can produce a beautiful range of tones and a crystalline sharpness with the Agfa films, at the expense of obvious grain. For film speeds above the manufacturer's rating, I usually use Xtol. It is sort of the "new generation" of the old D-76 line. I have used HC110 and it works fine, though I tend to like slightly longer development times. For me, it is neither quite as sharp as Rodinal or Xtol, or as smooth as D-76/ID-11.

Bottom line: pick one (or both) of these films, NO MORE than that, pick _one_ of these good developers, and don't try anything else until you have run 20-50 rolls of film with any one combination. Otherwise, it is hard to really learn anything. Be on the lookout for _The Film Development Cookbook_ by Anchell and Troop. I feel that it gives the clearest explanation of the relationship of film and developers that I have ever seen. You don't have to agree with them totally, but it gives a good base.

Take lots of pictures, have lots of fun.

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), September 11, 2000.

APX 400 shot at 250 developed in Agfa Rodinal at 1+100 for 20 minutes at 68 degrees...oh yes!

-- Jim Vanson (primary_colors@hotmail.com), September 11, 2000.

three letters - pmk. Shot at 100. I also develop in xtol 1:3 which can produce excellent results.

-- kevin (kkemner@tateandsnyder.com), September 13, 2000.