Ilford films processed in Ilford developer?

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I've just starting processing my own B&W films and I have been experimenting with Kodak Verichrome, Ilford Pan F, FP4+, and HP5+. I use Ethol UFG developer since this is what I used in a lab class thru a local community college. I'm very happy with my results to date, but I've heard several experienced photographers say the best results with Ilford films will come from using Ilford developers (by design of Ilford). Can anyone share their experience with this?

I shoot mostly 120 film and enlarge to 8x10, but I would like to enlarge some prints to 11x14 or 16x20, and I wonder if Pan F and Ilford's perceptol (or other Ilford developers) will give optimal results for grain and sharpness in the larger print sizes?

thanks in advance!

-- Ron Meyer (top_flite1@juno.com), May 16, 2001

Answers

Ron, ILFORD Pan F+ is a very fine grained film, but it is not extremely sharp. PERCEPTOL yields an extremely fine grain, but at the cost of a loss of sharpness (as well as film speed). Combined, Pan F+ developed in PERCEPTOL will give a very fine grained negative, but it will not be extremly sharp. If you are truly looking for good sharpness, I think you will prefer the results with ILFORD 100 DELTA Professional. It is only slightly larger grained than Pan F+, but is much sharper. For best results of grain and sharpness, I would recommend either ID-11 or ILFOTEC DD-X.

As for the film/developer combinations, ILFORD films will work well in most manufacturer's developers, as well as the corrolary of ILFORD chemistry working well with other films. When films are being designed and tested, they are naturally testing predominatly using ILFORD chemistry, so it is to be expected that ILFORD chemistry will give as good or better results compared to other brands of chemistry.

Regards, David Carper ILFORD Technical Service

-- David Carper (david.carper@ilford.com), May 16, 2001.


UFG is a fine developer and if your having good luck with it... There are alot of developers out there. Explore the UFG to the limits before you add things into the equation. Diafine, ID11, D76, Divided D76, Rodinal (to name a few) will give you differences such as High Acutance with fine grain, extremely fine grain and compensation effects. It is wise to use what your used to for awhile... Just my opinion.

-- Scott Walton (f64sw@hotmail.com), May 16, 2001.

NO! DON'T! STOP! You say you're very happy with what you're doing. Don't change a thing. Keep doing it. There's no such thing as a free lunch -- if you find a developer that gives finer grain it will have less sharpness, if another giver better sharpness it will have lower speed, and so on. Repeat after me: "I'm happy. I won't change a thing." Repeat this over and over until you are really convinced. You're welcome, Ron.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 16, 2001.

There is no one single best developer for any one film. I would use whatever works for you.

I develop my Ilford T-grain films in Kodak XTOL, and Kodak Tri-X in PMK from Photographer's Formulary...

-- Jim MacKenzie (photojim@yahoo.com), May 17, 2001.


There WAS one best developer for all films, giving perfect negatives in all conditions and at all dilutions and at all temperatures & time. It was used while gently imbibing a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon and as you developed longer & the bottle got lower your prints & talent just got better & better. It was called Dammitol. You put in your negatives & started drinking & it all worked to perfection. Then one day while the creator of this perfection was near the end of a particularly good bottle he lost the formula. Dammitol, now we have to experiment with less than the best.

Listen to what Bill Mitchell said. If it works, keep it up as there are NO magic answers or solutions.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), May 17, 2001.



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