If you are getting into film photography, black and white film is a great place to start. Even if you aren’t new to photography, you must admit there is something about that monochrome goodness. Black and white was largely the only way to capture a still image up until the 1960s, and the medium has withstood the test of time, giving images a classic feel with emphasis on the interplay between light and shadow. In terms of film, there’s a huge amount on offer, all with their own subtle differences. This post, however, will focus on how the use of different developers can have an effect on the final image.
Developing B&W at home can be overwhelming, as there are many variables and options, especially when compared to colour film processing. Recently we did a little experiment where we processed a photo taken of the exact same subject by four of our most popular developers in order to see how much it actually alters the final image. The image was shot on Kodak Double X, a bit of a controversial film, but the contrast and pronounced grain help emphasise the differences between the developers.
The most significant difference between most developers is whether or not they are solvent based. The solvent developers tend to reduce grain and create a “fine grain” effect by eating away at the edges of the film grain (silver halide crystals). The downside for fine grain is a slight loss in sharpness. Non-solvent developers leave the edges of the grain untouched, resulting in a sharper but grainier image. Some other variables include whether they come in powder or liquid form, the different dilutions, and the temperatures you can use for processing. It can be confusing, but all of these variables allow you to express your creative touch after the image has been taken.
The Most Iconic Film Developer of all time. First created in 1927, the formula has remained untouched. It works well with any film you throw at it. It provides full emulsion speed, long density range and excellent shadow detail with normal contrast and produces fine grain with various continuous-tone black-and-white films. It can be used for box speed or push processing and only as powder. The most common dilution is 1 + 1.
Kodak HC-110 is a developer that was introduced in 1962. It boasts very short developing times; it has long-term shelf stability. It can be used in replenished and non-replenished systems. For box speed and push processing and it comes with a liquid concentrate. The most common dilution is called “Dilution B” by Kodak, 1 + 31.
Of the four developers, Adonal/Rodinal is the oldest, created in 1892 by Agfa in Germany. It has a bit of a cult following because it has an insanely long shelf life and is quite versatile, allowing the photographer to process their film in a way that suits their tastes. Adox took over the Agfa factory some years ago and has rebranded Rodinal into its current form, Adonal. It is a non-solvent developer, so it leaves the grain untouched on the film, resulting in a sharper but grainier image. Some love it; some hate it. Grain is also a factor that the dilution will influence. 1+100 will produce the finest grain, while 1+25 will produce a noticeably pronounced grain pattern.
This is a slightly newer film developer offering from Kodak. It features fine grain with excellent emulsion speed with normal and pushes processing. It can be replenished in a high volume environment and comes in two parts as a powder you mix into a stock solution. One of the very attractive things about this developer is that it is an ascorbic acid (vitamin C) based developer and doesn’t use hydroquinone, a well-known carcinogen in film processing chemicals. We used this developer in the lab from 2017-2022, so it has been well-tested by us. The one downside is that you can only get XTOL in volumes of five litres minimum.
How we took the photos, developed and scanned
We wanted the film, composition, light, and exposure to be as similar as possible to have a fair comparison. We photographed the subject in the studio with artificial lighting to achieve this. Chris shot a full roll of the same image in quick succession. We then cut the roll into four pieces and loaded them into separate film processing tanks.
The film was developed using the Paterson tank system and then scanned on Noritsu HS-1800 using the same settings.
Results
D-76
Xtol
Adonal
HC-110
Our Thoughts
Looking back at the results, there is quite a clear difference between the developers. If you’re after a lower contrast image with finer grain, D-76 stands out, followed by XTOL and HC-110. If you want something more crunchy with a pronounced grain, Adonal would be a great option using the 1 + 25 dilution. XTOL and HC-110 share the best of both worlds and are great options if you want results that have that beautiful black-and-white grain with a touch of softness.
Developing your black-and-white film at home is a great way to get a feel for what goes into the complete process of film photography. At the end of the day, the developer will not make a bad photo good or vice versa. However, it will subtly affect the image’s contrast, grain and sharpness. If you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s best to pick one that compliments your home setup and familiarise yourself with it until you are more experienced. There is plenty to experiment with; finding a developer that suits your tastes is part of the fun.
B&W Film Developer Comparison
If you are getting into film photography, black and white film is a great place to start. Even if you aren’t new to photography, you must admit there is something about that monochrome goodness. Black and white was largely the only way to capture a still image up until the 1960s, and the medium has withstood the test of time, giving images a classic feel with emphasis on the interplay between light and shadow. In terms of film, there’s a huge amount on offer, all with their own subtle differences. This post, however, will focus on how the use of different developers can have an effect on the final image.
Developing B&W at home can be overwhelming, as there are many variables and options, especially when compared to colour film processing. Recently we did a little experiment where we processed a photo taken of the exact same subject by four of our most popular developers in order to see how much it actually alters the final image. The image was shot on Kodak Double X, a bit of a controversial film, but the contrast and pronounced grain help emphasise the differences between the developers.
The most significant difference between most developers is whether or not they are solvent based. The solvent developers tend to reduce grain and create a “fine grain” effect by eating away at the edges of the film grain (silver halide crystals). The downside for fine grain is a slight loss in sharpness. Non-solvent developers leave the edges of the grain untouched, resulting in a sharper but grainier image. Some other variables include whether they come in powder or liquid form, the different dilutions, and the temperatures you can use for processing. It can be confusing, but all of these variables allow you to express your creative touch after the image has been taken.
Enjoy!
The Developers we tested
Kodak D-76 @ 1 + 1 (Compares to Ilford ID-11)
The Most Iconic Film Developer of all time. First created in 1927, the formula has remained untouched. It works well with any film you throw at it. It provides full emulsion speed, long density range and excellent shadow detail with normal contrast and produces fine grain with various continuous-tone black-and-white films. It can be used for box speed or push processing and only as powder. The most common dilution is 1 + 1.
Kodak HC-110 @ 1 + 31 (Compares to Ilford Ilfotec HC)
Kodak HC-110 is a developer that was introduced in 1962. It boasts very short developing times; it has long-term shelf stability. It can be used in replenished and non-replenished systems. For box speed and push processing and it comes with a liquid concentrate. The most common dilution is called “Dilution B” by Kodak, 1 + 31.
Adox Adonal @ 1 + 50
Of the four developers, Adonal/Rodinal is the oldest, created in 1892 by Agfa in Germany. It has a bit of a cult following because it has an insanely long shelf life and is quite versatile, allowing the photographer to process their film in a way that suits their tastes. Adox took over the Agfa factory some years ago and has rebranded Rodinal into its current form, Adonal. It is a non-solvent developer, so it leaves the grain untouched on the film, resulting in a sharper but grainier image. Some love it; some hate it. Grain is also a factor that the dilution will influence. 1+100 will produce the finest grain, while 1+25 will produce a noticeably pronounced grain pattern.
Kodak Xtol @ 1 + 1 (Compares to Ilford Ilfotec DD-X)
This is a slightly newer film developer offering from Kodak. It features fine grain with excellent emulsion speed with normal and pushes processing. It can be replenished in a high volume environment and comes in two parts as a powder you mix into a stock solution. One of the very attractive things about this developer is that it is an ascorbic acid (vitamin C) based developer and doesn’t use hydroquinone, a well-known carcinogen in film processing chemicals. We used this developer in the lab from 2017-2022, so it has been well-tested by us. The one downside is that you can only get XTOL in volumes of five litres minimum.
How we took the photos, developed and scanned
We wanted the film, composition, light, and exposure to be as similar as possible to have a fair comparison. We photographed the subject in the studio with artificial lighting to achieve this. Chris shot a full roll of the same image in quick succession. We then cut the roll into four pieces and loaded them into separate film processing tanks.
The film was developed using the Paterson tank system and then scanned on Noritsu HS-1800 using the same settings.
Results
D-76
Xtol
Adonal
HC-110
Our Thoughts
Looking back at the results, there is quite a clear difference between the developers. If you’re after a lower contrast image with finer grain, D-76 stands out, followed by XTOL and HC-110. If you want something more crunchy with a pronounced grain, Adonal would be a great option using the 1 + 25 dilution. XTOL and HC-110 share the best of both worlds and are great options if you want results that have that beautiful black-and-white grain with a touch of softness.
Developing your black-and-white film at home is a great way to get a feel for what goes into the complete process of film photography. At the end of the day, the developer will not make a bad photo good or vice versa. However, it will subtly affect the image’s contrast, grain and sharpness. If you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s best to pick one that compliments your home setup and familiarise yourself with it until you are more experienced. There is plenty to experiment with; finding a developer that suits your tastes is part of the fun.
Download Link to the Full Files to Pixel Peep
2 replies to “B&W Film Developer Comparison”
Tim Jagoe
Oh to have Acufine
Tim Jagoe
Oh to have Acufine. Play the it again Sam