Differences between films and/or developer

[eskimo]

Hello,
i'll soon experience with a new developer (HC-110) after three years of D76/ID11. Generally i buy professional films but watching more at price than at type of film, for example i'm always finding trix400 at better economic condition that HP5, so normally i go with trix.
So introducing myself into new developing experiments and developed negatives, i'm asking whether there'is more difference between a change in a developer than in a change of similars films...like HP5 and tri-x or FP4 and plusx 125 for example.
I'm asking this to try to put in order my future developing experiments in a sea of tonal possibilities, and try to understand what i'm doing: i don't want to test everything.
thanks.

[Gerald C Koch]

You might want to look at this site which has information about HC-110. According to Kodak you will not see much difference in negatives produced by HC-110 and D-76.

www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110

[keithwms]

Within one format size, you likely won't perceive huge differences between the films and developers that you mention.

Do you want to see huge differences? If so, what are you looking for?

[BradS]

It seems that Kodak formulated HC-110 to give results that compare favorably to that of D-76 so you will not see any difference between these two....I have to ask, if you've been using D76 for three years, why change?

[eskimo]

i'm not asking about which differences produces developing with those developers. I'm asking if are more visibles tonal differences in changing a developer or a film...

[Ian Grant]

Films will show greater variations some have extended red sensitivity others reduduce, sonme give a longer tonal ranges but all can be varied as well by choice of developer, and then exposure and development times.

Two ways of controlling this are the Zone system and BTZS (Beyong the Zone System).

Ian

[BradS]

i'm not asking about which differences produces developing with those developers. I'm asking if are more visibles tonal differences in changing a developer or a film...

Well, it really is a bit more complex than just film vs developer. You really have to consider several process parameters as well. I'm thinking of camera exposure, development time, developer temperature, agitation pattern...just to name a few off the top of my head.

For an obvious example, you can get quite different results from Tri-X in D-76 just by changing development time & temp.

As another example, I have found HC-110 to be very sensitive to agitation. HC-110 in small tanks with periodic inversion agitation produces very different results from HC-110 with continuous rotary agitation.

However, the vastly over simplified answer to you question is that changing film will have a larger effect than nominal differences between D76 and HC-110B. For example, Tri-X and HP5+ are vastly different in terms of their characteristics. That said, an experienced practitioner can get one to look like the other.

[bernard_L]

Beware! I've read on several occasions "go for HC110 Dilution H". According to a limited A/B/C test I did, HC-110 Dil B is indeed fairly close to D76 1+1. BUT... HC-110 dil H has a distinct compensating effect that (in my eyes) kills the life in the highlights.

[Sundowner]

I've found Tri-X to be somewhat tonally reliant on actual film speed as rated in any given camera, incidentally. I also get richer results with HC-110 than I did with D76, but that may be more due to my longer use of it, and the refinement of my personal technique.

Tones, however, are a product of a very complicated relationship between film, paper and chemicals. Each variable can either be significant or insignificant, depending on the formulas that are used. There are so many ways to alter tones that I think it would be hard to tell which would make more difference in the final print.

Bottom line, test things out and see what you like.

[eskimo]

Thanks to all folks...this was the answer i didn't want to read, but...that's it. Condamned to lifwtime testing! could be funny...