Why mix your own developer

[Ken Nadvornick]

Because I can?



Ken

[TareqPhoto]

It is funny that there are options to make chemicals for film or print, but there are no many options for the film itself, day after day one film or more are gone and we narrow our choices, Acros 120 is my favorite film and it is by Fuji i think, Fuji is trying to dump their films one by one, and my favorite slide is Velvia 5o and 100, and if both are gone too, i don't feel i want to use another film even great, and i am not worry which developer to use because i can buy ready mix or i can buy raw chemicals and prepare it by myself, the only raw chemicals i have now are only to make Rodinal and Caffenol, and i am planning to add more raw chemicals to make Pyrocat-HD specific formula, i don't think i want to make more developers, and hope one day i can understand about printing and make one or some chemicals for that.

[Roger Cole]

In the near future, there won't be any Dektol baggies..

If you're referring to the long agonizing decline of Kodak, maybe and maybe not. But you can get Dektol equivalent from other places, including Freestyle's "Legacy Pro" which wouldn't surprise me if it turns out to be the same stuff also made by Champion. And you can get plenty of other paper developers.

Or yes, you can mix your own D72.

[john_s]

I mix developers because I know I will be able to in the future when various products disappear from the market. Here (Australia) Microphen is now available only in tiny packets, and HC-110 is no longer imported. My favourite paper developer vanished with Agfa, so ID-78 took its place.

...as long as someone still makes film....

[hrst]

...as long as someone still makes film....

Maybe we will be reading a topic like this one day:

Why make your own film?
- Because it's fun!
- Because you can get something you cannot buy
- Because you can
- Because they are going to discontinue them anyway!
- Because you save money

Been there, done that, and will be doing that again in the future!

That being said, given the current somewhat "niche" status of this hobby and the huge decline from the past, it is really astonishing how many film products we have left. Especially Ilford's commitment to BW is remarkable; and given Kodak's economic situation, they are doing their best for color neg, too. So guess you can't complain too much.