This test is not to determine how long to develop your film. See the section on the Zone System for that one. This test is to illustrate the differences between types of developers.
Why not just bring your film to the lab? Well there are times when having a lab process your film is acceptable. However, if you're interested in maximum control, and quality there are very few alternatives to processing your own film. Most labs batch process film, so it's very hard to specify a particular developer or time.
Effects developers have on film:
For the most part, film developers affect resolution, perceived sharpness and to some extent contrast -although contrast can also be controlled via time and temperature. When used properly any developer will give you acceptable results. If you process your well-exposed film so the highlights gain the optimal amount of density (fb+F+1.0) you'll be able to make a quality print regardless of the developer you choose.
We're interested in seeing how each developer changes the film's resolution. What kind of edge-acutance the developer produces.
What shape and size grain the developer renders. All of these effects can be seen greatest in the mid tones.
Shoot an entire roll of Kodak Tri-x 35mm B&W film, rated at ISO 200, on one scene; bracket two stops in under and over the normal exposure. Your exposures should be in the following order: -2, -1, N, +1, +2. When you're done do not rewind the leader all the way back inside the cassette, or you'll have to use a leader retriever to pull it back out. Cut and discard the initial leader.
Clip test your film as follows:
All times are for 68°F
Agitation for small tanks is continious for the first 45 sec., then two inversions every 30 sec. In large tanks add one minute to the devloping time and agitate 3 inversions every minute.
2003 test
|
2004 test
|
| Punch | Developer | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Tmax-RS 1:1 | 8 |
| 8 | FG-7 1:9 | 10 |
| 9 | X-tol | 6 |
| 10 | X-tol 1:3 | 8 |
Note: the times above work for me and are a good starting point for most people. Once you find a developer you like you should run the developing time test.
Take your film clip and process as described above. Repeat until you're out of film or developers. Fix, wash and dry the film as normal.
Contact all film clips on one piece of paper for the minimum time needed to achieve maximum black. It is conceivable that the some of developers will produce different levels of film-base + fog; you may have to contact those clips separately.
Print the best exposed negative from each clip to normal density and contrast. Most likely it will not be the one exposed as "normal"
To get a better look at the grain, print an extreme enlargement of each clip. A 4x5 piece of paper should be fine. You can do this by raising the enlarger as high as you can.
In the darkroom, cut a strip of film 5 frames long and place it on a reel. You'll have to make yourself a ruler that you can use in complete darkness. You can use a piece of cardboard that is 5 frames long, stretch the film along the cardboard and snip it near the canister; be sure to leave a small tongue sticking out or you'll have to retrieve the leader again.
Choose the best exposure from each clip and make two prints. One should be full frame the other an extreme enlargement of a portion on the negative.