I love HC110. I’m still using the syrup version and it expired back in 2018 with great results. Glad you started making instructional videos! Here’s a tip. What I usually do is measure the water in a measuring cup first then add the HC110 syrup carefully until it reaches the 1L mark. Saves having to “scrape” every bit of HC110 from a separate measuring cup.
My bottle of HC110 is over 12 years old and still works fine without having to adapt the development time. I keep the bottle in a dark place. I was advised to drop marbles in the syrup to always keep it topped up to keep air out of the bottle, but I didn't even bother to do this. Marvellous product. Dirt cheap because it keeps so long.
I am new to film developing and this is a very useful short tutorial. I have book marked for future reference. Please do more tutorials on other developers.
I'm a cheapskate and started off using Dil E (1:47) and H (1:63). Have a small amber bottle with HC from where I simply use a syringe a couple of times to grab the amount needed. Longer dev times than B (1:31) but works great with Medium format and lengthens times to 7.5-10 min. IDK if at those dilutions it begins to be a compensating developer. I'd like to try XTOL but HC110 is so convenient and works well with HP5. Fomadon Excel comes in 1L and is an XTOL clone but the pack I bought... might be used when I run out of HC and wait for an order.
Hey Nico. Well done. I'm a 1:63 HC110 user. Shooting Ilford HP5+400 120. I use the Massive Development app. It says 1:63 delusion is best for my film. Your take? Thx!
I’ve been very happy with the old HC110. Consistent results and long shelf life. But I now read (one of your answers) that the new version doesn’t last more than a month once opened. That would be catastrophic for amateurs like me, who don’t develop more than a couples rolls a month. Do we have a confirmation of this new characteristic of the new product? Anybody has a direct experience? Thanks for the great video
First time I bought HC-110 the “old” syrupy version was already off the market. I bought it mainly for its good keeping properties, I don’t shoot that often so I hope the new version lasts a long time too…
The new HC-110 isn't syrupy anymore, and is more like water. I find it much easier to measure out than the older version. And it seems to be the same in all other regards. Although, when I first got the new version, I thought it wasn't the concentrate or something--I didn't know what was going on, since I just ordered it, and didn't read anything about it. But it's the same concentrate, just not syrup-like.
It does great with stand developing, I would suggest using it like that if you have shots with messy lightmeter reading or very contrasty scenes as it compensates.
I dont get it. When reading the manual on the official Kodak site - there are two tables : - the first one that gives you the ratio of stock solution : water in order to prepare the working solution which could be 1:3, 1:7, 1:4, 1:9, 1:11, 1:19 - the second table gives you the ratio of concentrate : water to prepare the working solution as well (prepared from the first table I suppose?) to water in a ratio 1:15, 1:31, 1:19, 1:39, 1:47, 1:79 So basically the first table tells you to prepare stock solution (water:stock solution = 3:1) and then dilute this mixture with water in a ration listed in a table to create a one shot developer?
Great video and indeed a very practical developer. Nico maybe you can help me here: I developed today a film and drop just a tiny drop of water in the HC110 bottle (the 1lt factory container). Will that create any critical chemical reaction and speeds up the expiration of the developer? Note that (as you also mentioned), HC110 is durable and mine is expired since 2018 but with no issues as of today. Thanks for your input in advance!
At the moment I'm using Ilford LC29 which is a similar (but not quite as thick) developer. I rarely need a litre of dev. I usually need 300ml or 450ml. I use a 5ml pipette. Fill the big measuring cylinder to just below 450ml and add three 5ml squishes from the pipette to get 1:29 dilution. Then pump the pipette in the diluted dev a few times to mix it and wash it out. Very quick and clean to do. Lots of people use a syringe with a blunt needle for this I think.
Yes. This a developer. much like any other. It is normally followed by a stop bath, particularly if the development time is short enough so that delay in later steps whould mean that development will continue for a meaningful time unless stopped immediately, say 7 minutes. Then fixer is reuired to remove the undeveloped emulstion, thn a wash step to remove the fixed. A final Photoflo or similar wetting agent will help get a spotless finish.
With the 1L syrup you can do a looooooot of rolls, depending on the dilution you use. If you are asking about the B mix I did here you can do as many rolls as you can with 1 liter. It will depend on your tank. In the Jobo 2520 you can do 4 120 rolls or 4 35mm rolls. You cannot reuse HC110.
Hi, Can i ask, how many times can i use the solution to development my films? Like if i have 4 films (for exemple) , can i use the same solution that you have made 1-31 multiple times? Our we only can use it one time? Thank you so much
@@NicosPhotographyShow I hope it's also the same in terms of shelf life. I bought it as a best option for ocasional shooter. People says that "old" concentrate could last a decade..... Let's see.
Because there is more than one path to get to the same dilution. If all anybody ever did was mix from concentrate, then simply stating the ratio makes sense. But, many people first mix up what's called a 'stock' solution, which is one part concentrate and three parts water. Then, when it come to time to develop, they mix one part stock to seven parts water to arrive at dilution B. Just as an example.
Uniformity. It takes longer for the highlights (dark negative areas) to develop than the thinner (shadow) areas. The developer adjacent to the dense areas is consumed much faster than adjacent to the thin areas of the image. So, agitation is important, and it becomes more critical as the overall development time shortens. As noted, there is also the inconsistency of time it takes to load a given amount of developer into one tank or the next. Practical experience has shown that total development times less than 5 minutes rapidly increases the impact of such negative factors, yield uneven development. Where development agitation is continuous, timing of development can get significant;y shorter. For example, the development cycle for C-41 is in the area of 3 1/2 minutes with continuous agitation.
Also you need time to wipe down surfaces, clean the measuring cylinder, check the stop and fix are lined up and ready to go, wipe the thermometer and put it back in its holder so you don't break it again, drink some tea. Usually by the time the film is washing everything I've used has been cleaned and stored away again for next time. 5 minutes goes pretty quick if you are agitating every minute.
Idea for another video: Getting the minimum fixer time by seeing how long the film leader takes to clear in room light then doubling that time for the actual fix. I'm sure there will be people throwing out fixer they don't need to. In the 20 odd years I wasn't doing film photography I'd actually forgotten that one!
I am using 9ml of syrup with 571 ml of water to develop two films (Dillution H). I have been doing that for quite a while, mostly to extend the developping time but I'm not completely satsified with the results... Wonder if I should shift to your dilution. Btw : Would be nice if you could continue on the same developer with the folowing steps. Maybe with chapters. I'm sure this would be interesting for many people. Thanks for the great video.
Where imperial beats metric. Kodak originally must have created this with imperial units in mind. A quart is 32 fluid oz. and is approximately equal to a liter. So 1:31 would be 1 oz to 31 oz. If you're lucky your beaker will have both metric and imperial gradations listed.
I love HC110. I’m still using the syrup version and it expired back in 2018 with great results. Glad you started making instructional videos!
Here’s a tip. What I usually do is measure the water in a measuring cup first then add the HC110 syrup carefully until it reaches the 1L mark. Saves having to “scrape” every bit of HC110 from a separate measuring cup.
Thanks! I would not do that if i cant measure it properly. Syringe is also a nice option but to me the small beaker is fine.
My bottle of HC110 is over 12 years old and still works fine without having to adapt the development time. I keep the bottle in a dark place. I was advised to drop marbles in the syrup to always keep it topped up to keep air out of the bottle, but I didn't even bother to do this. Marvellous product. Dirt cheap because it keeps so long.
Haha, same here with mith my first bottle, had it for years. Now they last a month, still a great product.
I am new to film developing and this is a very useful short tutorial. I have book marked for future reference. Please do more tutorials on other developers.
Thanks! There are a lot more plans for this sort of content coming soon.
I'm a cheapskate and started off using Dil E (1:47) and H (1:63). Have a small amber bottle with HC from where I simply use a syringe a couple of times to grab the amount needed. Longer dev times than B (1:31) but works great with Medium format and lengthens times to 7.5-10 min. IDK if at those dilutions it begins to be a compensating developer.
I'd like to try XTOL but HC110 is so convenient and works well with HP5. Fomadon Excel comes in 1L and is an XTOL clone but the pack I bought... might be used when I run out of HC and wait for an order.
I havent tested more than B so far and always love the results. But I should test more.
Hey Nico. Well done. I'm a 1:63 HC110 user. Shooting Ilford HP5+400 120. I use the Massive Development app. It says 1:63 delusion is best for my film. Your take?
Thx!
very informative video, new to BW developing here, just one question. after mixing, the developer can only be use one time only?
Yea, single use.
I’ve been very happy with the old HC110. Consistent results and long shelf life.
But I now read (one of your answers) that the new version doesn’t last more than a month once opened. That would be catastrophic for amateurs like me, who don’t develop more than a couples rolls a month. Do we have a confirmation of this new characteristic of the new product? Anybody has a direct experience? Thanks for the great video
First time I bought HC-110 the “old” syrupy version was already off the market. I bought it mainly for its good keeping properties, I don’t shoot that often so I hope the new version lasts a long time too…
A Great And Helpful Video. Thanks Nico!
Thank you Iñigo!
Is that mixture then only good for development once? Should I discard the freshly mixed developer right after use? Thanks!
Yes, HC-110 is a one shot developer.
Ok. When I used it one time with dilution B, I can use it again for another film ? With same time ?
I have the newer runny version of hc110. How do you dilute that?
Would you recommend using HC-110 with the Smallest Jobo 1500 tank for one film, as you need like a fourth of that 31ml of developer to measure?
Yeah, you can use any tank, just beware of the minimum amount of chemistry per roll. But you should be fine.
The new HC-110 isn't syrupy anymore, and is more like water. I find it much easier to measure out than the older version. And it seems to be the same in all other regards. Although, when I first got the new version, I thought it wasn't the concentrate or something--I didn't know what was going on, since I just ordered it, and didn't read anything about it. But it's the same concentrate, just not syrup-like.
Yeah, its the US version now. I need to try and get my hands on some.
The new us version mixes well and works fine
Once we have prepared our dilution, how often can we use it? Is it only once like the Rodinal? Thanks for the tutorial!
Its single use.
@@NicosPhotographyShow Thanks!
I’m reading a lot about how you can stand develop this. Thoughts?
It does great with stand developing, I would suggest using it like that if you have shots with messy lightmeter reading or very contrasty scenes as it compensates.
I dont get it. When reading the manual on the official Kodak site - there are two tables :
- the first one that gives you the ratio of stock solution : water in order to prepare the working solution which could be 1:3, 1:7, 1:4, 1:9, 1:11, 1:19
- the second table gives you the ratio of concentrate : water to prepare the working solution as well (prepared from the first table I suppose?) to water in a ratio 1:15, 1:31, 1:19, 1:39, 1:47, 1:79
So basically the first table tells you to prepare stock solution (water:stock solution = 3:1) and then dilute this mixture with water in a ration listed in a table to create a one shot developer?
could you put what you just mixed into a 1 liter container and use it at a later date??
Not sure on HC110, I mix on demand.
Divide 1032 by what number?
Great video and indeed a very practical developer.
Nico maybe you can help me here: I developed today a film and drop just a tiny drop of water in the HC110 bottle (the 1lt factory container). Will that create any critical chemical reaction and speeds up the expiration of the developer? Note that (as you also mentioned), HC110 is durable and mine is expired since 2018 but with no issues as of today. Thanks for your input in advance!
Perfect!
Thank you for the video! How many film do you do with the same solution diluted (1-31)?thank you
Always use HC-110 one shot. So as many as i use in 1 tank. Then mix more.
Nicos Photography Show thank you very much for your reply😊
At the moment I'm using Ilford LC29 which is a similar (but not quite as thick) developer. I rarely need a litre of dev. I usually need 300ml or 450ml. I use a 5ml pipette. Fill the big measuring cylinder to just below 450ml and add three 5ml squishes from the pipette to get 1:29 dilution. Then pump the pipette in the diluted dev a few times to mix it and wash it out. Very quick and clean to do. Lots of people use a syringe with a blunt needle for this I think.
Yeah, its a good way to do it. I just always use multiple liters so I do it this way. But if less is needed a syringe is a good option.
After you use this developer do you have to use a fixer or anything else? I don’t think you mentioned what to do after this chemical
Yes. This a developer. much like any other. It is normally followed by a stop bath, particularly if the development time is short enough so that delay in later steps whould mean that development will continue for a meaningful time unless stopped immediately, say 7 minutes. Then fixer is reuired to remove the undeveloped emulstion, thn a wash step to remove the fixed. A final Photoflo or similar wetting agent will help get a spotless finish.
How many rolls can i develop with 1L?,can i reuse it?
With the 1L syrup you can do a looooooot of rolls, depending on the dilution you use. If you are asking about the B mix I did here you can do as many rolls as you can with 1 liter. It will depend on your tank. In the Jobo 2520 you can do 4 120 rolls or 4 35mm rolls. You cannot reuse HC110.
Hi, Can i ask, how many times can i use the solution to development my films?
Like if i have 4 films (for exemple) , can i use the same solution that you have made 1-31 multiple times? Our we only can use it one time?
Thank you so much
HC-110 is intended as a single use developer. So you can do 2 rolls in one tank, then dispose and mix new for the lther 2 its still very economical.
Is the new formula the same?
I have heard it is, but havent tested myself.
Very clear, thanks.
Glad it helped Dale!
I recently bought HC-110 and it's more liquidy then yours... Is it a scam?
They changed the formula, but its the same stuff.
@@NicosPhotographyShow I hope it's also the same in terms of shelf life. I bought it as a best option for ocasional shooter. People says that "old" concentrate could last a decade..... Let's see.
Why someone use that A-B-C names for delutions?
Isn't 1:25 and 1:1999 are more useful?
Thats a question for Kodak chemists. Im ok with it.
Because there is more than one path to get to the same dilution. If all anybody ever did was mix from concentrate, then simply stating the ratio makes sense. But, many people first mix up what's called a 'stock' solution, which is one part concentrate and three parts water. Then, when it come to time to develop, they mix one part stock to seven parts water to arrive at dilution B. Just as an example.
1:40 Why do we want 5 minutes or more for our film developing?
Consistency, a 10 sec pour on a 3:00 is worse than the same in a 5:00 dev. So film manufacturers say 5 or more is best.
Uniformity. It takes longer for the highlights (dark negative areas) to develop than the thinner (shadow) areas. The developer adjacent to the dense areas is consumed much faster than adjacent to the thin areas of the image. So, agitation is important, and it becomes more critical as the overall development time shortens. As noted, there is also the inconsistency of time it takes to load a given amount of developer into one tank or the next. Practical experience has shown that total development times less than 5 minutes rapidly increases the impact of such negative factors, yield uneven development. Where development agitation is continuous, timing of development can get significant;y shorter. For example, the development cycle for C-41 is in the area of 3 1/2 minutes with continuous agitation.
Also you need time to wipe down surfaces, clean the measuring cylinder, check the stop and fix are lined up and ready to go, wipe the thermometer and put it back in its holder so you don't break it again, drink some tea. Usually by the time the film is washing everything I've used has been cleaned and stored away again for next time. 5 minutes goes pretty quick if you are agitating every minute.
Idea for another video: Getting the minimum fixer time by seeing how long the film leader takes to clear in room light then doubling that time for the actual fix. I'm sure there will be people throwing out fixer they don't need to. In the 20 odd years I wasn't doing film photography I'd actually forgotten that one!
Yeah here in Spain we do that with developer too, we call it "La prueba de la gota". Drop of dev to calculate times when its a unknown film.
🙏🙏🙏🙏
Good video
How long will the mixed solution stay good for developing
I always mix just before. I left the official PDF bellow, it might be indicated there.
1 part developer + 31 parts water. 10ml HC110 + 310 Mls. water = Simple. Double it, Treble it for the amount of developer required.
True about the min developer per roll. One has to be careful with that. Might make a video explaining that concept as many might have missed it.
@@NicosPhotographyShow I develop 2 sheets of 8x10 with 350ml of developer because that's how much it fits in the cap. No problems so far.
I am using 9ml of syrup with 571 ml of water to develop two films (Dillution H). I have been doing that for quite a while, mostly to extend the developping time but I'm not completely satsified with the results... Wonder if I should shift to your dilution. Btw : Would be nice if you could continue on the same developer with the folowing steps. Maybe with chapters. I'm sure this would be interesting for many people. Thanks for the great video.
up!
Where imperial beats metric. Kodak originally must have created this with imperial units in mind. A quart is 32 fluid oz. and is approximately equal to a liter. So 1:31 would be 1 oz to 31 oz. If you're lucky your beaker will have both metric and imperial gradations listed.
Look up the term VISCOUS and VISCOSITY.
Thank you！
You are welcome!
Instructions unclear: used this on my pancakes.. 🥞
Damn, didnt use a disclaimer, dont feed to kids or use on pancakes, only on donuts.
@@NicosPhotographyShow 😆 great video ! Very helpful
honestly there's not that much difference between delusion and dilution