How many rolls can ILFORD powder developers process at stock, 1+1, and 1+3 dilutions?

Question

I’m trying to understand the practical film capacity of ILFORD powder developers such as PERCEPTOL, ID-11, and MICROPHEN when used as stock solution versus 1+1 or 1+3 dilution.

For example, if a Paterson tank needs about 300 ml for one 35mm roll and 500 ml for two rolls, can I simply calculate capacity from how much stock solution is used per tank load when using diluted developer as one-shot? So at 1+1, a 300 ml working solution uses 150 ml stock; at 1+3, it uses 75 ml stock. Likewise, 500 ml working solution for two rolls would use 250 ml stock at 1+1 or 125 ml stock at 1+3.

Also, if I develop two rolls at once in the same tank, do I keep the normal development time for that dilution, or should time be increased the way it is when reusing stock solution? Finally, is there any special limitation with powder developers I should be aware of when mixing smaller amounts?

user82321 · Accepted Answer

Your numbers sound correct.

When using multiple rolls of film in a given development run, you Do Not increase development times beyond what you would expect to use if doing a single roll.

If the chemistry calls for X minutes, then you should develop it for X minutes whether you have a 1 reel tank with 1 roll of film, or a massive 10 reel tank loaded with 10 rolls of film. - The chemistry used to cover the rolls contains the volume of chemicals needed to develop that roll [for the specified length of time], and the fact that there are other rolls in the same tank does not impact the required time.

Your time adjustments only need to take place if reusing chemistry to account for what has already been depleted a bit from a previous development.

An important thing to remember with the diluted one-shot development options is that they're great for consistency/reliability, and ease of use. There is no extra steps to track, no adjusting times based on past usage, etc. Mix your chemistry, pour in tank, develop as needed for film and exposure combination.

Using one-shot 1:1, you trade a few rolls in capacity for the roll to roll consistency.
Using 1:3, you gain a few rolls, but also increase your needed development times.

There will also be subtle differences in how your shadows and highlights appear between the different dilutions.

I personally prefer to just run with 1:1 ID-11 [or Kodak's D76 - They only differ in how they're mixed for shipping.] for simplicity.

And a fun side note: If you ever switch to working with medium format, Paterson tanks were actually designed for the longer 220 film - If you're brave you can actually load two 120 rolls onto a single reel by taping them together. There is however a risk of the rolls overlapping, and causing bad development, so this is something to be used with great care.

How many rolls can ILFORD powder developers process at stock, 1+1, and 1+3 dilutions?

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