Developer & Chemistry Database

Widely regarded as a benchmark developer. Provides full emulsion speed and good shadow detail with normal contrast.

Ilford's equivalent to Kodak D-76. Recognised internationally as a standard, functionally identical to D-76 in results.

Now labeled "HC Developer" or "High Concentrate" on US bottles due to trademark dispute.

Produced according to Agfa Leverkusen's latest Rodinal formula from 2004. The oldest photographic developer formula still in production. Acutance-enhancing with characteristic 'crispy' grain structure.

Also: Adonal, Blazinal, R09 One Shot

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) based, hydroquinone-free, no boric acid. ADOX CAPTURA dust binding technology allows mixing without inhaling chemical dust. Dissolves in 2-3 minutes. Designed to provide similar results to Xtol — Adox recommends using published Xtol times as a starting point.

Eco-friendly ascorbic acid based developer.

Also: LegacyPro EcoPro

Single-step monobath that develops and fixes simultaneously. Temperature controls contrast rather than time. Processing over 28°C pushes negatives, below 20°C pulls density. Requires good agitation and temperature discipline.

Available in 5-litre bags (reliable) and 1-litre packets (prone to sudden failure). The 1L packets are widely regarded as unreliable — prefer the 5L size.

Liquid concentrate with excellent keeping properties. Popular XTOL alternative. Recommended by Ilford for Delta and other modern films.

Also: DD-X

Availability may be limited at some retailers.

Speed-enhancing developer with fine grain retention. Effective half to full stop speed increase depending on film.

Extra fine grain developer for when grain minimisation is critical. Expect ~1 stop speed loss. Best with Pan F Plus, FP4 Plus, Delta 100.

Complete beginner kit with pre-measured sachets of Ilfosol 3 developer, Ilfostop stop bath, Rapid Fix, and Ilfotol wetting agent. Zero measuring required — just add water. Ideal introduction to home processing but not cost-effective for regular use.

Also: Simplicity Kit

Unique two-bath compensating developer. Bath A absorbs into emulsion, Bath B activates development. Time and temperature have minimal effect within recommended ranges. All films develop with same 3 min A + 3 min B timing. Provides ~1 stop speed increase on most films. Exceptionally economical due to reusability.

Also: Acufine Diafine

Kodak's developer specifically formulated for T-Max tabular grain films. Delivers finest grain and highest sharpness from T-Max and similar modern films. Also works well with Delta films.

Also: T-Max Dev, TMD

Community-developed formula using household ingredients. Instant coffee provides caffeic acid (developing agent), vitamin C accelerates development, washing soda provides alkalinity. Use cheap spray-dried instant coffee (higher caffeic acid content) rather than premium brands. See caffenol-development technique guide for full recipes.

Also: Caffenol, Coffee Developer

Modified Caffenol formula with potassium bromide restrainer for finer grain. Particularly effective with modern tabular grain films. Development times typically 15-20 minutes.

Also: Caffenol Delta, Caffenol-C Modified

DIY Rodinal clone using paracetamol (acetaminophen) tablets. Recipe: dissolve paracetamol in sodium hydroxide solution, add sodium sulfite. Active ingredient 4-aminophenol formed from paracetamol hydrolysis. Use same dilutions and times as Rodinal. Caution: preparation involves caustic lye and heat.

Also: Paracetamol Rodinal, Acetaminophen Developer

Experimental developer using beer as developing agent source. Dark stouts (Guinness commonly used) provide phenolic compounds. Very much for experimentation — results unpredictable. More novelty than practical alternative.

Also: Beer Developer

Serious DIY alternative to Xtol using ascorbic acid as primary developing agent with phenidone superadditive. PC-TEA (Phenidone-C-TEA) is the most common formulation. Results comparable to commercial vitamin C developers like Xtol and XT-3. Published times for Xtol can be used as starting points.

Also: Ascorbic Acid Developer, PC-TEA

Experimental developer using red wine as phenolic compound source. Tannins in wine can act as developing agents. Results vary wildly by wine type and vintage. More conceptual art project than practical developer. Sometimes called 'Viñol' in Spanish-speaking communities.

Also: Red Wine Developer, Viñol

Gordon Hutchings' pyrogallol-metol formula from 'The Book of Pyro'. Creates proportional stain that acts as contrast mask, providing extraordinary highlight separation. The stain image prints on silver gelatin and alternative processes. Two-solution formula mixes fresh. Requires careful handling due to pyrogallol toxicity. Best with slow to medium films.

Also: PMK, Pyrogallol-Metol-Kodalk

Sandy King's catechol-based staining developer. Uses catechol (pyrocatechin) instead of pyrogallol for similar staining action with reportedly better keeping properties. Produces olive-brown stain that enhances printing contrast. Excellent with stand and semi-stand development. HD indicates high-definition. Popular with large format and alternative process photographers.

Also: Pyrocat

Jay DeFehr's highly concentrated single-solution pyrogallol formula. The '510' refers to 5% pyrogallol and 10% TEA. Designed for extreme dilution (1:100 to 1:500) for stand development. Produces subtle staining with excellent acutance. Popular with 35mm shooters seeking pyro results without two-solution mixing. Economical due to tiny amounts needed per roll.

Also: Jay DeFehr's 510-Pyro

Unlike most home kits, uses separate bleach and fixer rather than Blix — closer to commercial lab standards. The bleach comes ready to use. Developer sold separately so bleach/fix can be reused longer.

Adox's C-41 kit, developed after acquiring elements of Tetenal's chemical production following their 2019 insolvency. Consists of colour developer, bleach-fix (Blix), and stabiliser. Standard 3-bath home C-41 kit.

Also: C-TEC 41, CTEC

Powder kit with separated bleach and fixer for longer chemical life. 'Eco' means transport-efficient powder and formaldehyde-free stabiliser — NOT chemical-free processing. Includes stop bath (15ml concentrate to 800ml water).

Limited availability - being phased out. ADOX C-TEC 41 is the successor product.

Also: Colortec C-41, tetenal-c41

Powder C-41 kit sold under various brand names including Arista (via Freestyle Photo). Simplified 2-bath process (Developer + Blix). Popular budget option for home C-41 processing.

Also: Arista C-41

Ready-to-use liquid C-41 kit from German distributor Compard. Product discontinued — stock exhausted. Compard was primarily a re-packager/distributor rather than a chemical manufacturer.

Also: Digibase C-41

Fuji Hunt's C-41 processing kit for home use. Standard 3-bath process (developer, blix, stabiliser). Widely available in the UK through Firstcall Photographic.

Also: Film X-Press C-41, Fuji C-41

Kodak's own-brand C-41 processing kit for home use. Standard 3-bath process (developer, blix, stabiliser).

Also: Kodak C-41 Kit

Jobo's C-41 kit, formulated for use with their rotary processors but also usable in standard tanks. Standard 3-bath process (developer, blix, stabiliser).

Also: Jobo C-41 Kit

Modular 3-bath E-6 system allowing three different looks by swapping first developer: D6 DaylightChrome (neutral, standard 6-stop DR, conventional E-6 look), D9 DynamicChrome (warm, low contrast, claims 9+ stops DR, 'cinematic' look), T6 TungstenChrome (cool 3200K balance, shoot tungsten film in daylight). Temperature control critical especially in first developer.

Also: Cs6

Three-bath E-6 kit with separate colour developer step rather than combined processes. The first developer is critical — temperature errors here cause colour shifts. Stabilizer included. Limited availability following Tetenal business difficulties.

Also: Colortec E-6, Tetenal E-6

Economical E-6 processing kit distributed primarily in North America through Freestyle Photo. White-label product providing standard E-6 results at lower cost. Less extensive documentation than premium brands — use standard E-6 times as starting point.

Also: Arista E-6

Professional-grade E-6 chemistry with separate components for maximum control and archival results. Full process includes: first developer, reversal bath (or chemical fogging agent in colour developer), colour developer, bleach, fix, and stabiliser. Used in professional labs. Fuji Hunt has been progressively reducing photographic chemical production — availability increasingly limited.

Also: Chrome Six, Fuji E-6

Italian-made E-6 kit providing reliable results. Good alternative to Tetenal following their production uncertainties. Available primarily through UK and European retailers (Nik & Trick, AG Photographic). Standard 3-bath process with stabiliser included.

Also: Bellini Slide Kit