Topic: APX 100 developer recommendations?

[Nick Moys]

Have just developed my first roll of Agfa APX 100 (35mm) - got a bunch on offer at Photographica show.  Developed in R09/rodinal for 13 minutes @ 20c (rated at 100ASA).  Results were slightly more grainy than I expected, but, based on other posts I have read since, this was probably about right for this film/developer combination.  Also, by the end of development the temperature had risen to 21.5c which won't have helped, I guess.

Any recommendations on alternative developers for reduced grain?  Thanks.

[LT]

if you are happy with a speed loss, then go for perceptol - rate it at about 80 or 64, and develop at 24 degrees at 1:3 dilution - you'll get almost grain free negs, and super-defined accutance.

if you want to keep the speed as high as possible, then use aculux 3.  It will be very fine grain, although not quite as much as perceptol.  

both are superb developers - and much underrated too IMO.

Welcome to FW by the way.

 

[Nick Moys]

Thanks for the advice Leon.  Have used Aculux 2 in the past with good results, so will give the latest formulation a go.  Cheers.

[LT]

No problem. Make sure you post your results up here.

[Karl]

I'll second Leon with the Aculux 3 recommendation. Koday Xtol is also very good for a fine grain/acutance balance and normal emulsion speed.

[Abdul Hye]

Developed in R09/rodinal for 13 minutes @ 20c (rated at 100ASA)

I did the same. I got the times from Thedigitaltruth.com I usually get my times from there. However it came out a little flat.

I checked the times from agfaphoto.com and should have been in the developer for 17mintues at 1:50 20°C.
http://www.agfaphoto.com/appc/_upload/2008_36/Datasheet_F_PF_E4.pdf

[Nick Moys]

Just to say thanks to all for the advice on this.  I have now developed a couple of rolls of APX100 in Aculux 3 (1+9 8.5minutes @20c), and am generally pleased with the results.  However, I'm fairly easily pleased when it comes to home developing - so please feel free to point out any obvious shortcomings.  It must be thirty years since I processed my first film (Tri-X in D76 in a high school darkroom), but it still feels pretty good when you pull out the film and there are actually images there!  Anyway, a few examples of recent results below, all 35mm taken with a Voigtlander Bessa.  Will try the next batch with Perceptol for the sake of comparison.
Nick.

[Francois]

To me they look mighty fine.
You'd be surprised at how tolerant film is to processing... so don't sweat over it

[Nigel]

They look good to me.

I was the bloke, at Photographica, who watched Leon load up his bag and said 'I won't buy any of that APX 100 at a pound a roll because I've got loads of b&w fim at home!' Yes, I know! On Wednesday I'm going to Silverprint to buy some at twice the price!   

I'm going to pick up some HC110 at the same time so we can see how that looks.

A pound a roll!! I could cry!

[Francois]

Not as much as me...
Last roll of Acros 100 cost around 5$ each