The end of my time with D76

[Mike S]

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I've been using D76, alongside Rodinal, as my only developers for over 40 years. Just processed a roll with the last drops of my last bottle of Kodak D76 stock. There's no more D76 available in the UK, nor Europe as far as I understand things and I'm feeling rather sentimental about the loss of the Kodak brand in my photographic life. 

I'm switching to Adox XT-3, their Xtol clone, which I am liking very much and getting very similar results with. I am told that there's an Adox D76 clone on the horizon but yet to see it in the UK. For some utterly irrational personal reasons (can't stand their packaging design) I've never liked ID11, so for me that's not an option, but I wondered what anyone else was thinking about the passing of Kodak chemicals in Europe?

Illustration from almost the last frame from that last roll.

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[250swb]

It's a shame not to have the option of Kodak chemicals, but I'd use ID-11 if I wanted the nearest equivalent to D-76. Ilford also make a copy of HC-110 called Ilfotec HC which even uses the same dilutions, and as you say Adox are filling other gaps. I'm not so sure that Kodak are gone forever though, Kodak chemicals are now made in China by a company who bought the rights to manufacture and market them and it may simply be a supply chain problem, I mean there's not much point paying for the brand and then not doing it.

[Pyrogallol]

Save your last D76 box or bottle and put ID11 in it.

[newtoleica]

Really? I should hang onto my last 10 bags of D76 1 litre sachets then!

seriously… they are a couple of years out of date as I’ve been using pyro… I’m sure they will keep a bit longer, 

[250swb]

5 minutes ago, newtoleica said:

Really? I should hang onto my last 10 bags of D76 1 litre sachets then!

seriously… they are a couple of years out of date as I’ve been using pyro… I’m sure they will keep a bit longer, 

No sell them on eBay as 'rare and collectible' and buy some ID-11 using a fraction of the vast profit.

[Ouroboros]

On 9/15/2023 at 2:50 PM, Mike S said:

 I'm switching to Adox XT-3, their Xtol clone, which I am liking very much and getting very similar results with.

 

I bought a 1ltr pack of Adox XT-3 a couple of weeks ago to try out, mainly because of the claimed reduced environmental impact  compared to other developers.  I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first 4 rolls of 35mm Tri-X out of the tank, also with the first 4 120 rolls of Acros. I ordered another five 1tr packs. 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Ouroboros

[hansvons]

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On 9/18/2023 at 11:44 PM, Ouroboros said:

I ordered another five 1tr packs. 

My default B&W developer.

[schmidtbaer]

Used Kodak XTOL for some years and recently switched to Adox XT-3. I did not notice any difference and it even dissolves better.

Adox D76 should be available via their outlet shop: Fotoimpex.com

 

[adan]

Just bought two fresh packages of D-76 here in Denver (1 gallon each of stock solution, once mixed). "Made in USA."

As well as stocking up on Kodak Rapid Fix kits - and a bottle of HC-110 concentrate. Just in case.

The HC-110 was &%$#-ing $42.95 (used to be about $16.00) - but since it will last me 2 years once opened, not as bad as it might seem.

Edited October 18, 2023 by adan

[Xícara de Café]

That's a shame. I love the look of D76 but use PMK because of convenience, shelf-life, etc. D76 is still available in Brazil but the standard Kodak fixer (non-rapid) is not.

Edited November 11, 2023 by Xícara de Café

[nitroplait]

Not the slightest sad that I have to resort to alternatives to Kodak branded products in Europe.
They didn’t make them themselves anyway and they were/are more expensive than the alternatives.

For consistent QC and documentation, I’d go the Ilford route, and rebottle whatever you don’t like the look of.

 

 

[Borna]

On 9/15/2023 at 3:50 PM, Mike S said:

I've been using D76, alongside Rodinal, as my only developers for over 40 years. Just processed a roll with the last drops of my last bottle of Kodak D76 stock. There's no more D76 available in the UK, nor Europe as far as I understand things and I'm feeling rather sentimental about the loss of the Kodak brand in my photographic life. 

I'm switching to Adox XT-3, their Xtol clone, which I am liking very much and getting very similar results with. I am told that there's an Adox D76 clone on the horizon but yet to see it in the UK. For some utterly irrational personal reasons (can't stand their packaging design) I've never liked ID11, so for me that's not an option, but I wondered what anyone else was thinking about the passing of Kodak chemicals in Europe?

Illustration from almost the last frame from that last roll.

 

I read that Kodak is pushing out chems again, D76 might be back? 

[Mike S]

3 hours ago, Borna said:

I read that Kodak is pushing out chems again, D76 might be back? 

I saw that too. Here’s hoping. 

[Mr.Prime]

I use Kodak D76 myself. And I remember reading that the formula for it is widely available on the web, so you can make it yourself if you want to. I'm sure there are Youtube videos on how to do this. Here's one recipe that I found with a simple search:

 

Kodak D76 – Classic

1. Water @ 125F/52C, 750.0 ml.
2. Metol, 2.0 g.
3. Sodium Sulfite, 100.0 g.
4. Hydroquinone, 5.0 g.
5. Borax, 2.0 g.
6. Water to make 1 liter.
7. Dilute 1:1 for general use.

 

It's a pity that Cafenol doesn't produce better results (not tried myself but from looking on the web)

Edited November 30, 2023 by Mr.Prime

[Mike S]

18 hours ago, Mr.Prime said:

I use Kodak D76 myself. And I remember reading that the formula for it is widely available on the web, so you can make it yourself if you want to. I'm sure there are Youtube videos on how to do this. Here's one recipe that I found with a simple search:

 

Kodak D76 – Classic

1. Water @ 125F/52C, 750.0 ml.
2. Metol, 2.0 g.
3. Sodium Sulfite, 100.0 g.
4. Hydroquinone, 5.0 g.
5. Borax, 2.0 g.
6. Water to make 1 liter.
7. Dilute 1:1 for general use.

 

It's a pity that Cafenol doesn't produce better results (not tried myself but from looking on the web)

Thanks for that, may well have a go. Rather helpfully I have a stepdaughter at home who has just graduated with a first class degree in chemistry and an interest in photography, been quite useful refining a hybrid caffenol/rodinal/sodium sulphite mixture we concocted. 

[Mr.Prime]

It will be interesting to hear how you get on with that if you do give it a try.

Just remember to observe safety when mixing the chemicals, you don't want to inhale anything that comes in powder form like D76 itself.

[Pyrogallol]

Never had any problems mixing powder developers the last 50 years. The only one I have been careful about is Pyro, outside with mask and gloves.

[maxspbr]

Make it with raw chemicals. You can ever do any the variations, like the buffered borax - the same contrast and times of classic 1:1 but a slighty finer grain. 

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[Xícara de Café]

On 11/30/2023 at 12:37 PM, Mr.Prime said:

I use Kodak D76 myself. And I remember reading that the formula for it is widely available on the web, so you can make it yourself if you want to. I'm sure there are Youtube videos on how to do this. Here's one recipe that I found with a simple search:

 

Kodak D76 – Classic

1. Water @ 125F/52C, 750.0 ml.
2. Metol, 2.0 g.
3. Sodium Sulfite, 100.0 g.
4. Hydroquinone, 5.0 g.
5. Borax, 2.0 g.
6. Water to make 1 liter.
7. Dilute 1:1 for general use.

I recently made up a litre of the D76H formula in the "Darkroom Cookbook" (see PDF here: https://silveronplastic.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/the-darkroom-cookbook-3rd-ed-s-anchell-elsevier-2008-ww.pdf ).  It's the same as the Classic D76 with the omission of hydroquinone and with a bit more metol. Seemed to work well on a roll of HP5+ that I developed last week.

The Cookbook says that it's more stable than the classic D76 (as well as being more environmentally friendly), however I've read elsewhere online that it starts to lose its strength after a month or so on the shelf - ie. produces thin negatives. Does anyone here have an opinion on this?

[skahde]

The differences of the variations of D76 and ID11 can have practical relevance. This has been discussed often enough and also puzzled me when I tried to optimized my processes and ran into disturbing variations in densitometrie which weren't easy to explain. To cut a long story short and me not remembering all the details it turned out that:

• ID11 is closest to the published formula of D76 (with some sequestering agent added in case tap water is used).
• Packaged D76 is closer to the buffered formula D76d which is more stable and does not rise in pH and activity in use as ID11 does.
• With both be sure to use at least 200 ml stock or add additional dev-time for same curve. Look in the manual for D76.