I used to use several films for both 35mm and medium format, along with different developers for each of the films. Pretty much Delta 100, Plus-X, and Tri-X with Xtol and HC-110. And years ago I briefly tried Acros with Pyro.  The results were always very good to spectacular, and I did that for a long time.

But several years ago a couple of things happened. I finished up my stash of Plus-X and ran into a bad batch of Xtol. I also was finally getting comfortable with my choice of what camera(s) for what purpose. Perhaps this confluence of events created a perfect storm that helped me arrive at another milestone. From that time on it was one film and one developer for both my 35mm and medium format work. Tri-X and HC-110.

Is this the perfect combination? Heck if I know!  Ansel Adams and Fred Picker both used it, but there are many who would substitute D-76. In fact a lot of photographers claim Tri-X and D-76 is a match made in heaven. Maybe so. Give it a whirl! My choice was based on two things. Tri-X is … well … Tri-X. And HC-110 provides great results. It’s easy to use, economic, and lasts forever … at least the old syruping stuff does. NOTE: Thankfully, the new formulation provides the same results. It’s also easier to mix, but has a shorter shelf life.

Look, pick whatever film/developer combination you like and learn how to use it.  That’s right, it takes some time to really learn about a film and how it behaves with a particular developer … another reason in my opinion to use just one combination.

Can you get better results using different films with different developers instead of simplifying like I’ve done. Many would say yes, but I would rather use the right camera/format for the task at hand rather than say trying to shoe horn 35mm into doing everything (e.g., landscape and street) with different films/developers.

As with sorting out what camera for what purpose, settling on one film and one developer has had the effect of simplifying my life … one less thing to worry about … and has helped me to focus on what’s really important … making meaningful pictures. And I don’t feel like the image quality in my prints is lacking in any meaningful way. To say this change has worked very well for me would be an understatement!

Try it and see how it works for you!

Stay well,

Michael