One Stop Shop - Yes, Just One Developer for Film and Paper! 

you totally convinced me! I'm totally down for simplicity and reliability, and using only one developer for the whole thing is very convenient.

When I started doing my own photo processing around 1958, Kodak sold a "starter kit" called a Tri-Chem Pack, which included an MQ developer which could be used for film and paper, including a stop bath and fixer. The concept was akin to the Ilford Simplicity package offered today. I think the developer was something like D-72 (Dektol), diluted for film use. I suspect that overall quality of that developer was fairly poor, but since the standard then was contact prints or small enlargements, often from medium format film, such considerations were not overriding.

Hi John. Reporting back on my adventures with 510-Pyro (as requested). 1. The first roll of film was 120 Fomapan 200. I developed it as you suggested and, what do know, no grain. Even at 400%, grain is hardly discernible. It just blends in. I used my Bronica SQ Ai and a 65mm lens. Needless to say, I am very happy with the results. 2. I wanted to go to a local fair and shoot some film during the late afternoon and early evening. The weather was bland and overcast, with a strong possibility of rain. I found a time on the Massive Dev chart for Kentmere 400 exposed at ISO1600. (25 mins at 20 deg C. I turned the tank for the first minute and then three turns at 7 min, 14 min and 21 min). It was worth a try. I shot this on my Olympus OM 2n - a new camera that I wanted to try out (although I already have an OM 2 and some lenses). Of course there was grain, but not as much as I thought there might be - it was much more pronounced in the dark areas. Distinctions between bright and dark areas were good, and sharp at the edges, but mid tones were muddy and not particularly sharp. I don't think I'll be trying that again. Thank you for your help and for your excellent videos. Keep them coming.

The *very first roll* of film I developed without supervision (1970, age 10) was in Dektol. As D-72, it's been a "universal" developer since its introduction in the 1930s. Mix your own (metol, hydroquinone, sodium sulfite, and sodium carbonate) or buy it prepackaged dry. Dilute 1+1, 1+2, or 1+3 for prints, 1+9 for film; expect results similar to Rodinal (crisp, sharp grain).

This is a great solution for people who want to just have 1 developer for simplicity and to reduce waste from expired chemicals. I’m hooked on Ansco 130 from photographer’s formulary for paper right now - I can use the stock solution for weeks - maybe even months (haven’t tried yet) - which I love.

i've had a bottle of pre-diluted PQ universal at 1+35 sitting for a while and i just developed a small test strip and it worked just fine. I'm gonna put the developer back in the bottle for reuse since it shouldn't have affected it too badly with just a strip of 5 photos..

That’s really impressive, that’s a cracking developer!!

This is great John, thanks. I just discovered a developer which does the same, develop film and paper. But the great thing of it, is that it is awesome to reverse b&w paper and film as well. I shot some negative paper in my pinholes and I developed them with it (a process with bleach and a bath in potassium metabisulfite) and I obtained some lovely positive photos on paper directly out of the camera. I just love it. So I was wondering if a similar process would work with this as well? Here’s, Andrea

Wow, that’s amazing like truly beautiful work. Thank you for everything you do on your channel.

You can use programs to remove that hiss from the background noise it's really quite easy

Fantastic John 👍

Ow do John! I've used this formula a few times for processing film but not for paper. I've always used D163 (home made version) for my prints. Next time I mix some PQ Uni I'll give it a bash. Many thanks for a great illustration.

I am impressed with the results. Does that mean I have to go shopping again? It's starting to be like my camera's... I don't know which to pick... Thanks for the video! Cheers!

Thanks for another great video, just when I was ready to start again you give me a different path to choose. I have done B&W darkroom for some time, but, am getting back into it after resurrecting equipment that's been packed away in the shed. Your videos have really been a big help, dispelling some things I thought I knew and confirming others. In this video you use 1:29 dilution, but your website says 1:19, which is correct?

Hi John, this does sound very interesting and a huge plus of it saves cash and works for both film and paper. I've been dabbling with Thornton's 2 Bath that I purchase ready to mix from local camera store but wondered if you qould recommend an online reseller for the chemistry? Thanks in advance and love the videos

I made this up and tried it for Films ; I found using 'Clip Tests' for AGFA APX 100 i got only 50 ASA and had to give 15 mins. For outdated EFKE KB40 I got 40 ASA and had to use 10 mins -- I bet MY times for FP4+ will be much longer than yours!

HI John. I really like your videos and will buy that book! And your results for this developer are super. One question and comment. As I was writing my notes on your video, I believe you said to for paper development to add 150 mL of the PQ Universal to 1000 mL of water - did you meant to make 1000 mL working solution (which seems customary) or did I not hear your instructions correctly? I know the difference in concentration of the developer would be pretty small but I am just trying to be exact in my notes. [Edit: so I re-watched and I can see you did add water until there is a total of 1 L ] Secondly, I checked the molar masses and it seems there is 17.0% difference between the anhydrous and monohydrate versions of sodium carbonate. That is, if you use the monohydrate version of sodium carbonate, you should use 35.1g instead of 30g of the anhydrous sodium carbonate. At least here in the states, the common supplier of washing soda is Arm & Hammer and they state in their MSDS that it is 88% pure sodium carbonate, which implies that it is a mixture of anhydrous and monohydrate. It looks like you had some from a chemical supplier so you must be using the anhydrous form. I just read in your reply to another viewer to add 25% more for the monohydrate. I know with small differences in these developer recipes it is just as important to be consistent with your measurements as it is to be accurate so I hope you take no offense. Again, I really enjoy what you are doing!

Thanks for the cooking lesson John :) This developer is also known as Ilford ID-62. Strangely enough, it's not in Steve Anchell's Darkroom Cookbook What's the shelf life of this stuff ?

Evening John. Great prints!! After using the mix for developing the prints, do you keep the dev that was used in the tray for another days? as i do with my Ilford Multigrade print developer.

I hope you can answer this for me being new to home developing. How long will the made developer last for and how many prints should I be able able to get with that 1 liter bottle. Thank you so much.

@15:42 Is your print washer just an upside down funnel in the sink? Would love to know more about that.

I like the idea of a one-stop developer. Have you tried to purchase hydroquinone in the U.K? A photographic supplier wants £16 for 50g! I cannot find a supplier on the internet. Is there a substitute that can be used in place of it?

In the past, I used a lot of PQ Universal (Ilford pre-made) for paper only and really liked it. Honestly, I didn't know that the formula was public domain, thanks for that! If all I have on hand is the monohydrate version of Sodium Carbonate, what would be the multiplier to achieve equivalent weight?

Are you using distilled water, or just regular tap?

Is this even real