A few years ago, I reviewed a rather interesting developer, Diafine. Diafine is a universal black-and-white film developer. Universal in that it will develop all films using a fixed set of development times, which also requires that the film be exposed at a specific exposure index. But what if you could make this even simpler? Well, that’s where the fine folks at Flic Film come into play with their Elementary Developer. Like Diafine, Elementary is a two-bath developer with parts A and B, which you use as separate steps, but you only have one exposure time for all films and no need to expose the film differently. It certainly sounded interesting to me when I first learned about the developer from Eclectachrome. I put it on my list of developers to try. Earlier this year, Flic Film reached out and offered to send me the developer to try and review! So thanks to Flic Film for sending this over!
Technical Details
Manufacturer: Flic Film
Name: Elementary Developer
Primary Developer: Hydroquinone & Metol
Type: Reusable
Mix From: Powder
Handling
Elementary Developer is prepared by mixing powder to form two stock solutions: Part A and Part B. In your kit, you’ll receive one pouch for mixing Part A and two pouches for mixing Part B. To mix, fill a mixing container with 800mL of distilled water heated to 50-55°C, mix the solution, and when the powder is mostly dissolved, top up to a final volume of 1L. Clean the container, then repeat the process, mixing only one pouch of powder for Part B. Store the stock solutions in separate well-labelled containers. It’s important not to let any Part B enter the Part A bottle, or you’ll lose the entire batch. Part A will develop 20 rolls of film, while Part B will develop 10; that’s why a second pouch of Part B powder is provided. Do not dilute the stock solution with water. During development, do not perform any prewashes; instead, pour Part A directly into the film and agitate continuously for three minutes. You can make use of a mechanical device like the B’s Processor. I ran these at a constant slow rotation of about 10 RPM. Once you’ve reached the three-minute mark, return Part A to its container, then pour in Part B and repeat the agitation for three more minutes. Once done, use plain water as a stop bath and let it run for a couple of minutes, or use running water if you feel more comfortable. Do not use an acid stop bath. Then fix and wash as usual. One thing you’ll notice is that Part A will start to take on the look of a hazy IPA, and Part B will develop a slight brown tint, but both still work properly. Remember, you’re not washing off any anti-halation layer before using this developer. The stock solution lasts for six months in a stoppered bottle in a cool, dry location. Because this contains both hydroquinone and metol, it would be best to dispose of your exhausted stock solutions at your local hazardous waste centre.
Applications
Like Diafine, Elementary is great when you have many rolls to process and don’t want to switch chemistries or constantly figure out how to group films. Also, you could have incredibly limited space for your film chemistry. Especially if you’re like me and enjoy using a variety of film stocks. And the reason I say that is that with Diafine, there’s a range of times depending on your film and the exposure speed. With Elementary, you can shoot the film at box speed (or whatever speed you want) and develop it with the same times: 3 minutes in A and 3 minutes in B. It also proves to be a fast and consistent development process. Because of this consistency, it’s a great option for films whose development times you don’t know, so that you can throw them into the tank and hope for the best. With the short development time, you’ll reduce the risk of base fog. As for film types, this works on both cubic and t-grain films, fast and slow, but only on traditional B&W films. I got good results from the rolls. I did a 1/3 stop in either direction. Beyond that, I plan on testing that capacity.
Qualities
When you’re presented with a developer who says that it can do everything and anything in a single time, you may face some trouble with quality. But Elementary proved my instincts wrong. While I did use a lot of favourite films here, I also made a point of including a few I know I have struggled with in the past. And also a range from fast to slow films. One thing I’ve noticed is that when working with faster films (ASA-400), the negatives often look thin and scan dark, but there’s still enough detail to pull out a lot in post-processing. It works best with mid-speed films; anything between 100 and 200 delivers the best-looking negatives. There’s also a high level of consistency; you get a bit more contrast than with Diafine, and you get sharp images with some fine grain. Even the grain from Kentmere 400 seems nicely tamed with Elementary, which was also a surprise. Overall, Elementary gives any film a pleasing look.
Lowdown
It is always fun when a new developer based on an old, iconic favourite comes to market. And while I did have my doubts initially about Elementary if it could do everything it says on the tin, mainly because I had only seen one other photographer using it, that doubt was quickly washed away with the first two rolls. Elementary does exactly what it’s supposed to do: develop every film using the same set of time. Honestly, the only thing you’re limited by is that 1L volume of your stock developer, which means you can only use the 3x35mm Paterson Tank, but you can always double up rolls of 120 on those Paterson reels. So that you know, please take careful account of the number of rolls when your two parts age out at different rates. Thankfully, I take careful notes, so I was able to mix up a new batch of Part B after the first batch was exhausted. Given the cost of Elementary and its high volume, it is an economical developer and is readily available around the world at many speciality camera shops. You can find a list of their dealers online. This will be a go-to developer in the future. While my bottles of Diafine are still going strong, I think Elementary is better because it is a true universal one-and-done developer for all b&w films.
Recommended Reading
Don’t just take my word on the Elementary Developer, check out these other blogs on the subject!
Eclectachrome – New Developer with Same Dev Time for All B&W Films??