Like my last developer review (Fuji Microfine), Fuji Super Prodol (SPD) has little information online about the developer. SPD is the faster version of Prodol and according to what I could find online says that this developer is designed for push-processing films. And to make things even more interesting is that looking at the chemical formula it shares similar characteristics to Crawley’s FX-37. This was part of the care package from a reader that included Microfine which turned out to be an amazing developer with Fuji Acros 100 II. The package does appear to be a modern pouch, and appears to be still in production despite some online sources.
Technical Details
Manufacturer: Fujifilm
Name: Super Prodol (SPD)
Primary Developer: Hydroquinone
Type: Reusable/One-Shot
Mix From: Powder
Handling
If you can mix up any other powdered developer, then mixing up SPD will be no different. The chemistry comes in powdered form in a single pouch that can be mixed into a one-litre stock solution. Fuji recommends mixing the entire pouch in one go, without splitting it into smaller amounts. It appears that SPD is only available in a one-litre volume. Similar to Microfine, start with 800mL of distilled water heated to approximately 50°C (122°F), then pour in the entire contents of the pouch. Mixing can be done either manually or using a magnetic stirrer. Once the powder is mostly dissolved, top up to the total one-litre volume. Then store in a well-labelled bottle. In powder form, when stored in a cool, dry location, and the pouch remains sealed and intact, you have an infinite shelf life. In stock form, a full and sealed bottle, you have about six months on paper, that drops to about one month once you start to remove the stock solution. In stock form, you can develop ten rolls of 35mm/120 film. Once you go to 1+1, it becomes a one-shot developer. Fuji does not recommend making more dilute mixes.
Applications
Fuji designed SPD to be their fast developer, and it’s fast in two ways. First off, it’s designed around their faster film offerings, Neopan 400 and 1600. So if you’re a fan of those films and have a stash of them, then SPD might be your best bet for achieving the best results. Second, it’s a fast-acting developer, so you’re looking at shorter development times all around, both in stock and 1+1 dilutions. But don’t let the first fact stop you from using slower films, it’s also good pairing with Acros 100 and by extension Acros 100 II. For non-Fuji film stocks, it also does a fantastic job with mid to fast films like Delta 100, HP5+, and, surprisingly, Retro 400s. But I wouldn’t use it with films slower than ASA-100. And while designed for modern emulations, it handles traditional ones as well. Plus, it works well for push development, which is a bonus.
Qualities
Right off the bat the first three rolls that I developed looked amazing coming out from the tank, that included the roll of Acros 100, Delta 100 and a roll of HP5+ (under-exposed and pushed two stops). They all had amazing density and plenty of visible detail from my initial look. The first roll I scanned blew me away and that was the HP5+, I trusted in the versatility and latitude of HP5+, but I did not expect to get the results that I did. These were clean, excellent smooth tones and contrast, sharp results and not as much visible grain as I expected. I’m not a fan of push-processing but let me say SPD did a superb job at countering some of the downsides of the process. I’ve only seen these sorts of results from Diafine and Acufine!
Lowdown
One thing that I have noted is that, unlike Microfine, I haven’t been able to find SPD for sale through online retailers, yet the pouches that I received are the same new style as Microfine. But the only film listed on it is Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 (not Acros 100 II), which leads me to believe that this may be new-old stock and that supplies are limited for SPD. If you can get your hands on the stuff, you’re in for a treat, especially if you have those rolls of Acros, along with Neopan 400 and 1600 lying around. While SPD is a good developer, it wasn’t my favourite of the two Fuji developers that I reviewed this year. Microfine was magical, and I can see it being far more usable in my day-to-day photography than SPD.
Recommended Reading
Don’t just take my word on SPD check out these other blogs on the subject!
Toivonen Photography – Fuji Super Prodol (SPD) First Impressions