FX-37 film developer

Description

Geoffrey Crawley’s phenidone/hydroquinone developer: sharpness close to the acutance developers at grain close to D-76. An attempt to take the best of both camps.

What it does

A moderate amount of sulphite gives mild solvent action — enough to keep the grain from breaking up, not enough to soften the edges. The print shows detail rather than film structure. It works particularly well on ISO 100–400 medium-format stock.

What to compare it against

Sharper than D-76, finer grained than Rodinal. If you have been moving between those two and neither quite satisfies, FX-37 is the answer.

Questions and answers

What dilution?

1+3 is the working one, used once. Take times from the film chart or the recipe page.