AKFF Developer (Ascorbic Acid-Phenidone-Phosphate)

About this developer

The AKFF developer was developed by Alexey Vladimirovich (Aleksiy) Agarev—a widely known and respected amateur photographer in Russia (www.d-76.ru). In all respects, it is very similar to Kodak’s well-known X-TOL developer: the developing agent is also phenidone combined with ascorbic acid, but without Kodal, which is quite rare in the post-Soviet space and which, in the original formula, sets the required pH. Trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate is used instead of Kodalac. The developer has low veiling capacity, which allows it to be used even with severely expired film, produces very soft grain (good for portraits), and provides excellent detail in the shadows, making it suitable, like Microphen, for the PUSH process. The standard development time is 5–10 minutes for almost all film types; up to 7 rolls of film can be processed in 1 liter. The negatives most closely resemble those produced with Microphen at a 1:1 dilution, but the grain is finer and less “soapy.” Overall, the developer is characterized as very “user-friendly” and “reliable”; it is especially recommended for beginners, and it is also very safe to use and low in toxicity.

Character

Homemade Kodak X-TOL clone using phenidone and ascorbic acid (without Kodal). Soft grain, detail in the shadows; suitable for push processing.

How to Prepare and Use

1. 1The developer is supplied in three packets: A—phenidone, B—ascorbic acid, C—other reagents (trisodium phosphate, sodium sulfite, potassium bromide, Trilon B).
2. 2In hot distilled water at 50–55°C, dissolve the contents of packet C while stirring constantly.
3. 3Add about 1/10 of the contents of Packet B (ascorbic acid), then add Packet A (phenidone) and stir until it is completely dissolved. If the solution turns pink, add a little more (but not all!) ascorbic acid.
4. 4Once the phenidone has completely dissolved, add the remaining ascorbic acid (Package B) and dissolve it completely. The final solution should be slightly cloudy and light lemon-colored.
5. 5Add water to bring the total volume to 1 liter.
6. 6Agitation for development times of less than 6 minutes: agitate continuously at a moderate pace for the first minute, then agitate for 5 seconds every 25 seconds (twice per minute for 5 seconds each time).
7. 7Agitation for development times longer than 6 minutes: For the first half-minute, agitate continuously and fairly vigorously; up to and including 4 minutes, agitate for 5 seconds every 25 seconds; thereafter, until the end of development, agitate moderately for 5–7 seconds once per minute.
8. 8A 0.5-liter batch of developer is guaranteed to process 3–5 rolls of film; the development time for each subsequent roll should be increased slightly (for example, for Fomapan 100: 1st roll—5.0 min, 2nd—5.5 min, 3rd—6.0 min, 4th–5th—6.5–7 min).

Development times for different films

The time specified by the recipe author applies to a fresh working solution at 20°C; the capacity is up to 7 films per liter, and the development time for subsequent films in the same batch gradually increases.