   |
Edward --
I did two articles on the subject of developer dilution in volume 5, issues #3 and #4 of "D-Max," the quarterly newsletter of "Darkroom Innovations," now "The View Camera Store" in Fountain Hills, AZ, PO Box 19450. I did the tests using D-76 with HP5 Plus and TXT, then with Xtol with TMX and Delta 400. I tested dilutions of 1+0 (straight developer), 1+1, 1+2, and 1+4, using the BTZS tubes and extending times as necessary to encompass a useful G range.
Although DD-X was not yet in common use when I did these tests I'll hazard a guess that its 1+11 dilution would fit into this test series somewhere in the middle since its "normal" dilution (1+5 to 1+8) corresponds more or less to D-76 1+1 to 1+2. If you're interested in these test results contact Fred or Dennis at to see whether copies of these two newsletters are still available.
There's no doubt that dilution affects development and there comes a point at which increasing dilution impairs development significantly. I didn't reach that point in these tests although in some cases it took a lot longer to produce a satisfactory curve family than you'd normally care to spend spinning tubes. I can't answer your question about a specific dilution limit but I've produced printable negatives on TMY with DD-X+14. I'd suggest using Expo/Dev's recommendations with your Efke film and if you get good negatives with reasonable development times don't worry about the dilution.
|
|
|
|
|
|