Back in 2023, I came across an exciting developer, Compard R09 Spezial, after some digging I discovered that R09 Spezial had nothing to do with Rodinal despite the name. It was Agfa Studionol, and when I wrote that review, it was mentioned to me in a comment that Bellini Foto produces a version of Studionol, Hydrofen. It took a bit of work, but I got a couple of small bottles of Hydrofen to write a review of the currently produced version of Studional. And true to my word in my review of R09 Spezial I made the point to do the majority of rolls using the 1+15 reusable dilution.
Technical Details
Manufacturer: Bellini Foto
Name: Hydrofen
Primary Developer: Aminophenol
Type: Reusable or One-Shot
Mix From: Liquid
Handling
Hydrofen is an easily handled liquid concentrate developer; it is thin and colourless. As time goes on, it does present a pale yellow colour. When that turns to a deep yellow, the concentrate becomes useless. It is also easily measured and mixed with water for the working solutions. The shelf life of a sealed bottle of concentrate is approximately two years. There are two ways to mix and use Hydrofen. The first is a reusable working solution; this is done by combining a 1+15 dilution of concentrate with water. One litre working solution can develop ten rolls of 35mm/120 films or equivalent sheets. The well-stored and sealed bottle of working solution will be kept for approximately three months. The 1+15 dilution is also a fast-working developer, with many listed times under five minutes. If that concerns you, you can also make it more dilute; the downside is that once you mix it further down, it becomes a one-shot developer. The one-shot dilutions are 1+30, 1+31, and 1+39. And the best part is that now, you can find developing times for many films that once only had a 1+15 dilution listed and now have 1+39 dilutions, thanks to the fine folks at Bellini Foto.
Applications
When I first reviewed this developer (as R09 Spezial), I felt torn about using it as a general-purpose developer, but after using it at the 1+15 dilution as a reusable developer, I can honestly say that yes, Hydrofen/R09 Spezial/Studional makes for an excellent option for a general purpose developer especially now that you can get the concentrate in larger volumes from Bellini Foto. Being able to mix up only 500mL of the 1+15 solution left me with a bit more concentration to develop at the one-shot dilutions. After trying it now with fast and slow films, I can safely say it works well with traditional and modern-grained film stocks. So, despite my hesitancy, Hydrofen is a great general-purpose developer if you can get your hands on it. And that’s my biggest problem here in North America, is that getting my hands on it can be troublesome. I either have to order it from overseas or get someone to pick it up in the US and bring it across the border, as some companies won’t ship the stuff, or it costs an arm and a leg.
Qualities
At least with Hydrofen, I had some idea of what this developer would deliver, and it certainly did with the original review using the one-shot dilutions. But the best part is that all those qualities are still found in Hydrofen, plus there is access to the ‘new’ 1+39 dilution for those who are not fans of developing their films for less than five minutes. Hydrofen balances out edge sharpness, fine grain and contrast and does everything that Studional does without missing a beat. It provides full box speed, and I love what it does with traditional and modern film stocks. But the real question is, does the 1+15 reusable dilution do the same thing as the one-shot? Is there any difference between the two? I made the point this time to use a couple of rolls with the one-shot dilution while I primarily developed using the reusable dilution. It performs exactly like the one shot; there is no difference that I can see between the two other than having shorter development times and having the ability to extend the life of your concentration. Hydrofen produces clean negatives with excellent contrast and grain structure. Nothing too severe but well balanced between fine-grain and edge sharpness. And the visible grain has a good structure.
Lowdown
I am so glad that I found out about Hydrofen and got the chance to fully explore the classic Studional developer in both the one-shot and reusable methods. And if I could more easily get my hands on Hydrofen here in Canada, I would add it to my chemistry kit as a full-time addition. It makes a tremendous general-purpose and speciality developer. The folks at Bellini Foto are dedicated to testing out their developers with various film stocks and are quick to respond. My results with Ferrania ORTO are thanks to a response from Bellini; they also provided times for P30 and P33 simultaneously! The only spot in North America where I know you can get Bellini Products is Freestyle Photographic, so you might have to pay a bit more for shipping. OtherOther options include ordering from European suppliers, which seems to make it easier to send chemistry to Canada. If you have used Studional in the past and want to use this developer again in a modern form, then Hydrofen is the way to go.
Recommended Reading
Don’t just take my word on Hydrofen check out these other blogs on the subject!
My Square World – Bellini Hydrofen Test