A couple of weeks ago, I was in Seattle. I posted about the visit (https://stevenlawrencepictures.com/2026/02/08/people-of-seattle-nikon-zfc-february-7/). The images on the post were digital. I shot a few images on black-and-white film, but I did not develop the roll. I was not happy with what I shot.
A few days ago, Andrew Morang (https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com) contacted me and said he was going to start developing film again. He was considering his options, and one was using Cinestill Df96 as a developer. He asked what I thought of the product. I told him I have never used it. Df96 is a simple developer for black-and-white film. There is only one step… the developer does not need a stop bath or a fixer… the developer does it all. Even the rinse following development is much simpler.
To share my thoughts on the product, I decided to order it and use it to develop the film I shot in Seattle. The images were not important to me, and I was curious to see what look the developer gave.
The instructions were simple (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0339/5113/files/Df96_instructions_Instructions_Complete.pdf?14374404616962145803). You have 3, 4, or 6 minutes of development time, depending on how much you agitate. I pushed the film one stop, so I also had to use warmer water. I chose the 6 minute time. Normally, a temperature of 21°C was required, but since I pushed the film one stop, I used the recommended temperature of 27°C.
The developer comes in a one-liter bottle. You just add the amount needed to develop the film, and after development, return it to the bottle. Once opened, use it within 2 months. You can develop about 16 rolls of film per bottle, adding an additional 15 seconds to the time for each additional use.
I used the Nikon FM3a, with the Nikkor 50mm F2 lens attached, to create these images.
Steven Lawrence Pictures 
It looks like the monobath did well. I’ve never used one. The cost and short shelf life always turned me off.
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It is a good option for many. Now I need to use it up.
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Interesting, these negatives look great, like Tri-X pushed one stop. I’m impressed by this one part developer/fixer. This is a good option if you save up a number of rolls of film and open a fresh bottle. I wonder if keeping the bottle in a cool place and purging the air would extend its life?
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The directions are very specific. It will last a year if not opened.
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