Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Christer Almqvist wrote: > > >Mark, > >I've never tried Neutol Plus and don't have any on hand. I'll have to > >try it. > > > >I approve of ascorbic developers generally. They have excellent > >technical properties, low toxicity, and are environmentally very > >benign--even compared to other developers, most of which aren't so bad. > > > >In fact the only materials "crisis" I've had in recent years is that > >Tri-X is one of the few films that I think is not a partciularly good > >match to Xtol (although it's not bad)--I've actually considered > >switching films so I can use Xtol. > > Please let us know what film you select. I went to HP5, but then in > Rodinal, however, this is not a general usage combination. Good for night > shots and contrasty stuff though. > > It's a really good film developer. It > >deserves to be for the next 50 years what D-76 has been for the last 50 > >and more (D-76 was formulated in 1932, if memory serves). > > > >--Mike Christer not only is ascorbic acid a silver reducer (developer) but it is a preservative and antioxidant as I've just read in the Dignam book. HP5 I've always had the worst luck with over the decades with the developerse I've used. I have a feeling in Xtol it would look terrific just like just about anything run in Xtol would look terrific. My dirty underwear would look great run in Xtol. I really think Xtol is as sharp as Rodinol but without the sharp grain staring at you it's less obvious. I have a stack of Tri x fiber prints done either in Xtol or Rodinol and the only inconsistency is the grain. Mark Rabiner