Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
What I like to do with Xtol is come home from a trip with 20 rolls of
120 film, mix up five liters of fresh Xtol, run a test roll, then do
the 20 five at a time, recycling the used developer back into the
bottle (i.e., mixing it with the unused developer), afterwards pitching
it most of the time.
2.5 liters is more than enough to do 5 220 rolls in a big Paterson
tank, so 5 liters is easily enough for 20 120 rolls. After 20 rolls, I
usually start upping the development time by 10%. Likewise, 5L of Xtol
should be enough to do 16 rolls of 35mm film.
What they never seem to tell you with these chemicals is that there is
a disconnect between the physical capacity required to submerge the
negs in developer (i.e., 17 oz for a 120 or 220 on a plastic reel)
versus the actual amount of developer solution required to develop a
certain number of square inches of film (which seems to be a lot less).
On Tuesday, August 12, 2003, at 10:42 AM, Mark Rabiner wrote:
> Steve Unsworth wrote:
>>
>> I agree, I'd just pour it out of the 5 litre bottle as required and
>> then
>> make up another 5 litres when it was empty.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Dante
>> Stella
>> Sent: 12 August 2003 02:59
>> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - B&W negative developing info. in general
>>
>> It actually lasts 3 months in a half-full 5 liter bottle, too.
>>
> Steve IF you go on the Darkroom Newsgroup you'll hear billions and
> billions of people who've done that and been sorry. Darn sorry.
> But then again you'll hear tens and tens who claim theirs was full to
> the top when it happened.
> But then you email them off list and finally pull the info out of them
> (IS IT SAFE???) that they were using cheap plastic containers, non
> filtered or distilled water, marbles to fill the liquid to the top and
> more weirdness I'm sure. OR "maybe it wasn't filled to the very top
> last
> time." Its often a one strike and you're out deal. Run one for the
> Gipper! I don't trust the anarchic air that you pump into the bottles
> to replace the regular air. I think air should have supervision! ("A"
> something I can't find the word)
>
> But boy if you are handling Xtol just like D76 like you say you are in
> for trouble soon, son;
> Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your
> life.
> And that's with a capital P. Which rhymes with T. Which stands for
> erratic rapid oxidation of ascorbates when exposed to the smallest
> amount of air. Which is very old news to the chemistry people.
>
> But I hear it's OK on Tuesdays
>
>
> Mark Rabiner
> Portland, Oregon USA
> http://www.rabinergroup.com
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>
>
____________
Dante Stella
http://www.dantestella.com
- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html