Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/17
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Bill Welch wrote:
>snip
> For those who are interested in this subject, I recommend a newly released
> book: The Film Developing Cookbook,, by Stephen G. Anchell and Bill Troop,
> Focal Press, 1998. This is not the same book as the previous Darkroom
> Cookbook or similar title by Anchell. It is in fact the book I was looking
> for when I bought the first one. It is a most intelligent and
> understandable discussion of the various types of developers and film
> development characteristics.
>
> Here are a few key points Troop and Anchell make that I found interesting
> and perhaps are relevant to this Leica discussion:
>
> One is that the new technology tabular grain films, Tmaxes and Deltas, use
> about 30% less silver than traditional emulsions. This may be why Kodak has
> pushed Tmax so relentlessly. They point out that while these films are
> finer grained than their traditional counterparts, they may be less capable
> of the smooth gradation of detail that have made traditional emulsions so
> popular. That is not to say the Tmax or Delta films aren't capable of fine
> results. But like everything else in photography, you make trade-offs with
> your choices.
>
> A second is that Xtol is the current state of the art in black and white
> film developers and can be thought of as a radical modernization of D-76.
> Sodium isoacorbate, a vitamin C derivative, replaces hydroquinone, and a
> derivative of Phenidone replaces metol. Like D-76, Xtol is a solvent
> developer; that is, it has a lot of sodium sulfite. (Other developers that
> use Phenidone or its derivatives include HC110 and FG7, both of which are
> non-solvent developers, and Microphen and Acufine.)
>
> Troop and Anchell say that with Xtol, Kodak has disbanded further research
> into black and white silver-based film developers.
>
> Bill
Yesterday I spent $28 bucks on The Darkroom Cookbook by Steve Anchell at
Powells Bookstore in Portland Oregon, I wonder if there is an upgrade to
the newer better book. It has a Rodinal substitute but no Xtol. My
Timing as usual is impeccable. IN a Dignam book they use Sodium
Ascorbate to preserve Amidol, that's it.
Mark :-{ Rabiner