[Leica] Recipe for using Xtol developer; WAS: Variant on "Food for Leicas"

["Dan Honemann" <ddh@home.com>]

Dear Ted, Mark, Tina, Johnny and other Xtol advocates:

I plan to start experimenting with Xtol now that I've learned how to process
my own film.  I'll start with Tri-X and Delta 100 emulsions.  Can you please
share your recipe for times, temps, agitation periods, etc. when using Xtol
to process these films?

All I know at this point is that 1:3 seems to be the right dilution.

Thanks very much in advance.  I appreciate all the detail I can get, as I'm
still very much a novice at this craft.

Regards,
Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ted Grant
> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 11:04 AM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Variant on "Food for Leicas"
> Importance: Low
>
>
>
>
> Tina Manley wrote:
>
> > Try XTol developer, Dick.  I get much better results with that than with
> > TMax developer.<<<<<<<<<<
>
> Hi Tina,
> I had been an avid user of TMAX developer since it's arrival on the
> scene, once I figured out how to make it work with Tmax films. I was
> totally convinced it was the only developer to use with the likewise
> named films.
>
> That was until I tried EXTOL after so many Luggers were praising it. At
> first I was skeptical of the the reports, as it seemed it was from
> testing and not shooting during working assignments. However, after I
> saw my results and made 16X20 blow-ups I was totally convinced at the
> virtues of EXTOL and haven't used Tmax developer since on either Kodak
> or Ilford films.
>
> It's a great soup for normal or pushed films and I highly recommend it
> to anyone who has yet to try it. And I'll probably not use another until
> some new magical developer elixir comes along that is an
> improvement on EXTOL!
>
> And maybe by then I'll be all digital!  ;-)  Kidding, kidding!   :-)
>
> ted