[Leica] XTOL times/dilutions What changed?

["Dan S" <dstate1@hotmail.com>]

A note regarding XTOL.  After a number of mis-starts and mis matches (XTOL 
and Delta 100)  I finally found a Kodak combo I liked.  XTOL stock and TMAX 
100.  I used this combo developed per the spec sheets for 9 MONTHS...with 
great results.

A month ago I bought some new XTOL.  My tried and true time/temp combo gave 
me useless negs.  I thought I had picked up a bad batch. I thougt I had 
mis-mixed the dilution.  I thought I had lost my sinkin mind!  I tossed the 
remaining XTOL, purchased more and DAMN, more of the same.

I finally just started increasing developement time/temps until I got the 
negs I USED to get based on the spec sheet.  I am now up to 6 minutes at 78 
degrees, with mild agitation every 30 secs.

All this smells of a production change to me...Kodak, what's the story?

Best Wishes
Dan States
Madison WI
>
> > Does anyone know why they changed their mind? I just developed two rolls 
>of
> > Tri-X in 1:3 XTOL* last night and would like advance warning if it is 
>going
> > to mutate and try and strangle me in my sleep one night.
> >
> > John Collier
> >
> > *Yes I know it is one of the few films that XTOL does nothing for. I 
>just
> > like the idea of using a relatively non-toxic developer.
>
>I think Xtol/Tri-X is a good combination but only at the 1:2 or 1:3
>dilution. At 1:1 the grain is, as I have said before, SMUSHY and you will
>peer at your prints wondering why they appear to be simultaneously 
>perfectly
>in focus and queasily unsharp. However, at any dilution you get terrific
>latitude and tonal gradation from this combo.
>
>The reason they took the dilutions off is, I think, because Xtol is a
>developer which is very easily exhausted and at the working dilutions there
>is a chance that the film will use up all of the developer agent before 
>it's
>done. They say that you need 100ml of stock Xtol to each 35mm 36-exp film.
>My tanks (stainless steel) allow about 250ml of solution to each reel, so 
>at
>1:1 dilution I'm getting 125ml of stock to each film. AT 1:2 it's around
>80ml and at 1:3 it's around 60ml.
>
>Clearly, then, unless you leave some reels empty there is a danger with
>weaker dilutions that the developer will become prematurely exhausted, 
>which
>will show up as thin, flat negs.
>
>For some reason I think this problem is particularly acute with Tmax films,
>which many people find need longer in Xtol than the datasheet suggests... 
>as
>much as 20% in my case.
>
>Mark Rabiner says that he just extends the development time to compensate
>for the notional exhaustion and that sounds like a good plan... I haven't
>had time to experiment with it yet.
>
>Personally I think Kodak are cutting off their nose to spite their face by
>removing the data for the higher dilutions as to me the results are visibly
>better. Certainly on 11x14 enlargements of a conventional film like my
>staple APX400, a 1:2 or 1:3 dilution results in visibly sharper pictures
>plus better highlight control. If there's extra grain I haven't noticed
>it... in fact if anything the grain appears marginally tighter but I can't
>imagine why that would be unless it's the result of lower contrast from the
>lower dilution.
>
>Currently I'm using it 1:2 with a full tank and to combat any possible
>exhaustion effects I leave the film sitting for an extra minute or two
>without agitation at the end of the development, which probably bumbps up
>edge effects and compensation a whisker. I also use a water rinse rather
>than a stop bath which might possibly have a very faint effect on shadow
>detail but frankly I doubt it's visible.
>
>My recommendation would be go 1:2 and err very slightly on the generous 
>side
>with your times, or use 1:3 and leave reels empty or experiment to find the
>correct times. (I would guess adding 20% over the times on the datasheet
>would put you in the ballpark).
>
>Finally, if you really want sharp negs that have smooth tonalities GO EASY
>ON THE AGITATION. I find three gentle inversions/60s is all it takes, with
>continuous agitation in the first 30s, and cutting back on the agitation to
>3 inversion/120s for the last 4 minutes to have a crack at edge effects.
>
>Just some more darkroom folklore for your noggin.
>--
>Johnny Deadman
>
>http://www.pinkheadedbug.com
>
>

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