Agfa Atomal (old version)

[Christiaan Phleger]

Wow! Just snagged a couple of boxes of the older version of AGFA's Atomal with the HEAP from the bay site, he's got a few more if anyone wants it, and a fairly reasonable price as well. Eager to try this, especially since I've done the Xtol/D-23/Microdol-X route. Does anyone have any experience with this? I've exhausted my APUG searches. Many thanks and good light to you all.

 

[Paul Howell]

When I worked for the wires in the 70s and 80 I used it on occasion for my personal work as it was carried by the photo shop in the town I worked from, Brindisi It. As I recall, a fine grain developer, between D23 and Microdol X. I think I shot most films at about 2/3rds ISO, at the time I was shooting TriX and HP5, depending on what I could find.

 

[Martin Rickards]

I used the equivalent from M&B UK, Promicrol, and routinely rated FP4 at 200ASA. as far as I could tell,it produced similar quality negs to box speed FP4 in ID11. Still trying to work out a way to make HEAP sulphate from catechol and monoethanolamine.

 

[Lachlan Young]

I used the equivalent from M&B UK, Promicrol, and routinely rated FP4 at 200ASA. as far as I could tell,it produced similar quality negs to box speed FP4 in ID11. Still trying to work out a way to make HEAP sulphate from catechol and monoethanolamine.

Without intending to, I think you've identified the problem with HEAP sulphate - it's likely no better than a well designed PQ developer - and with unclear questions over its safety. Ilford and M&B were close neighbours (maybe 5 miles apart), and from what I can tell from primary materials Promicrol was on the market before Ilford had ironed out all the issues with making speed increasing PQ developers (and manufacturing phenidone in quantity) - the Promicrol patent application is from 1948 from what I recall reading - whereas it took until the early-mid 1950s for Ilford to be en route to Microphen.