Another self-replenishing developer?

I think it is also important to differentiate how commercial labs and amateurs works. On one side big tanks with a minimum of 4 liters and up to 50 liters of developer where a humble piece of film pass though it avoiding aireation as much as possible; on the other side an amateur on the bathroom processing film in a small tank with 0,5 to 1 liter doing manual inversions. I don't think both can apply the same replenishment practices and even in some cases it will be not possible for the amateur.

In a Jobo-like rotary processing aireation meets also a very low volume of working solution. I can process in my Jobo CPP2 a 35 mm roll with just 125 ml, or process a 8x10'' paper sheet with 100 ml. The price to pay is that most working solutions are one-shot, still expensive from a large commercial lab point of view but very covenient for some amateurs like me with ocassional use of the darkroom.

I'll admit that for me, replenishment is somewhat in the nature of a game. With C-41 it's a significant economy measure, but I can mix my own D-76, D-23, or Parodinal and develop one-shot for around half the cost of replenished Xtol at $14 per 5L pack. However, I'm also on a septic system, so the fewer photographic products that go down the drain, the better (and yes, I've heard all the arguments about how pretty much anything but exhausted fixer, and maybe even that, is fine in a septic because it all breaks down so quickly).

The goal of the game is to get the best possible developing results (Xtol stock solution gives that) at the lowest possible cost (replenishment cuts the cost of using Xtol by a factor of three or four, even compared to reusing stock solution to capacity with extended time, without replenishment). With C-41 this is an easy game -- replenished Flexicolor LORR has all the cards, and if you have a means to store 5L of replenisher well enough to use it up before it goes off, it's the cheapest way, too. With B&W, as always, there are far too many choices to be really sure of the best solution -- but it seems as if it ought to include a long-term stable replenished developer, which really cuts down on the choices. One that tolerates small tank operation narrows the field further (777, for instance, isn't thought to work well in less than a gallon size deep tank). Ask for full film speed and the best sharpness, and we're pretty much back to Xtol or one of its work-alikes, as far as I can tell -- but I keep looking for potential alternatives.

Hence why this thread, originally asking about the Fuji-Hunt E-6 First Dev.

On the subject of the "replenish every two weeks if there has been no use" suggestion, I too have never figured out why it seems to work - to make a positive contribution for many people, including myself for a while - but somehow it does.
I actually made use of the technique longer with replenished HC-110.
I've a few guesses about why it actually helps in some circumstances, but they are truly guesses. If the guesses are right, it probably doesn't hurt either.
With X-Tol I've actually backed away from using it or suggesting it to people due to my uncertainty.
Relatively recently I had a fairly long period (the result of both a move and Covid restrictions) when I did not either make use of my X-Tol working or replenishing solutions or do any periodic replenishment, and the X-Tol worked absolutely normally as soon as I started up again. That same batch of working solution continues to tick along fine, although I have since mixed a fresh batch of X-Tol for replenishment use.

Old Gregg said:

I am still not pleased with both of you. The instructions you provided were criminally incomplete. The datasheet never mentions replenishing for small tank users, and re-citing random and irrelevant bits of it (Matt's habit) for no apparent reason just polluted the Internet and wasted my time. Omitting the crucial step in the replenishment sequence is absolutely critical to most small tank users. And despite of this, your stubbornness in not acknowledging the missing part doesn't score you any points in my book. And let me remind you, that Old Gregg's points are almost as valuable as crypto!

So... both of you need to step back and re-evaulate your behavior If you want to pose as experts, please pay attention to detail and be comprehensive.

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Oh dear, "criminally incomplete"! I must go to internet jail.

MattKing said:

On the subject of the "replenish every two weeks if there has been no use" suggestion, I too have never figured out why it seems to work - to make a positive contribution for many people, including myself for a while - but somehow it does.
I actually made use of the technique longer with replenished HC-110.
I've a few guesses about why it actually helps in some circumstances, but they are truly guesses. If the guesses are right, it probably doesn't hurt either.
With X-Tol I've actually backed away from using it or suggesting it to people due to my uncertainty.
Relatively recently I had a fairly long period (the result of both a move and Covid restrictions) when I did not either make use of my X-Tol working or replenishing solutions or do any periodic replenishment, and the X-Tol worked absolutely normally as soon as I started up again. That same batch of working solution continues to tick along fine, although I have since mixed a fresh batch of X-Tol for replenishment use.

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I have NEVER done the "replenish every two weeks if there has been no use" suggestion and NEVER had a problem.

MattKing said:

This tells me that you don't understand the datasheet.
All those bits tell us what we need to know about how experienced users can use X-Tol.

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OG should follow the instructions. How hard is that?

Paul Howell said:

... I replenished sorta using the system posted for 777. New tank, sacrifice one roll of 36ex 35 or 120 to season the tank. After next 3 rolls increase times by 15%, replenish with fresh stock to keep tank at a given volume, I used 2 quarts. Every 6 to 9 months depending on how many rolls I've process dump 1/2 of the stock strain it and replenish with with fresh ...

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Paul, if you would replenish MCM 100 using bleed replenishment - just as for example Edwal 12 - what you say would be a good starting point as replenishment volume per roll? I'm looking for a guideline. For XTOL-R it is about 70ml, for Edwal 12 about 90ml. Since MCM 100 does not contain Metol I am inclined to guess that it should be less. Do you have any thoughts on this?