Ansco 130 user experience, questions, comments, appreciation...

Here we go again. "Activity" and "visual effect" are not necessarily the same. After a certain point, the nature of the glycin changes from a subtle glow in the highlights to an overall stain affecting the entire image.

And in my experience, opening a bottle of powder which is white or tan, you've got about a year of utility when mixing up work batches. If it's brown, maybe only another month or two.

Greg is basically correct. The color does matter. Off-white vs light tan makes little difference, but a deep brown does.

This is what confuses me. On the Photographers Formulary website, it states that Glycin "has a limited shelf life of about 6 months". Thing is, they don't state starting when. 6 months after it's made (how is Glycin made, BTW?)? 6 months after the plastic bottle is opened and it comes in contact with air? 6 monhts after its been in contact with light?

I don't blame B&H for selling and shipping the stuff, but if they don't know at which point the 6-months mark starts, they might have pack in their storage that they got in July in which the Glycin is already bad.

Alex Benjamin said:

This is what confuses me. On the Photographers Formulary website, it states that Glycin "has a limited shelf life of about 6 months". Thing is, they don't state starting when. 6 months after it's made (how is Glycin made, BTW?)? 6 months after the plastic bottle is opened and it comes in contact with air? 6 monhts after its been in contact with light?

I don't blame B&H for selling and shipping the stuff, but if they don't know at which point the 6-months mark starts, they might have pack in their storage that they got in July in which the Glycin is already bad.

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That's the problem with stock. You don't know how long it has been sitting there.
Ordering from PP you would imagine the 6 months starts right there. But you cant be positive.
Your best bet is to get Glycin, store it in freezer, and make your own.

GregY said:

Matt, there's been no update...I really can't say...but i'm betting B&H doesn't keep their stock in the freezer. I'd be interested to see a current photo from PF....if it's an issue from their end.

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I can tell you from direct observation that the B&H stuff was somewhat darker and mixed darker than the glycing directly from PF, but even that was somewhat brownish tan.

Well, if we can't trust that we're getting fresh 130 from B&H, since PF won't ship cross-border to Canada, that sort of puts Canadians in a "No PF130 for YOU!" position.

Anyone from Calgary planning a trip to Montana in the near future?

To the credit of B&H, they're now stocking a good selection of Photog Formulary products, including bulk chemicals. And I generally prefer to buy from them because there's no shipping charge. But with respect to glycin itself, I recommend buying directly from PF instead, so that you can be assured of its freshness. To my understanding, they make their own glycin, and it's a evidently a popular enough ingredient to keep their own inventory turning over reasonably fast. Retailers are a different question - you just never know.

I do understand the predicament. I was the buyer for sake of sales of quite a few perishable products. For example, the best construction caulks are basically pre-catalyzed, shipped in volume in refrigerated trucks, and meant to be sold and used within six months. But I almost had to threaten the warehouse crew with flogging to get them to conscientiously rotate the inventory. The only person who did it well was actually a mentally handicapped young fellow, who was assigned to the caulkings exclusively. Gosh knows what a mess it would be today, with one of those product lines being made in Canada.

Maybe you Calgary folk could start your end of the smuggling tunnel first. If it springs any leaks, you'd be easily be forgiven for helping yourself to a tube of waterproof caulk from time to time.

David R Williams said:

Well, if we can't trust that we're getting fresh 130 from B&H, since PF won't ship cross-border to Canada, that sort of puts Canadians in a "No PF130 for YOU!" position.

Anyone from Calgary planning a trip to Montana in the near future?

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Is that a new thing "no cross border shipping" ? In the past i did have shipments from PF, although most often i picked up there..
Certainly won't be visiting the USA any time in the near future.

David R Williams said:

since PF won't ship cross-border to Canada

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Not sure where you get that info. I'm in Montreal and often purchase chemichals, bulk or packs, from Photographers' Formulary. I just ordered 100g of Glycin from them in order to mix my own Ansco 130.

Best glycin I ever has was almost white. The last glycin I bought was from B&H and it was almost brown. It does preserve developer well but I don't think it does what it's supposed to in Ansco 130. I consider it almost dead.

It was too late for me to complain when I realized how dark it was. B&H can be hit-or-miss with such things. They may not have the best inventory control.

Alex Benjamin said:

Not sure where you get that info. I'm in Montreal and often purchase chemichals, bulk or packs, from Photographers' Formulary. I just ordered 100g of Glycin from them in order to mix my own Ansco 130.

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That's great to hear - although I tried to order in past and was unable to have them ship to me, I'm happy if things have changed!

I don't know if it applies to glycin or not, but certain chems which PF sells require them to have a signed waiver on file that you intend to use them only for photographic purposes. A number of them happen to overlap into pharmaceutical applications, both legit and illicit. That would include both glycin and amidol. But I was amazed to learn that chromium salts used in alternative printing are also smoked as dope! How does one compare before and after mental states when someone apparently never had a brain to begin with?

Some things they can't ship across the border but 130 and glycin appear to be things they can ship. It's not cheap, the shipping often costs more than the item but you can get it.