Dimezone-S in Australia: who is interested?

I have some Dimezone-S but since this chemical is rather difficult to source in small quantities here in Australia, I'm interested in getting some more so as not to run out of it in a few years. I'm using it instead of phenidone in pyrocat-HD and ID-78 paper developer. I'm planning to make a Microphen-like developer too.

I was lucky enough to get some from Quantum Chemicals in Melbourne when a large client brought in 25kg. My contact there arranged for me to take 1 kg from that consignment, and I paid $148 plus 10% gst.

My contact no longer works there, and the best that they can offer is 25kg at about $4,500(AUS) plus 10% gst. I don't want to get into the chemical retailing business, but I'd be interested in arranging a joint purchase with it being shared by a couple of dozen photographers. At about $200(AUS) per kg it goes a hell of a long way, and is much cheaper than the phenidone offered by Vanbar which is the only supplier I know of.

john_s said:

I have some Dimezone-S but since this chemical is rather difficult to source in small quantities here in Australia, I'm interested in getting some more so as not to run out of it in a few years. .......

My contact no longer works there, and the best that they can offer is 25kg at about $4,500(AUS) plus 10% gst. I don't want to get into the chemical retailing business, but I'd be interested in arranging a joint purchase with it being shared by a couple of dozen photographers. At about $200(AUS) per kg it goes a hell of a long way, and is much cheaper than the phenidone offered by Vanbar which is the only supplier I know of.

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I'm not interested in buying any, but I was wondering, how hard can it be to buy 1kg overseas and have them fedex it to you? Alternatively if courier costs are prohibitive, does Aus. customs have a problem with you sending it through regular post (airmail or sea)?
regards
Peter

PeterB said:

I'm not interested in buying any, but I was wondering, how hard can it be to buy 1kg overseas and have them fedex it to you? Alternatively if courier costs are prohibitive, does Aus. customs have a problem with you sending it through regular post (airmail or sea)?
regards
Peter

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Where do you recommend to purchase Dimezone-S?

APUG supporters, The Photographer's Formulary is the 1st that springs to mind (though I suspect that the cost will be somewhat higher than around 148 AUD per kilo)...

Cheers, Bob.

Using Dimezone S in a two solution developer where the alkaline activator is in a separate solution is rather a waste. Ordinary Phenidone can be used as it is stable in acid or mildly alkaline solution. It is only in highly alkaline solutions like print developers where Phenidone becomes unstable to hydrolysis and the Dimezone S version is desired.

I'm in the US, and I bought my Dimezone S from Digital Truth before Photographer's Formulary began stocking it. In any event, both places are reputable US sources for small quantities of raw photochemicals. I can't speak to shipping issues (cost and practicality) to Australia for either supplier; I recommend you contact both of them.