Eco-Pro Chemicals...

[ChristopherCoy]

Does anyone have any experience with Eco-Pro chemicals? I didn't know 'green' chemistry existed until I received the Freestyle catalog. I'd like to be as 'green' as I can, and wondered how these performed.

 

[rberry65]

I have used them. I am not extreamly experienced with the darkroom, have only had mine for maybe a year or so. A few months ago I bought the Eco-Pro and am loving it.

 

[brianmquinn]

In the past there were sold under the Silvergrain name.

See here for

Testimonials & Feedback

http://www.digitaltruth.com/products/silvergrain.php

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Eco Pro = Kodak Xtol

 

[smieglitz]

We've used the print developer in our college darkroom for a couple years and have been satisfied with the results. It works fine at 1+9 but seems to oxidize and darken more rapidly than previously used developers such as Ilford Universal, Dektol, or Sprint.

 

[Roger Cole]

Oxidizes and darkens quicker than Dektol? The stuff must be dead out of the bottle.

 

[Rick A]

I use the clearfix neutral(formerly Silvergrain) for my prints. Good shelf life and fairly large capacity for prints and best of all, no smell. I give the fix two thumbs up. If I weren't so firmly attached to my other chems, I would probably use the developers and stop.

 

[Bob-D659]

Their fixer is ammonium thiosulfate, stop is citric acid, no "greener" than Ilford's products, except the name.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I'm using their odorless stop bath and it's not bad. However, it not like Kodak's indicator stop bath where it changes color when it's exhausted.

 

[Rick A]

When I state "firmly attached" , read large supply on hand.

 

[removed account4]

i don't have experience with ryuji suzuki's photo chemicals
but i am sure they work well.

for years i used the sprint system of chemistry
metol free developer, d76-esque but better/different, vanilla scented stop, high capacity rapid fix
easy to mix, stores well, good stuff ...
and if you use the whole "system" ( dev/stop/fix ) when the stop indicates ( turns color )
it is time to mix new everything ...simple ...

 

[Roger Cole]

I'm using their odorless stop bath and it's not bad. However, it not like Kodak's indicator stop bath where it changes color when it's exhausted.

Freestyle sells other brands of "odorless" (actually "low odor" - it does have a slightly noxious odor if you smell closely, but nothing like acetic acid) stop baths with and without indicators. It's just a dye like that used in litmus paper that changes color with PH. I use Freestyle's house "Arista" brand. It's fine. Heck, 1+1 water and white vinegar works fine, but costs a lot more and doesn't have the indicator.

I like the indicator.

 

[Neal]

Dear ChristopherCoy,

I use the paper developer regularly. It works well and has very good tray life (not up to Dektol, but what is ;>) ). The number one reason for using it is the lack of hydroquinone. I take any developer with hydroquinone to the local household waste center when I'm done. For all I know it does nothing more than make me feel good but I like to feel good.

Neal Wydra

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Hey thanks!

Freestyle sells other brands of "odorless" (actually "low odor" - it does have a slightly noxious odor if you smell closely, but nothing like acetic acid) stop baths with and without indicators. It's just a dye like that used in litmus paper that changes color with PH. I use Freestyle's house "Arista" brand. It's fine. Heck, 1+1 water and white vinegar works fine, but costs a lot more and doesn't have the indicator.

I like the indicator.

I'll give vinegar a try. It's just acetic acid which is the acid in vinegar.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I'm a fan of the paper developer. Prints accept toner nicely

 

[Roger Cole]

Dear ChristopherCoy,

I use the paper developer regularly. It works well and has very good tray life (not up to Dektol, but what is ;>) ). The number one reason for using it is the lack of hydroquinone. I take any developer with hydroquinone to the local household waste center when I'm done. For all I know it does nothing more than make me feel good but I like to feel good.

Neal Wydra

Every other paper developer I have ever used lasted longer than Dektol, with the possible exception of Bromophen which seemed about the same, best I remember (it's been years.) I've always hated Dektol for this very reason.

There are two elements to tray life, or life of mixed working solution. One would be how many prints you can make before it's exhausted. I've never, ever, managed to hit that limit in a single printing session with any developer and once diluted Dektol is only good for a single session. That must be the one others are talking about. What's more important to me is, "can I pour it back into a bottle when I'm done, squeeze the air out and cap it, and come back next week to find a bottle of still good working strength developer?" LPD is the champ at this and what I mostly use, but I've been using Ilford WT some with WT paper and it lasts a lot better than Dektol too.

 

[Gabino]

Eco Pro = Kodak Xtol

Thomas, I really respect your opinion on Xtol. I know you are very experienced with this developer. So when you said that "Xtol=ECO-PRO" I was happy to hear that, I want to try it now. But I have a question on this, is it replenishable?
Thanks for comments.
Gabriel

 

[Ryuji]

In the past there were sold under the Silvergrain name.

Eco-Pro has nothing to do with Silvergrain formula. They are different products.

 

[brianmquinn]

Sorry for my incorrect post. I feel you must know better than I.
I based my post on what I read on DigitalTruth
http://www.digitaltruth.com/products/ecopro.php

 

[Rick A]

Sorry for my incorrect post. I feel you must know better than I.
I based my post on what I read on DigitalTruth
http://www.digitaltruth.com/products/ecopro.php

I read the same info that Silvergrain products were changing name to Eco-Pro. I believe what I read at Digital Truth.

 

[Ryuji]

I'll keep my answer short on this topic. One of the parties involved in manufacturing and distribution of Silvergrain chemical products failed to meet important contractual obligations, and therefore Silvergrain LLC did not issue an extension license, and also stopped supplying key ingredients to the factory. No one has information as to the identity of the ingredients in the secret ingredients Silvergrain LLC supplied, except for the people who worked at Silvergrain.

 

[brianmquinn]

Is there any chance real Silvergrain Chemistry will return?

 

[Ryuji]

I'm open to discuss business plans with any interested parties.

 

[Jojje]

Noticed something from herr Moersch - same product? http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/positiv/110/eco_4812/lang:en

 

[brianmquinn]

Here is the MSDS sheet that gives you and idea of what it contains.
It does not give the exact ratios.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/msds/moersch/Moersch_ECO_4812_Paper_Developer.pdf