Ethol UFG

[Don_ih]

I'd love to get a can of this stuff to try it out but it's a bit pricey on ebay. And if I got a full can, I'd feel bad opening it - like the can of Microdol I have had sitting on a shelf for a very long time.

 

[MattKing]

I'd think there might be slightly different results per split batch, but maybe not.

That is where most of the concern lies. Which is part of the reason why I posted earlier about having different risk tolerances depending on what it is you are trying to split up.

But who knows. Maybe the factory line had a dozen people with teaspoons putting individual chemicals in individual cans as they passed by on a conveyor belt....

Apparently, the pharmaceutical industry makes fairly heavy use of the "mix everything in the final container" approach. Perhaps their equipment designs get used in photo chemicals too.

 

[Paul Howell]

When was UFG last made? A number of years ago Freestyle sold off what was likely the last remaining stock of it.

 

[Don_ih]

Apparently, the pharmaceutical industry makes fairly heavy use of the "mix everything in the final container" approach. Perhaps their equipment designs get used in photo chemicals too.

Their employees must use very tiny spoons, then.

It's likely a decently sensible approach for adding liquids to a container, since the liquids will mix together easily in the bottle. A bit harder to mix the contents of a capsule.

 

[dynachrome]

I used UFG for many years and sometimes also with replenishment. It was mostly used, by me, for shooting the Tri-X of that time at 1250. I found the results at 1600 either with UFG or Acufine to be not as good. It was my understanding that both UFG and Acufine were phenidone based developers and that someone who worked at Bauman's (the maker of Acufine) left and started Ethol (the maker of UFG). When I started taking pictures, phenifone based developers were more appropriate for medium speed and slower films because they produced more grain with faster films. Some other phenidone based developers of that time were Clayton's P60, Ilford Microphen, Edwal FG-7 and Kodak HC-110. Over time as film stocks improved, phenidone based developers became practical for more films. Kodak's T-MAX developers were all phenidone based. There are still many choices of phenidone based developers. Ilford and Kodak make liquid and powder versions. There are nuanced differences between phenidone based developers but they are more alike than different. If I developed film more often I would probably settle on Clayton F76+ or its Arista equivalent. For now I am sitting on a large supply of metol and sodium sulfite and I can make as much D-23 as I like as often as I need to. If I feel lazy I can use a magnetic mixer with a heated base.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I used UFG for many years and sometimes also with replenishment. It was mostly used, by me, for shooting the Tri-X of that time at 1250. I found the results at 1600 either with UFG or Acufine to be not as good. It was my understanding that both UFG and Acufine were phenidone based developers and that someone who worked at Bauman's (the maker of Acufine) left and started Ethol (the maker of UFG). When I started taking pictures, phenifone based developers were more appropriate for medium speed and slower films because they produced more grain with faster films. Some other phenidone based developers of that time were Clayton's P60, Ilford Microphen, Edwal FG-7 and Kodak HC-110. Over time as film stocks improved, phenidone based developers became practical for more films. Kodak's T-MAX developers were all phenidone based. There are still many choices of phenidone based developers. Ilford and Kodak make liquid and powder versions. There are nuanced differences between phenidone based developers but they are more alike than different. If I developed film more often I would probably settle on Clayton F76+ or its Arista equivalent. For now I am sitting on a large supply of metol and sodium sulfite and I can make as much D-23 as I like as often as I need to. If I feel lazy I can use a magnetic mixer with a heated base.

Those are pretty much the same rumors I read somewhere. Still, I'm a fan of UFG for its ease of use and speed. I never tried to push films to the limit with UFG, but did appreciate the slight speed boost it gave and a pretty nice tonal range with films like Plus X and VerichromePan film.

 

[MattKing]

Their employees must use very tiny spoons, then.

It's likely a decently sensible approach for adding liquids to a container, since the liquids will mix together easily in the bottle. A bit harder to mix the contents of a capsule.

View attachment 414972

I think they use tiny injectors, and not for pills or capsules, but rather cremes and the powdered materials that compounding pharmacists use.

 

[Don_ih]

tiny injectors

Tiny spoons. Like the McDonald's coffee stir sticks people used to use to snort cocaine.

 

[MattKing]

Tiny spoons. Like the McDonald's coffee stir sticks people used to use to snort cocaine.

View attachment 414983

At least in Ontario