Has anyone done a comparison between the results obtained from LegacyPro Mic-X and Kodak Microdol-X (when it still existed)?
I haven't used the Legacy product but the MSDS lists the same ingredients as for Microdol X which are sodium sulfite, sodium chloride and Metol.
I believe Legacy Pro chems are re-badged Kodak products. I have been using their L-76 which behaves exactly like D-76. I understand Freestyle has/had a contract with Kodak on a number of products that were re-badged, e.g., Arista Premium films. Perhaps someone will chime in and confirm.
Some are identical, some are not. The L-110 is widely reported to be different from HC-110, at least not syrupy however similarly it may work. I use the brown toner (because I can't get Kodak) and it works fine, and I use their rapid fixer because the 5 gallon size is just right where the Kodak is only available in 1 gallon (order too often) and 10 gallons (too much.) The price difference is so close on the stuff still available from Kodak I don't see any reason to favor one over the other on that basis.
Kodak no longer manufactures chemicals they are made by Champion. A look at the MSDS for both HC-110 and L-110 shows that the two developers are very different.
I think most people know Champion makes the Kodak stuff. The question some people have had is whether Champion also makes Legacy Pro. Apparently not. Someone here earlier reported they are made by the company that used to make Unicolor, which is quite possible.
Microdol-X has an additive (the 'X') that prevents dichroic fog. Without the X the old Microdol metol/sulfite/chloride formula is unusable with any modern film - where Tri-X is modern. I suppose it might work with Efke or whatever Comecon film is still in production. The 'X' is generally held to be a mercaptan, possibly aminopolycarboxylic acid, or as Kodak so helpfully states in their patents "... a sequestering agent selected from the group consisting of oligomeric carboxylic acid substituted hydrocarbons ..." I emailed Photographers' Formulary about stocking aminopolywhatsit but never heard back. Maybe I should prod them. But as I bought a 10+ year supply of M-X when they announced discontinuation I'm not in any hurry. TMax-100 in Microdol-X has about the same level of grain as Tech Pan, though it doesn't have TP's gradation wherein 35mm can look like 4x5 with modest enlargement.
Yeah, good luck getting the name of that Mercaptan from the vest pocket of Photo Engineer....and I don't think Kodak would let Champion use it.
If you look at the Legacy Pro MSDS sheets they are made by PSInc who were/are the manufacturers of Unicolor chemistry as well. As Champion are under contract to Kodak there wouldn't be any issues using any chemicals. Ian
Maybe find a film that has excessive fog in D-25/23 and then test in both real Microdol-X and then in Legacy?
It has a silver sequestering agent - of that you can be sure. It probably isn't the same one used by Kodak, but that shouldn't matter.
Microdol-X was brought out because of Dichroic fog issues with a new generation of Kodak films, it's seems to have been a US issue as Kodak kept selling Microdol in the UK for a while. Kodak Ltd made the Kodak films for the UK and Europe and there were differences in Tri-X in particular to the extent taht that the datasheets gave different times for film made in the US, Canada & the UK. With the modern films I've tried there's no need for a silver sequestering agent. I ran some tests about 5 years ago with a cross between D25 and Microdol/Percetol. Essentially D23 lus Sodium Chloride and a small amount of Potassium Metabisulphite Ian
