New Dektol the color of molasses

[gone]

I've read the bulletin from Kodak/Alaris on Dektol "new look", but they made it sound like it was more of an appearance issue. Sorta like old coca cola. This looks way beyond that. Just mixed this and put it in a clear plastic bottle. The shot was taken w/ the flash on, which woke the chicken. What's worse, I was going to print tomorrow. Probably best to email the seller and throw it out?

 

[gone]

Brand new. The package was a little scuffed on the outside, but it was still sealed. Says Kodak/Alaris 2019, and expires 4-2023. This is the first time there was a problem, and I usually buy those ancient paper packets on eBay (that never gave any trouble).

 

[Mal Paso]

I got a couple of those, threw the first batch out. I dissolved the second packet in RO water spending more time dissolving every last bit and it was better. It works but I switched to Photographer's Formulary after that..

 

[gone]

I'm going to your route Mal. It's aggravating, because there's no store locally to buy new developer. What's troubling is when I read Kodak's bulletin on this problem, it seems like it's no big thing to them.

 

[ic-racer]

How did the color of the developer affect its performance? How about pH and specific gravity, are those affected?

 

[removed account4]

Hi momus
I got some developer like that and opted to buy raw chems and mix my own... I haven’t bought from PF in a while but from artcraft not sure how fast shipping is to middle earth but to paswonquitte it’s pretty fast...

 

[takilmaboxer]

I have long used LPD and never had a problem with it. I can highly recommend it. I've given up on D-76 as well. ID-11 or D-23 now, and Ilford film.

 

[Vonder]

I had a recent issue with some "D-76" that was brown too. Not THAT dark, but still, I pitched it. The packaging was suspicious. Not Kodak packaged. It was like, someone took/copied a Kodak label and put it on this bag of... stuff. No idea what it was nor if it was good to use. Was yours packed oddly?

 

[Mal Paso]

I tossed the first batch then found a thread about the problem here. It looks like oxidation, like 5 year old developer. It doesn't appear to stain Ilford Fiber and the images develop OK. Kodak said they were correcting the problem but I switched developers. The Old Kodak would never have let something like this out the door. The Great Yellow Father is showing his age.

 

[MattKing]

I have long used LPD and never had a problem with it.

Unfortunately, Ethol LPD in powder form is just about unobtainable for us in Canada, otherwise I would love to try it.

 

[pentaxuser]

The Old Kodak would never have let something like this out the door. The Great Yellow Father is showing his age.

Isn't the nub of the problems that have befallen "Kodak" chemicals simply that they are no longer anything to do with the Great Yellow Father or in practical terms the CEO of Kodak where the buck for everything Kodak stopped with that person?

We refer to them as Kodak chemicals and that's a pity in many ways as it can blind us to the fact that they are no more Kodak chemicals than there are "pentaxuser" chemicals

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Isn't the nub of the problems that have befallen "Kodak" chemicals simply that they are no longer anything to do with the Great Yellow Father or in practical terms the CEO of Kodak where the buck for everything Kodak stopped with that person?

I think the "Great Yellow Father" is the entity that moved.

 

[Paul Howell]

After 55 years the only Kodak chemistry I have on hand is wetting agent, now use Clayton F76+ for film and P90 print developer along with Ultrafine's clone of Dektol.

 

[gone]

There's always the old yellow paper packets on eBay, etsy, etc. Those have been good every time for me. I've been out of the darkroom for a few years and didn't realize this was even an issue. Won't buy anything new w/ a Kodak label on besides Tri-X from now on though. The last time I took a break for a while, MCC 110 disappeared. That one was a shock.

Now I can start online searching all the threads relating to 'similar to/replacement for Dektol', of which there are about a million of. There's a lot of contradictory reviews on that subject too, but Photographers' Formulary 's products have always worked great for me.

 

[mshchem]

Ilford Bromophen

 

[Paul Howell]

Ilford Bromophen

On the pricy side, Freestyle and Photo Wearhouse clones are a bit less expensive.

 

[mshchem]

On the pricy side, Freestyle and Photo Wearhouse clones are a bit less expensive.

Bromophen has greater capacity 1 5L package makes 20 L of working solution. It's free of Metol, and very durable.

 

[focus_on_infinity]

This was my first batch of paper developer, ever, and was really surprised by the cappucino brown. However, it seems to work exactly as described. I'm about 3 months in and halfway through the batch, and I haven't had a failure yet.