Question about HC 110 in new, 1litre packaging in USA

Roger Cole said:

Well first you give a possible explanation, then rule it out. I don't think all those people reporting no change suddenly had their tap water change in such a way as to exactly offset the differences in the developer.

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No Roger. My tap water may contain something less compatible this time with with HC110 from a different factory. This time is my "fault", others may not experience this. This is, what I wanted to know. To be honest with you I never used distilled water with HC110. HC110 was supposed to make it unnecessary and work well in any water across the globe. But I use distilled water for making stock solutions from the components. I guess starting to mix HC110 with distilled water would change the system again.

Sample size is too small, no way to know if those folks reporting differences are outliers or are representing a trend. Given the differences between individual processes I think it's way too soon to start referring to a "new" HC-110.

timor said:

No Roger. My tap water may contain something less compatible this time with with HC110 from a different factory. This time is my "fault", others may not experience this. This is, what I wanted to know. To be honest with you I never used distilled water with HC110. HC110 was supposed to make it unnecessary and work well in any water across the globe. But I use distilled water for making stock solutions from the components. I guess starting to mix HC110 with distilled water would change the system again.

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Ah well - I suppose it's always possible your water changed and the developer didn't. But that's unusual. Have you mixed any other developers since trying the "new" HC-110? Any change in Ph or the like might affect others - or might not depending on how the two are buffered.

No changes in pH, no problems with Tmax Dev of Polymax T. That's what I used in the same days of trying the "new bottle" HC110.

Roger Cole said:

No one in their right mind wants to go back to those aspects of those times. But those effects were produced by deliberate releases of relatively large amounts of industrial pollutants. We aren't arguing for that. The problem I and many other people have is with an insanely high level of risk aversion where even the prospect of accidentally spilling a bottle of developer is cause for worry. It shouldn't be. It isn't just in things like this but all around us where any level of risk whatsoever is avoided as if it happening would be the apocalypse.

Back to the developer - it seems the majority of folks are getting results just like the previous HC-110 but a few aren't. That's...weird, and I don't know how to reconcile it. I have an unopened bottle of the older size, which I picked up to try out (but haven't yet) right before it became unavailable. I don't really feel like dropping thirty bucks on a new one just to make comparisons with something else I haven't tried.

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As I mentioned, some restrictions are admittedly a bit over the top. However, don't forget that your bottle of HC110, and someone else's bottle of Sodium Cyanide, and someone else's bottle of whatever are all trundling down the road in front of you in those FedEx semi-trailers. The only thing really separating them is some thin, corrugated, cardboard. It isn't just yours and my bottles of developer. All sorts of incompatible chemicals are being shipped all stacked together. To help keep things from getting way out of hand is if one of those trailers flops on it side somewhere in Toronto or New Jersey, we hope that those silly size restrictions will help a little.

As you said, back to the developer. I have ordered a bottle of the new for myself, and when it does arrive I will do some testing between my old stuff and the newly purchased developer. I suspect it will turn out fine but it is certainly worth a small test in my own darkroom. I think that the only real way to be satisfied is for each one who uses it to run a bit of a personal test.

Hmm ... as for me, I'm going to go back to using Ilfsol 3 until all of this is sorted out... Since I have it on tap anyway and it's really just as good

For those on the East Coast, Unique Photo carries and will ship HC-110. I just ordered some. It's a $1 cheaper than freestyle, but the shipping to the East Coast was much less.

Yes but..

MattKing said:

The old HC-110 would slowly darken as it sat on the shelf - even before the expiry date. It may be that the old bottles were more porous than the new ones.

By the way, air doesn't cause HC-110 to darken. Air and water does. It is the moisture that causes the reaction to start.

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I've used dark HC-110 and it's still good.

I always thought it was supposed to be brown....

My aged HC-110 still works great. Can't stand Ilfosol (sorry, had to say it)

wblynch said:

I always thought it was supposed to be brown....

My aged HC-110 still works great. Can't stand Ilfosol (sorry, had to say it)

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The new Ilfsol 3 or the old Ilfsol S? The new stuff is different and better FYI otherwise of course you have to use what you enjoy, just figured I would mention it.

The 3

wblynch said:

The 3

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Alas...

Well as much as I appreciate Ilfsol 3, probably will use up my last bottle and move on, I've settled on DD-X and Rodinal as my two main dev's.