Questions about Xtol and 4x5 HP5+?

[ritternathan]

Greetings, I am wondering if anyone can help. I had an issue with Xtol 1+3 and 4x5 HP5+. There are small round-ish black areas of density all over the negative. The film was from a box of 100 sheets of HP5+ that I bought last year (still in date) and I have developed other negatives from the same box in DS-10 1+1 with good results. Last month I mixed up some Xtol at 2x strength and put them in glass bottles. Last week, I used this batch of Xtol to develop TMY-2 120 rolls at 1+3 with no issues, and also HP5+ in 120 1+3 dilution with no issues. I have used Xtol since 2011 (always mixed with tap water and put in glass bottles) with nothing but great results.

Today I shot some indoor portraits at EI 400-500, mixed up a liter of Xtol 1+3 at 72F and used 750ml to develop 4 of the negatives in a 8x10 tray with a homemade slosher, I also put the fifth negative in a single silicon bread pan with the remaining 250ml (it can develop one 4x5 piece of film). I have used this bread pan before with Xtol with no issues. I developed the 5 negatives for 15 min., agitating them every minute, put them in a water stop bath for a minute, and then into the Ryuji's neutral rapid fixer. I mixed up the fixer about a month ago and used it on the 120 negatives. My hunch is that it is the Xtol, though I have mixed it up 2x before with no problems, I usually mix it that way only when I have run out of glass bottles. Thanks, Nathan

 

[garysamson]

I had this problem once when iron particles got into the darkroom after some pluming work was done.

 

[MattKing]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the reason Kodak stopped recommending XTol dilutions like 1+3 is that XTol (and anything else ascorbic acid based) is quite susceptible to iron related problems when used very dilute.

 

[karl]

Why 1:3 dilution? HP5+ looks great in Xtol at 1:1.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Why 1:3 dilution? HP5+ looks great in Xtol at 1:1.

But much better and much more stable when XTOL is used replenished.

 

[ritternathan]

But much better and much more stable when XTOL is used replenished.

Thanks for the replies, I would love to use Xtol replenished, but I don't process enough film for it to make sense. I did do a test with Ektascan, one sheet with Xtol 1+1 and one 1+3. Under a red light I was able to watch both sheets show these dark marks on the negative even before the exposed image appeared. So it is definitely the batch of Xtol. I did stock up with 5 bags of it about 18 months ago when Xtol disappeared from the stores but this bag was still within date. I will check and see if I have any distilled water in the darkroom and go from there. Thanks, Nathan

 

[Sirius Glass]

I find that replenished XTOL lasts longer than using stock XTOL in that the replenished XTOL solution can last for years.

 

[fotch]

............ Under a red light I was able to watch both sheets show these dark marks on the negative even before the exposed image appeared. .............

That would fog the film, no?

 

[ritternathan]

That would fog the film, no?

Not with Kodak Ektascan, it is orthochromatic, so it is safe to use with a red safe light.