Some strange low-density spots on my film

MsLing · 2025-08-11T12:36:02-0400

retina_restoration said:
Do you have a record of the batch number or whether it was made by Sino Promise or Photo Systems Inc.? I suggest you do NOT buy any Xtol made by Sino Promise, as they effed up a lot of the Kodak branded chemistry.

PSI manufactured it. Humorously, maybe Sino version developer ran out all my luck, since all my Sino Xtol work well from beginning to the end XD

snusmumriken · 2025-08-11T12:36:54-0400

koraks said:
Good catch, I hadn't noticed that before. This doesn't look like air bubbles.

It was pointed out in the OP!

I’m pretty certain they are not air bubbles anyway, because in my (long ago) experience those make hard-edged blemishes.

MsLing · 2025-08-11T12:53:35-0400

Bad news, except Foma Excel, all ascorbic acid base developers are unavailable.

Edit: I can get Lucky HB-17, an ascorbic acid developer

koraks · 2025-08-11T13:04:49-0400

snusmumriken said:
It was pointed out in the OP!

You're right, I overlooked that.

MsLing said:
Bad news, except Foma Excel, all ascorbic acid base developers are unavailable.

Ah, that's a pity. Perhaps self-mixing is an option for you? I understand if it isn't for various practical reasons, but if you are willing to go there - it's quite easy to mix up a DIY variant of XTOL. It may/will not have the same keeping properties of the commercial product, but that's perhaps less of a concern if you can mix it fresh whenever you need it. For me, this has been quite a satisfactory way of working.

MsLing · 2025-08-11T13:20:10-0400

koraks said:
Ah, that's a pity. Perhaps self-mixing is an option for you? I understand if it isn't for various practical reasons, but if you are willing to go there - it's quite easy to mix up a DIY variant of XTOL. It may/will not have the same keeping properties of the commercial product, but that's perhaps less of a concern if you can mix it fresh whenever you need it. For me, this has been quite a satisfactory way of working.

Yeah, I can mix some Mytol, and DTPA is easy to get

koraks · 2025-08-11T13:27:39-0400

I'd definitely give that a try. Btw, I don't use a chelating agent when I mix it. I just mix, use right away and then discard. That way, whatever iron ions float about don't have the time to create any problems.

chuckroast · 2025-08-11T13:28:04-0400

MsLing said:
Yes, I did. However, it didn't work. I cut some excerpts from the same roll, and divided them into several groups: Xtol without pre-wash, Xtol with 30min pre-wash, Rodinal without pre-wash, 510-Pyro without pre-wash. Only strips developed by Xtol showed those spots.

And I tried 35mm FomaPan100, 35mm HP5+ and 4x5 FP-100 sheet, spots happended on all these film developed with Xtol. Image I quote is FP-100. I've used Xtol for a long time and I firmly sure that this Foma200 bulk roll I own had never got any wrong.

Yup, you have a bad batch of Xtol.

chuckroast · 2025-08-11T13:30:26-0400

MsLing said:
Bad news, except Foma Excel, all ascorbic acid base developers are unavailable.

Edit: I can get Lucky HB-17, an ascorbic acid developer

Yes, but there are any number of published ascorbic-based developers you can mix up yourself, thereby controlling the quality and repeatability of the goods

retina_restoration · 2025-08-11T13:42:41-0400

MsLing said:
Bad news, except Foma Excel, all ascorbic acid base developers are unavailable.

Edit: I can get Lucky HB-17, an ascorbic acid developer

Perhaps start making Mytol yourself? Or better still, FX-55, another Ascorbate developer. You can make FX-55 as two stock solutions plus the Ascorbate, which is added into the solution when the working solution is mixed. (The Phenidone is made as a separate stock solution in Glycol, to make it far easier to dissolve and dispense) It may sound complicated, but it's actually very, very simple, and the results are identical to Xtol. (but hopefully without the flaws you've observed))

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX-55_(film_developer)

As Chuck wisely states, you can control the quality and repeatability of your developers if you take the matter into your own hands.

MsLing · 2025-08-11T14:19:06-0400

retina_restoration said:
Perhaps start making Mytol yourself? Or better still, FX-55, another Ascorbate developer. You can make FX-55 as two stock solutions plus the Ascorbate, which is added into the solution when the working solution is mixed. (The Phenidone is made as a separate stock solution in Glycol, to make it far easier to dissolve and dispense) It may sound complicated, but it's actually very, very simple, and the results are identical to Xtol. (but hopefully without the flaws you've observed))

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX-55_(film_developer)

As Chuck wisely states, you can control the quality and repeatability of your developers if you take the matter into your own hands.

Thanks, I'll try. I usually mix special developers which I only occasionally use, like POTA, CD4-LC and D8.

John Wiegerink · 2025-08-11T15:37:09-0400

MsLing said:
Thanks, I'll try. I usually mix special developers which I only occasionally use, like POTA, CD4-LC and D8.

Paul recommended Mytol or FX-55. I've not used FX-55, but have used Mytol and it's a good developer. If I had your problem of not being able to source a certain developer I'd certainly look to making my own. One other homemade developer I would check out would be PC-512. It's a Phenidone, ascorbic acid, propylene glycol, borax developer that is simple to make, pretty darn safe, easy to use and has a very long shelf life. Just search on this forum for PC-512. I only make suggestions on things I have personally used and I have used and like PC-512 very much. Check it out and see if it fits your needs.

Some strange low-density spots on my film

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Some strange low-density spots on my film

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