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.
It was pointed out in the OP!Good catch, I hadn't noticed that before. This doesn't look like air bubbles.
It was pointed out in the OP!
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.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.
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.
Bad news, except Foma Excel, all ascorbic acid base developers are unavailable.
Edit: I can get Lucky HB-17, an ascorbic acid developer
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.
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.
Good luck!I decide to test US patent 5853964. Looking for more info about DTPA content and waiting for PSI's reply noG
That's why I ask if it was the same film. Chasing a developer problem might just be barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.A few years ago, I had two 100-foot rolls of RPX25 that also showed these “spots.” The material was stored at -21°C (like all my photographic materials). It was not stored beyond the warranty period. I discarded it and never used RPX25 again.
Neither pre-wetting (with and without wetting agent) nor the use of different developers helped to eliminate the problem.
My two 100-foot rolls were simply junk.
Is it with the same film as before? Are you using distilled water for mixing your developer? It could be the film itself, but that sounds strange.
Did you use a different camera?
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