Tetenal E-6 3 bath kit FD

[Rhodes]

The concentrate of the first developer a tetenal e-6 kit is dark yellow with some deposit. Do not know if it is still good. Since the first dev is a b&w developer, can I change it to anothe b&w developer? If so, which one? Can XTOL or rodinal do the job (the ones I have here)?

PS: How can I test the FD to see if it still go? Develop a bw film with it?

 

[BMbikerider]

Dark yellow = no good! When new unopened if is usually a very pale creamy colour and gradually deteriorates in a matter of weeks. With the cost of colour slide film now it isn't worth the risk.

 

[Rudeofus]

PS: How can I test the FD to see if it still go? Develop a bw film with it?

FD will develop b&w film but you need to find out reference dev times before you judge the FD you have. AFAIK there are no published dev times for E6 FD and b&w films. You also need to account for the fact that E6 FD contains a strong silver solvent (most likely 1-2 g/l Thiocyanate) which means if you develop normally exposed b&w film you will lose shadow detail.

Note that E6 FD is not just some random b&w dev, it is carefully balanced to develop all three color layers at a predetermined speed. Use some hack instead and your colors will be off. There are (there was a url link here which no longer exists) for E6 chemistry on APUG if you want to experiment. stefan4u also (there was a url link here which no longer exists) some interesting data.