The world needs a Sodium Ascorbate push processor

[MMfoto]

I'm really interested to understand whether there could be an improvment in the performance of XTOL for the specific purpose of push processing t-grain films.

If I shoot TMZ at EI's higher than 800 I usually develop in XTOL 1:2. When you start to get into EI3200-6400-12,500 territory development times become excessively long.

I'd like to create a solvent, sodium ascorbate, push processing developer designed to deliver maximum low value density in a short development cycle without excessive contrast buildup. For classic films like Tri-x, D-76 1:1 worked very well, but for this specific purpose Acufine, Microphen and others fullfilled the above criteria.

In short I'm interested at looking at the mytol formula as a starting place to create a new sodium ascorbate formula to be for XTOL what Acufine is to D-76. I'm also a bit out of my league, but that's never stopped me before!

Any suggestions?

 

[Jordan]

XTOL 1:2 is fairly weak. Have you tried working with it at 1:1 or even stock? You may be able to get more reasonable dev times out of such a combo. Aside from that, I don't know much about the composition of Acufine, so I can't help you there.

 

[MMfoto]

XTOL 1:2 is fairly weak. Have you tried working with it at 1:1 or even stock? You may be able to get more reasonable dev times out of such a combo. Aside from that, I don't know much about the composition of Acufine, so I can't help you there.

Oh, sorry. I always associate (perhaps inaccurately) Acufine with FX-4. Of course Acufine is not published, but I always look at FX-4 when thinking about that type of developer...:

Water 800 ml
Metol 1.5 g
Sodium Sulfite (anhydrous) 100 g
Hydroquinone 6 g
Phenidone 0.25 g
Borax (granular) 2.5 g
Water to make 1L

It is _supposed_ to be very similar to Acufine, though I have only used the latter.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Well, if you are unhappy, design a new developer.

PE

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Geoffrey Crawley's FX-15

Oh, sorry. I always associate (perhaps inaccurately) Acufine with FX-4. Of course Acufine is not published, but I always look at FX-4 when thinking about that type of developer...:

Water 800 ml
Metol 1.5 g
Sodium Sulfite (anhydrous) 100 g
Hydroquinone 6 g
Phenidone 0.25 g
Borax (granular) 2.5 g
Water to make 1L

It is _supposed_ to be very similar to Acufine, though I have only used the latter.

In the British Journal of Photography Annual 1986, Crawley states: "FX-15 is more suitable for the very fastest as it gives the biggest contrast rise on extended development for low brightness range subjects." "FX-15 is a further development of FX-3, now omitted, giving 1/3 stop effective speed increase over FX-3, with similar grain and an improved characteristic curve, similar to Paterson Acutol-S, now discontinued.

Geoffrey Crawley's FX-15

Metol 3.5 grams
Phenidone 0.1 grams
Hydroquinone 2.25 grams
Sodium Sulfite anhydrous 100 grams
Borax 2.5 grams
Potassium Bromide 1.5 grams
Water to 1.0 liter

 

[MMfoto]

Well, if you are unhappy, design a new developer.

PE

Ouch PE. Who said I was unhappy?

BTW, "design a new developer" was the point of the posting.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Sorry, I apologize.

Basically, newer, more modern film developers are possible and have been too long neglected. There were several formulas being undertaken at EK when all work was terminated. I have discussed this in the past with Grant Haist, and although there are lots of possibilities, the work is not trivial to get optimum results from all films.

PE

 

[MMfoto]

No worries PE.

I understand that creating a new developer is a BIG job. For my intended purpose I'm hoping it's more reasonable. I'm interested in using it with only one or two films, TMZ and Delta 3200, and for only one purpose, push processing. So with a limited but working understanding of film developers, a starting place, Mytol, and some models, FX-4, FX-11, I think if I gradually and systematicly work torwards achieving my intended results.

 

[fhovie]

I use XTOL to push all the time and am very happy with the results - Microphen also works very well