When was Dektol last sold in cans?

I ask because I just got back from helping a friend set up their first darkroom and among the assorted goodies they received with their equipment were a few cans of Dektol. Yes cans, not packets. We mixed it up, and it works just fine!

On another note, she also has a can of bleach for the processing Anscochrome if anyone needs some!

- Justin

IIRC I bought Dektol in cans until about 1976

When motor oil was.

I have opened a few cans of Dektol in the past few years -- some were still good, some were not (lots of black flecks and an over-all dirty-looking powder.) I have a whole bunch of cans of Dektol (both requiring a can opener and ones with a pull tab) and D-76. I also have cans of Kodak Developer DK-60a and Ansco Permadol film developer...these have the sardine can sort of key to open them and they make 3.5 gallons per can.

No dates on them, but I found them in some locked cabinets (I had to break the locks). These cabinets have been locked for at least 30 years. I was hoping to find a stash of old lenses or cameras...oh well.

Vaughn

These cans required a can opener. The mixed Dektol looked a bit like cider, a very light brownish yellow colour. I'm not sure what fresh Dektol looks like as I've never used it, but it developed the prints just fine! IIRC the can providing powder for mixing a quart of Dektol had a price tag of 83 cents! Although that might have been the baggy of Microdol-X...

No takers on the Anscochrome bleach?

A very light brownish yellow color is what fresh Dektol looks like also.

Those must be small cans! My cans of Dektol are for making one gallon...and have a price tag of $1.00 on some of them. The "newer" cans of Dektol and the D-76 have a price of $1.09. But some appear to have come from discount stores, rather than from camera stores.

Vaughn

Found a box of Kodak Hypo...

...in my dad's garage when I moved here last fall. Rather lumpy (danged humidity?) but works just fine. I think the price on it was 50 cents, for one pound.

Justin Silber said:

The mixed Dektol looked a bit like cider, a very light brownish yellow colour.

Click to expand...

Yep, that's what it looks like.

Justin Silber said:

I ask because I just got back from helping a friend set up their first darkroom and among the assorted goodies they received with their equipment were a few cans of Dektol. Yes cans, not packets. We mixed it up, and it works just fine!

On another note, she also has a can of bleach for the processing Anscochrome if anyone needs some!

- Justin

Click to expand...

It was available up to a few years ago in cans in the UK as was D-76 before being replaced with the U.S. Gallon sized packages. I still have a 5 litre can of D-76 and a 5 litre foil package of D-76R in my darkroom cupboard. Also a 5 litre can of Microdol-X.

I got into photography in the late '70's and all I remember is the paper packages. You could call Kodak and ask; 800-242-2424 is the #, IIRC

jim appleyard said:

I got into photography in the late '70's and all I remember is the paper packages. You could call Kodak and ask; 800-242-2424 is the #, IIRC

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I called that number about the lifespan of the cans of Dektol and D-76 that I have...must have been 10 years or so ago. The woman on the phone did not have a clue -- all she could say was that the shelf life of the powder was one year.

Vaughn

It would seem to be considerably more than that! Maybe we should add canned Dektol and D-76 to the legend of ancient Rodinal...

Vaughn said:

A very light brownish yellow color is what fresh Dektol looks like also.

Those must be small cans! My cans of Dektol are for making one gallon...and have a price tag of $1.00 on some of them. The "newer" cans of Dektol and the D-76 have a price of $1.09. But some appear to have come from discount stores, rather than from camera stores.

Vaughn

Click to expand...

Pretty small, just enough to mix a quart.

I have five, gallon, Dektol packages that expired in 2005... These are the tinfoil pouches, not the latest Mylar ones... I opened two of five... They both mixed up like dark coffee... I poured them out and tossed the other three... I have some cans of various Kodak developers from a University darkroom that got thrown out three years ago when they gave up wet chemistry - these are both sardine openers and use a can opener types... Dunno what I'm going to do with them... I also got an entire car load of enlargers, trays, film dryer, etc... Some of which I am using and the rest will be given away to the first eager 14 year old who shows interest in wet chemistryl..
Anyway, it is far easier to purchase fresh chemicals for both the negatives and the prints; and then when I get flat grey prints with no sparkle and no seeming point of focus, I know I am doing about as good as I usually do...

denny
ps, my user name keeps changing, perhaps I will get it nailed down soon..