Xtol in the future?

[Tronds]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...95542810.html?mod=WSJEUROPE_hpp_MIDDLETopNews

 

[pentaxuser]

What about anything and everything Kodak? There could be 50 threads on this running together on different Kodak products. I suggest the mods merge all threads on the future of Kodak


pentaxuser

 

[srtiwari]

Here's one option-

http://jackspcs.com/jackspcs/mytol.htm

 

[Alan Johnson]

Is Xtol manufactured by a different company?
http://www.championphotochemistry.c...08200506_Champion Kodak NR 09 19 06 FINAL.pdf

 

[eclarke]

Jack's back!

Here's one option-

http://jackspcs.com/jackspcs/mytol.htm

Jack is back..excellent, I had given up looking..EC

 

[Tronds]

Here's one option-

http://jackspcs.com/jackspcs/mytol.htm

Indeed this an alternative.
I have several working recipes including a two-bath developer that does a good job for me. At least good enough for me.

A lot of people hasn't realized that if Kodak goes belly-up, something WILL happen wth the availability of both film and developers.

As for my recipes, no, they won't be published on this forum. Too many naysayers here. In spite of their arguments about it wont work, and that dead biochemists will oxidize themself or the developer, the developers keeps working. Maybe because I didn't tell them what was said here.

I have forseen that Kodak would stop making film and developers sometime, so I have taken steps to be able to continue to shoot film for many years from now on.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Here's an alternative.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/74771...ic-Acid-Powder-BandW-Film-Developer-to-make-5

 

[brucemuir]

Developers are the least of my concern,
now when TriX is discontinued thats when I will really bum.

 

[srtiwari]

Here's an alternative.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/74771...ic-Acid-Powder-BandW-Film-Developer-to-make-5

I like this, but couldn't they make it for 1 liter solution ? With the relatively short shelf life of the developer, some of us can't use it all in time. I wonder if mixing part batches of the powders can still assure consistency...

 

[MattKing]

Is Xtol manufactured by a different company?
http://www.championphotochemistry.com/_uploads/files/110608200506_Champion Kodak NR 09 19 06 FINAL.pdf

Yes - all Kodak chemistry is.

I'd guess that if Kodak declares bankruptcy there might be a consequence that affects Champion's ability to manufacture X-Tol (or possibly call it X-Tol) but that would depend on what rights Kodak retained, and what a bankruptcy trustee might do with those rights.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I like this, but couldn't they make it for 1 liter solution ? With the relatively short shelf life of the developer, some of us can't use it all in time. I wonder if mixing part batches of the powders can still assure consistency...

I've mixed 5 liter solutions stored in wine bladders for over 6 months without a problem. Air will kill your developer fast even in powder form. You can also (5) 1 liter bottles and divide the mixed developer up. One unconventional characteristic of XTOL is that it won't turn brown when it goes bad so it's hard to tell when it's kaputt.

 

[vedmak]

anyone knows how long xtol in a sealed bag will be good for?

 

[Bob-D659]

The packaging is dated with a BB date.

 

[sandermarijn]

It occurred to me just the other day that XTOL has a date stamped on it. That date is (in my case) only two years from now.

How accurate is this date? Should not sealed bags keep it fresh much longer? Two years just seems (much too) short to me, intuitively speaking.

Just wondering, no practical relevance- pack will be gone before two years time. May be relevant though to those wanting to stock up.

 

[hrst]

Two years just seems (much too) short to me, intuitively speaking.

It's just a very conservative approximation. They just don't guarantee more. It may keep for two decades in original sealed bag.

 

[sandermarijn]

Wow, that's longer than I'd dared hope for (even though unofficial, potential, not guaranteed, etc). Time to get some extra while still can.

 

[jim appleyard]

How sad. I wonder how many RPM's George Eastman is doing right now.

 

[Roger Cole]

Xtol should be the least of our worries about Kodak. There are at least two other brands of equivalent on the market now, plus the formula is hardly a secret, nor is it difficult. The only Kodak chemical that, as far as I know, isn't really duplicated is HC-110. Freestyle sells a store brand, LC-110 I believe they call it, but it isn't the same color and people say it's less "equivalent" than other chemicals which can use the exact same formulas.

OTOH, HC-110 last a very long time, probably even longer unopened, and is very concentrated so if you really like it, it shouldn't be hard to lay aside a decade or so worth.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Just wondering, no practical relevance- pack will be gone before two years time. May be relevant though to those wanting to stock up.

I think the developer will be fine past the use by date. I think XTOL is not a proprietary formula or at least a known formula is out there. HC-110 is proprietary, so I might stock up on it. Kodak stopped making the replenisher years ago which I miss.

 

[jp498]

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/70022...rbic-Acid-Film-Developer-to-make-1?cat_id=301

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/74771...ic-Acid-Powder-BandW-Film-Developer-to-make-5

claims to be comparable.

 

[ntenny]

Xtol should be the least of our worries about Kodak. There are at least two other brands of equivalent on the market now, plus the formula is hardly a secret, nor is it difficult. The only Kodak chemical that, as far as I know, isn't really duplicated is HC-110. Freestyle sells a store brand, LC-110 I believe they call it, but it isn't the same color and people say it's less "equivalent" than other chemicals which can use the exact same formulas.

OTOH, HC-110 last a very long time, probably even longer unopened, and is very concentrated so if you really like it, it shouldn't be hard to lay aside a decade or so worth.

Ilfotec HC seems to be similar, but I don't know if it has HC-110's exceptional fog resistance. I know it doesn't have the same recommended times, so concoctions that use HC-110 (like Super Soup and the Qualls monobath) would need some rejiggering.

Xtol has a couple of homebrew relatives that are supposed to be workalikes, as well as the commercial equivalents. PC-TEA and PC-Glycol seem to be widely considered "Xtol-like" though not identical. So I agree, that's one product I wouldn't worry too much about.

-NT

 

[albada]

Developers are the least of my concern,
now when TriX is discontinued thats when I will really bum.

Agreed.
We can easily mix our own developers, and we know approximate equivalents to XTOL and many others.

But I doubt that Kodak's film (and chemistry) production will be shut down. I suspect that some company will buy its film operation and use it as a cash cow. There's easy profit there, and buyers usually don't walk away from profit.

But Kodak's retirees will probably get hurt, as the WSJ article implies.

Mark Overton

 

[brian steinberger]

Agreed.
We can easily mix our own developers, and we know approximate equivalents to XTOL and many others.

But I doubt that Kodak's film (and chemistry) production will be shut down. I suspect that some company will buy its film operation and use it as a cash cow. There's easy profit there, and buyers usually don't walk away from profit.

But Kodak's retirees will probably get hurt, as the WSJ article implies.

Mark Overton

I would love to see someone buy and continue to produce Kodak's films. Maybe Ilford, as they did with Kentmere? My fear is that Tri-x may not survive this.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Since there are about 3 threads on this same subject, I have not been following them all, but I wish to remind you (if someone has not already) that Kodak chemistry is now made by Champion Chemical, not Eastman Kodak. Therefore the process chemistry is already outside of the EK envelope.

PE

 

[Roger Cole]

Since there are about 3 threads on this same subject, I have not been following them all, but I wish to remind you (if someone has not already) that Kodak chemistry is now made by Champion Chemical, not Eastman Kodak. Therefore the process chemistry is already outside of the EK envelope.

PE

Yeahbut - what happens to that production if Kodak goes under? Depends on the terms of their agreement with Kodak and the terms of any bankruptcy sale etc. it would seem to me. Could Champion just continue making the same stuff and selling it? Could they call it Kodak? Not entirely clear, at least to me.

Like others I'm not worried about chemistry. I really like T-Max RS but other developers work fine and I've heard DD-X is similarly excellent anyway. The only things I use that I'd really miss would be films, and then mainly, in order: Tri-X, the Portras, Ektar, TMZ and E100G. Even though TMY-2 is my preferred film in 4x5 I could go to HP5+ easily enough, or maybe Ilford would make Delta 400 in sheets again. Not equivalent but a very nice "new tech" film in its own right, especially in sheets. Fuji has nothing I like as much as the Potras and Ektar, and nothing I like as much as E100G in an E6 film since they canceled Astia. I prefer TMZ to Delta 3200 in 35mm because I can get more effective speed with less apparent grain from it, but I already use Delta 3200 in 120 and could do so in 35mm (or, horrors, just go to digital for very low light, where it does indeed simply trounce film.)

I would grumble but I can do all of my photography with non-Kodak materials .