Browsing the local store, I picked up a bottle of Formulary Excel, mostly because the label seemed to promise everything a B&W photographer might want in a film at times - more shadow detail, no blocked highlights, true film speed increase and finer grain too. And no matter what developer or process for that B&W - just add 30ml per liter of your favorite juice and presto! - a liquid alternative to everything from adding more exposure, stand development, water baths and that nasty zone system!
I'm tempted to actually try the stuff, and probably will ( if it works, I can post it as a bonafide magic bullet! ), however I am a bit hesitant to spoil the fun of such a bottle and its miraculous pitch. Ah, just think, I could be Edsel Adams for just $9.95, and wow - 4 ounces of the stuff!
I'm certainly not knocking Formulary - they're great and so appreciated. Perhaps the bottle was left over from a set of jokes gifts for the photographer in the family...
Seriously now, has anyone tried Formulary Excel, or any other sort of universal patent medicine for black and white developing? How did it work out?
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