X-Tol disaster

[Mike Lyons]

Hi to all. Until it became near impossible to get in Australia, I have been using Aculux-2 for 4x5 negs. Today I mixed up a fresh batch of X-Tol (5 litre kit, expiry date 2006) to do some film tests with HP-5 Plus and FP4-plus. All films were in deep tanks on Kodak 4x5 hangers, lifted three times per minute as per Ilford instrucions. I also tried a higher degree of agitation at later tests- it didn't make any difference to the problem,WHICH IS- the tones set on Zone 7 or above come out normally i.e dense,(well actually a bit lower than I wanted, but I was running development time tests) but the lower Zones are reversed. They look as though I'm viewing a slide film, not a negative. I have not had this before with Medium or 35mm formats and X-Tol. The film borders which should be clear are also very dense (as though fogged) but this doesn't carry through to the whole image, otherwise I wouldn't be able to see anything on the neg. Any suggetins would be appreciated. Mike

[Andrew O'Neill]

Both film types appear reversed in the lower zones? It really sounds to me like fogging. It's more noticeable in the lower zones on negatives. You'll have to find out that if it is fogging, if it's caused chemically or by light. Try developing again in Aculux-2 and see what happens. Are you using the xtol straight?

[Mike Lyons]

Andrew, I'm completely out of Aculux-2 (and trying to find some where I am is very hard). The dilution I was using was 1+2, and 4 sheets of film from the same batches and loaded into the DD's and stored exactly the same as the test sheets, but developed in my last bottle of Aculux yesterday had no problems. Chemical fog perhaps? Mike

[Andrew O'Neill]

Yes, it sounds like chemical fogging. I'd take another sheet from the middle of the box and try it at the 1+2 dilution. If same fogging appears, you should take the empty xtol package and your fogged negatives to the shop you purchased the xtol. They have to replace it. What condition were the contents of the package? If pasty and clumpy that could be a problem. I like xtol even if it means paying $16 Canadian plus GST plus PST! How much is it in Australia? When I was there in '99 I couldn't find it anywhere.

[Mike Lyons]

Andrew, I get the X-Tol from PRA in Perth (Western Australia) which is 400km North of me.Cost was $12.63 Aus incl GST. for the 5Liters. I'm about to run another test with another batch of film to see if it is the film fogged, but I suspect not. Mike.