Xtol, CHS and a Jobo expert what could possibly go wrong

[Lenny Eiger]

Sal,

HI there...

I do pre-saok, for 5 mins. I don't do EIs or CIs anymore, I just look at the negative... I am generally looking for the juice, which means a certain amount of richness....

The differences between an N-1 and N-2 might be 20-40 seconds, vs a lot more in more dilute solutions... and if you go for deepest development, as in past 8 mins the grain explodes.... However, if one gets it right, its marvelous...

Lenny

[polyglot]

Zombie thread revival, and I don't know how Alun got on with his film, but I did a batch of 4x5 CHS100 in Xtol 1+1 this evening with my Jobo. 9:00 at 20C with a prewash looks OK for contrast, but you get maybe EI80 at most (metering shadows at -2). I did some expansion shots from very flat light, dev for 10:45 and they also look OK for contrast but they're a bit thick at EI100 (average-metering midtones); I could probably have used 160 and a touch more development. They all look eminently printable though.

That's only from eyeballing the film and knowing how I spot-metered (assuming my shutters aren't whack); I didn't do any formal BTZS tests.