ROTARY DEVELOPMENT: Uneven development : Xtol 1:1 / Jobo 3010 ???

[Henry Ambrose]

You need 100 ml stock Xtol per 80 square inches, not 100 ml per 4x5 sheet (20 square inches). Definitely increase dilution to give at least 8 minutes in the developer. I'd even go to 1:3 which should get you over 10 minutes. Longer development times help consistency of the process.

For taming the high contrast you might also want to try stand development at 1:3 or even 1:5 for about 30 minutes. Agitate for the first minute then let it sit for about 10 minutes then agitate again, let sit for the balance then proceed as usual.

[rfesk]

Definitely increase your development times - that alone may even things out.

You can add the developer using a tube with a funnel attached. A larger diameter tube will shorten the time required to fill the tank.

I have never had a problem using the prewash (5 minutes.)

I am assuming you are loading the film with the emulsion side in.

[jcoldslabs]

I use Cibachrome drums on a reversing Unicolor motor base for film developing and have never had this issue. I regularly develop 8x10 film (without pre-wash) for four minutes and my development is as even as can be. I use 240ml of developer (HC-110 dil. E) in the drum for each 8x10 sheet. I don't use JOBO drums so I'm not sure how the developer is released onto the film, but with the Cibachrome drums once the drum is tilted toward horizontal the developer cascades from the holding cup into the drum. I make sure that the moment the drum is fully horizontal it is turning on the base. I also lift one corner of the motor base now and again to add a rocking motion to the rotating agitation. With the Unicolor base the rotation reverses direction every five seconds or so.

I don't use Acros myself, but I have had issues with T-Max films where the anti-halation dye does not fully clear with such a short development time so extra washing and fixing is needed. Of course, in the Cibachrome drums the film is plastered to the inside wall and there is little fluid exchange with the back of the film.

Jonathan


EDIT: Also, for what it's worth, Steve Anchell (in the Film Developing Cookbook) recommends a minimum of 125 ml of developer per 4x5 sheet when used with XTOL 1:1.

[Ed Richards]

I use a 3010 and Xtol, on a Bessler base. I pour the fluids in right out of the graduate, with the tank on the bench, slightly tilted to let the air out. I pour it in as fast as I can and put it on the rotating base. Development is 6.5-10 minutes, depending on contrast management. (6.5 is usually a hail Mary when the scene contrast is just too high)

I had uneven development until I went to a prewash - 5 minutes. Then, no problems. I would not do water changes during prewash. You want to cut down how many pours you do before development is done. I agree with the consensus that your development time is way too short. If you are in the tropic cannot get the temp below 80 degrees, get some ice. What film are you using?

[rfesk]

" You can add the developer using a tube with a funnel attached. A larger diameter tube will shorten the time required to fill the tank. "

To clarify the above, you pour in the developer while the tank is rotating on the base using the tube and funnel.

[sully75]

I used to do print (chromega and unicolor) drums on a motor base (bessler and chromega bases).

When I got the 3010 it seemed like the motor base was way too fast to allow the chambers to empty out of chemicals. I switched to gentle hand rotations. Results so far have been really good.

With the print drums, the developer has almost nothing in the way to getting to the film, so a good rotation speed is fine. But with the jobo the developer has to drop out of each tube.

Hand rolling isn't too bad. You could try some sort of reostat (?) on the base to slow things down though.

Also I'm using way too much chemicals but it prevents you from having problems.

[jeroldharter]

Does the Ciba base change directions when it rotates? If so, its roation may not be long enough for the entire circumference of the 3010 to spin around sufficiently for even development.

I use a Beseler base with a 3010 and 3005, TMY2, and Xtol 1:1 with no problems. I use a 5 minute pre-wash.

I would shorten the prewash to 3-5 minutes and adjust development to get longer times, e.g. 7 minutes.

[tgtaylor]

I small tank (hand inversion) process Acros in Xtol 1:1 for 10 minutes at 20C and rotary process it for 9.75 to 10.25 minutes at 20C with excellent results. If you (like me) don't like to experiment with your film, download the data sheets for Xtol and Acros and carefully compare the development times that are given for 100 TMax and Acros and you won't go wrong. Try one run at 9.75 minutes and increase the 2d to 10 minutes and finally the 3d at 10.25 minutes and see which you like. I always process 120 Acros by the inversion method using Fuji's agitation methods for 10 minutes at 1:1 (20C) with superb results.

Thomas

[polyglot]

Those are developer splash marks. As others have said, you need to pour the developer in while the drum is rotating. Pre-wash is good (it will never cause problems like this and it can help prevent issues with water-dribbles from the tank) but you don't need more than 2:00.

You need only 25mL of Xtol stock per sheet, which is 50mL of 1+1 working solution. However, you can't go below about 350mL because that's the drum's minimum-coverage quantity.

Acros in Xtol 1+1 is a favourite combination for me; I give it 9:00 of rotary development at 20C and it works beautifully for night photos. 4:00 is a crazy-short development time.

[Denis Pleic]

" You can add the developer using a tube with a funnel attached. A larger diameter tube will shorten the time required to fill the tank. "

To clarify the above, you pour in the developer while the tank is rotating on the base using the tube and funnel.

This is sound advice, given your setup (type of drum and rotary base).
I'm not familiar with 3010 drum and how long it takes to fill it with chemicals, but try the above, and things might improve. As Polyglot said above, those look like developer marks.

On another note, your times need adjusting: 10 min prewash is unnecessary: 2-3 min should be enough.
Which film are you using? Across 100? But, that's waaay too short (4 mins) for Xtol 1+1!

I'm using Acros 100 (medium format, i.e. 120), with STOCK (seasoned) Xtol in Jobo rotary processor, and my times are around 7 to 7.5 minutes... That's for STOCK (undiluted) Xtol... so, if you dilute it 1+1, it should be even longer.
There's something fishy about your dev. time: check dev. times on apug.org, or even Digitaltruth Massive Development Chart (although I wouldn't trust that one much...).

Anyway, here's what Fuji says about dev. times in their official documentation for Across 100:


Xtol, EI 100:

18C/64F: 9:30 mins
20C/68F: 8 mins
22C/72F: 6:45 mins
24C/75F: 5:30 mins
26C/79F: 4:45 mins

Shorten that a bit (10-15% for rotary processing, but still....

Are you developing at 26 deg C (79 deg. F)? Only then your dev. time seems even close....

Fuji Acros 100 (120 format) data sheet attached FYI.

Regards,

Denis