Unicolor Drum/Xtol/HP5+

[Ed Balko]

I'd like to use Unicolor drums to process 8x10 HP5+ in order to avoid the scratches that occur all to frequently with my tray processing. I already have several drums.

I'm in a farmhouse here with my darkroom wastewater being discharged into a septic tank system and would prefer to use XTOL for enviromental reasons. I'd appreciate the benefit of others experience on (obviously, starting) development time/temperature/film speed for HP5+ developed in XTOL, 1:1 dilution or greater. Ilford suggests a "up to a 15%" reduction in developement time with rotary tube processing; this is obviously a range - what reduction has worked well in practice?

Thanks in advance.

[Bruce Watson]

Ed,

I develop Tri-X in a Jobo expert 3010 drum, using XTOL 1:3. So what I have found clearly won't apply directly to you. What I found was that the published times for XTOL from the Kodak tech. pubs. for rotary tubes, are right on.

That is, no presoak, and no reduction in time. This was because they actually tested XTOL in rotary tubes to get the data.

Here's the data. First, the latest tech pub.: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j109/j109.jhtml?id=0.3.6.28.4.33.4.3&lc=en

Now, the 1998 version that lists 1:2 and 1:3: http://wwwes.kodak.com/ES/plugins/acrobat/es/professional/productos/Xtol-ing.pdf

Kodak does list some times for HP5+ so you should be able to compare to the times they list for Tri-X and interpolate a starting time for yourself.

BTW, I found that at 1:3, I rate 320Tri-X at EI 400, a one third stop speed increase. XTOL is good stuff, IMHO. It should work well for you, but of course YMMV.

[tim atherton]

I've used both the unicolor drum and the jobo drum like this with HP5 and Xtol - for me it seems a problematic combination...

I like tol and use it with lots of other films - I've used this combintation withFP4 and Bergger and Forte 200 and Tri-X no problem - but for some reason, with HP5 I always got banding or edge density problems. I tried all sorts of toehr developers - D76, D23, T-Max - which all worked well with the other films, as well as different volumes and dilutions of Xtol + pre-soak and no preoak. ALways similar problems.

I finally hit on DD-X with HP5 processed as above - great combintation! Works like a charm - gives really nice negs

[Jay DeFehr]

I used to develop 8x10 HP5+ in Xtol 1:3 in my unicolor drum. Worked great. No edge density/ uneven developmenmt problems. Don't remember my times, but I've had good luck with Kodak's recomendations. Good luck.

[Doug_3727]

Hey Ed, I have developed a number of different film and developer combinations in unicolor drums with great results. The best result is not having to work in the dark. Once the film is in the tube you are lights on. I do all the processing in tube and hypo or post developement processes in a tray. I have developed tmax 100 and 400 in Tmax, Arista in Pyro and D76, plus-x and tri-x in D76 and Pyro as well as Bergger XX in Pryo with very consistant results. When using pyro += normal, normal =- (minus) and -(minus)= -2 development to compensate for the constant agitation. I use 300mm in the 8x10 and 600mm in the 16x20. .......another note, since I took a new job 3 years agoand moved I been without a dark room. We are living in a 3 br terrace apartment (and Loving it) which severly restricts photo capabilities and this is the only way I can see how I can keep my hands (literally) in photography. If I had to have a full darkroom I woud have to stop. Keep us posted on your results

[Henry Ambrose]

I use Xtol 1:3 with HP5, 70 degrees F for 18 minutes intermittent agitation and that seems equal to14 minutes rotary as far as I can tell. John Hicks wrote a good article about rotary processing which is posted at unblinkingeye.com. My experience agrees with his findings.