So much for FX-39 - what's with the price increase?

[Corran]

I don't know if anybody else uses FX-39, but if you do, the price just increase a lot.

Was just about to restock (I bought a couple bottles just a few months ago) and see that they discontinued the 500mL bottles, and now only have 100mL bottles, at a ridiculous up-charge.

The price went from $12.99 earlier this year for 500mL to $9.49 now for 100mL, a 3.65x increase per mL.

I was often using 70mL of this stuff at a time for 4x5 TMX in a tank. I used to use Rodinal, so I think I might go back to that, or use HC-110 which has been my new favorite developer this year and super economical. Even developing 8x20 sheets in a tray only cost me about 50 cents per sheet using dilution H.

I might shoot an email to Adox and let them know they've lost a customer. Since finding FX-39 I've used 4-5 bottles a year, and I use the more dilute 1:14 solution.

[ottluuk]

On the EU side, Fotoimpex and Macodirect appear to list the 500ml bottle of FX-39 II for €9.50 ( = $10.80 according to Google). So maybe your supplier is hiking the price, not Adox themselves? Or maybe it's about the transition from "I" to "II"?

[otto.f]

I just read on the internet that Adox moved the production to Switzerland, that could well have caused this price increase.

[Corran]

I hadn't checked the EU price.

Regarding the update to ver. 2 - my two latest 500mL bottles were marked FX-39 II. I found no working difference, but I was hoping it had a better shelf life when reaching the end of the bottle. I noticed with previous bottles that once the bottle got to 10% or so, it tended to start losing strength and delivered underdeveloped negatives. I assume from oxidation.

I typically just tossed the last 5-10% of the bottle.

[mrred]

Ever consider just making it?

[esearing]

Read several places that Crawley's FX37 is nearly same formula. I looked at PF but didn't see anything similar but you might talk to Bud about mixing up a batch.

The formula as described in Anchells 'Darkroom cookbook' is as follows.
WATER (AT 52C) 750ML
SODIUM SULPHITE 60 G
HYDROQUINONE 5 G
SODIUM CARBONATE (ANHYD) 5 G
PHENIDONE 0.5 G
BORAX 2.5 G
POTASSIUM BROMIDE 0.5 G
BENZOTRIAZOLE (1% SOLUTION) 50 ML
WATER TO MAKE 1 LITRE.