Has anyone used the Legacy Pro Mic X Film Developer? (Microdol X Alternative)

[pierce4x5shooter]

Hi All,

I recently processed some Hp5 4x5 in the Legacy Pro Mic X Developer in hopes of finding a cheaper alternative to Perceptol (Mic X is $20 for a gallon, whereas Perceptol is ~$15 for a liter). Has anyone tried this? Most people say it's chemically the same or close to it as Perceptol, but when I used the same time, the highlights were extremely dense. It seems as if it's pushing the film a stop or more. I've also tried some Kentmere 400 in 120 at the same times as Ilford says for Perceptol (1+1 at 23min), with more or less the same density in the highlights. I understand Kodak didn't recommend using Microdol X at 1+1, only stock and 1+3, but hell, thought I'd try. :cool:

If anyone has any experience using this developer, I'd love to hear it. I might contact Legacy Pro to see if I can get development times for different emulsions, perhaps they have them.

Thank you all!

[wclark5179]

I use Mic-X from Freesyle with good results.

Link:

https://www.freestylephoto.com/749710-LegacyPro-Mic-X-Film-Developer-(Makes-1-Gallon)

[Daniel Unkefer]

I also use this developer and I use it straight, and also I mix Replenisher using the olde Kodak formula. Basically you use 3/4 amount of water, and add Sodium Carbonate, to make the replenisher. What I really like about this developer, is that the developing times are very long, I've gone as long as thirty minutes with my sheet and roll films. I even use it with 35mm Eastman XX movie film and Fuji HRU XRAY film.

My gallon of Legacy Mic-X was mixed in a brown gallon bottle in 2019. It just seems to last FOREVER so very economical.

[pierce4x5shooter]

What emulsion are you using? What time of development? Are you using stock, 1+3..?

[Daniel Unkefer]

What emulsion are you using? What time of development? Are you using stock, 1+3..?

Stock solution stored in one gallon glass bottle. Seperate Replenisher mixed according to the Kodak formula. You'll need an extra gallon if you want to replenish.

All types of 35mm and 120, as well as sheets of panchromatic and LF XRAY films. Even Mammographic sheet films. Aerographic films too

You will have to test for your development times. My ambient darkroom was 62F and I usually roll with 15-25 minutes which is a lot. It's hard to overdevelop with Microdol-X. That's why I like it so much

SEE HERE:

https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=&Developer=Microdol-X%25&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C&TimeUnits=D

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/23988069653_d290461c93_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CxK8nP)Plaubel Makina III Foma 200 (https://flic.kr/p/CxK8nP) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Plaubel Makina III 100mm F2.9 Orthometar FOMA 100 Classic Microdol-X Straight Replenished Scanned Epson 4490

https://live.staticflickr.com/1496/24225980099_50879a5c8a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CULtS4)Makiflex 180mm Sonnar Foma 200 (https://flic.kr/p/CULtS4) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Makiflex Standard 180mm F2.8 Zeiss Sonnar wide-open, Foma 200, Microdol-X Epson 4490

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://125px.com/docs/techpubs/kodak/j4027-2003_11.pdf

Replenishment data is on page 3. I substitute Freestyle Legacy Mic-X, for the classic Microdol-X, they are interchangeable as far as I am concerned.

When I started using this stuff, it was about ten dollars a bag. Now it is twenty dollars a bag. Still worth every penny to me. What makes it economical, is storing it in a gallon brown glass bottle, I buy from Photographers Formulary. BTW this is a classic Kodak "deep tank" developer so you know it is long lasting.

https://live.staticflickr.com/5698/21234637639_edaf004032_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ymr4Y4)360mm Tele Arton Makiflex Agfa APX100 Legacy MicX (https://flic.kr/p/ymr4Y4) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Infinity focus test of the 360mm F5.5 Tele-Arton on the Makiflex. A lazy Saturday morning at the local park, my wife and her birding friends were waiting for something to swoop in. Agfa APX100, Microdol-X straight 24 minutes at 18C Jobo Multitank 5 on a Unicolor Uniroller.

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/21053598032_4a0dbcb7c7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/y5rccw)Makina3 #2 (https://flic.kr/p/y5rccw) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Plaubel advertised the Makinas as "The Worlds Smallest View Camera". Using a Makina in some ways is like that in terms of use. Foma 200 developed in replenished straight Microdol-X. Exposure bracketed in half stops to give myself a choice. Plaubel Makina IIIR with 100mm F2.9 Anticomar Plaubel 6x9cm back Arista #2 RC paper Omega DII laser aligned Multigrade dev Omegalite diffusion head

[pierce4x5shooter]

Hi Daniel, thank you so much for response. All of this is incredibly helpful.

I've been using it with Kentmere 400 in 120, pulling it to 200, and developing in stock Legacy pro Mic-X developer for 13 minutes at 16 degrees C. I'll upload some scans of the negatives I made with the Imacon X5. Looks pretty good for a budget film! I have about 72 rolls of the stuff to develop now, and I'd like to use replenishment. From what I understand with the document you've attached, for every roll of 120 film developed, I add 30ml of replenishment solution back into the stock solution. Do I empty out 30ml of the 'old' stock solution and add in the replenishment solution? Or do I add the replenishment to the old stock solution without emptying the old out? I'm just thinking, wouldn't it eventually overflow? how do you avoid this?

[pierce4x5shooter]

239922

[Daniel Unkefer]

Hi Daniel, thank you so much for response. All of this is incredibly helpful. I'm just thinking, wouldn't it eventually overflow? how do you avoid this?

pierce4x5shooter,

Let's say I'm processing eight rolls of 120 in my JOBO Multitank. After all processing steps are completed, I replenish the bottle. Eight rolls means I need to replace 240cc of Mic-X with the Replenisher. I pour off into a graduate about a pint or so of the stock Mic-X. Then I add the 240cc of Replenisher to the gallon bottle, and then finally, use the graduate to "top off" the contents back up to the gallon mark. Dump the excess developer and you're done, Easy to do once you get the hang of it.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I bought brown glass gallon bottles for the stock Mic-X (and extras too) here. And three 950ml bottles for the Mic-X Replenisher. Prices are good and no breakage after multiple shipments.

https://stores.photoformulary.com/glass-bottles/

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53002165137_e7b0c51479_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oKBX8p)My Mic-X Replenisher Scheme (https://flic.kr/p/2oKBX8p) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Gallon of Legacy Mic-X from Freestyle, Gallon glass bottle from Photographer's Formulary. Mic-X Replenisher in 950ml bottles also PF. I mixed this stuff back in 2019 and it's still good! Although it needs to be filtered, I bought a box of lab filter paper in funnel. This is a SSSLLLLLOOOWWW developer I have gone as far as thirty minutes, it's hard to overdevelop to the point of ruining anything with cold olde Mic-X.