XTOL with FOMA 100 white specks in 1:1 ??

[l2oBiN]

I have been puzzled by this. If I develop the foma 100 in 1:1 (XTOL:h20) I get white specks on the negative. I have noticed that this holds true if I dilute the developed even at 3:1. If I develop the negative in straight XTOL i do not see these problems. Does anyone know what causes these and how can I eliminate them?

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2684/20100904a2web1000pxmatt.jpg

[Ron Marshall]

Is your posted image a neg or a positive?

[l2oBiN]

Its a positive (scan) from a negative.

[Ron Marshall]

What is the size of the portion of the negative that is shown in your post?

[l2oBiN]

Here is the original image. The white square in the centre represents the crop above. I think This was a 100% crop from a 240ppi scan. But Whatever the crop size is.. the specks dont show up when the negatives are developed with full xtol concentrate.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2684/20100904a2web1000pxmatt.jpg

[Steve Feldman]

Hhhmmm . . . .
White speck on pos = black specks on neg. Black specks on neg = developed, exposed silver.
Hhhmmm . . . . again . . . . I had that problem years ago. I added a drop or two of wetting agent to the developer and I stopped using an acid stop bath. Changed that to water only. No more spots on negs since then. Dunno if that will help you but it's worth a try.
Oh, and be sure that your stop, fix and wash times are long enough.
My $0.02.

[Jay DeFehr]

I have no theory that accounts for the difference between stock and diluted developer, but I've seen this sort of problem with dirty fix.

[l2oBiN]

This is from a batch with very fresh chemicals.. I don't think the fix would be dirty... Any other suggestions?

[jp]

Well the only thing different is the addition of water... If you use distilled water for mixing up the xtol stock, and tap water for diluting the working solution, perhaps something in your tap water is a bad addition to the developing?

I use fomapan 100 in 8x10 with xtol 1:2 and have no problems.

[l2oBiN]

Well the only thing different is the addition of water... If you use distilled water for mixing up the xtol stock, and tap water for diluting the working solution, perhaps something in your tap water is a bad addition to the developing?

I use fomapan 100 in 8x10 with xtol 1:2 and have no problems.

The same water was used for making the full concentrate as well as the dilution.. I cant really figure it out.. perhaps its ions in the water? Anyone seen that?

[j.e.simmons]

What about your solution temperatures? Are they close to the same? I had problems with emulsions when I tried to lower the developer temperature to 20C, but left the other solutions at the room temp of 33C.
juan

[Joakim Ahnfelt]

Had the same problem years ago with D-76 1+3. The solution was to use just water instead of stop.

[l2oBiN]

so perhaps the stop bath could be it? ..


I guess the temperatures are not exactly the same but I don't thing there is a large discrepancy between solutions

[mhanc]

I use Xtol stock and also had the same problem. It went away when I used a water stop. For some reason an acid stop seems to do something to the emulsion.

[Roger Vadim]

I read somewhere that this can be caused by to much iron in your tapwater: the tiny iron particles rect with the silver on the neg and leave thise tiny dots. Try googling for "Iron" and "Xtol".
To solve the problem try to use de-mineralized water to make concentrate as well as the dillution.
I use cheap de-mineralized water for YXtol and all is fine - as well with Foma 100.

[l2oBiN]

just for the sake of knowledge.. the spots went away with the water stop =P

[jsch]

just for the sake of knowledge.. the spots went away with the water stop =P

I should have read this thread before.

I get the same spots with XTOL 1:1 and Fomapan 400. I'm going to try pure water as stop bath the next time. I only use demineralized water for everything and develop in Jobo 3005 drum on CPA2.

But it is strange: If I work under the same conditions with Ilford HP5+ I don't get this spots.

Best,
Johannes