Edwal FG7 discontinued?

[Peter Latner]

My local photo-supply store says Edwal FG7 is discontinued--at least that's what they were told by their supplier. Has anyone heard anything about this?

[tautatis]

I think Freestyle still carries it. Check their website.

Cheers,

Tautatis.

[Allen in Montreal]

Where are you located?
I can't find it here in Montreal but have seen it stock in NYC, I think there are shipping restrictions on it. I can not buy Edwal Plat 2 paper developer locally anymore either, but bring home several each time I visit NYC. :(

[Roger Cole]

There was an announcement about this on APUG some time ago. It has been discontinued, but some places may still have it in stock.

EDIT: Found the thread:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/96359-sad-announcement.html

[Duane Polcou]

Just a personal note. I was the Edwal Technical Services Manager from 1995-2001 and used to assist in the mixing and final batch calibration of all Edwal film and paper developers. FG7 was one of the best high acutance compensating developers around; Ansel Adams mentioned it often in his book Examples: The Making of Forty Photographs.

But, its' fine characteristics came from Benzoquinone. This stuff was absolutely merciless to mix on an industrial scale. If solutions were not added to each other ever so slowly and the temperatures were just slightly off, a black tar residue would form on the bottom of the mixing tanks rendering the whole batch run useless. Given Benzoquinone's toxicity, FG-7's difficulty to mix, increased shipping restrictions, propensity for oxidation and a relatively small market, I am amazed it lasted as long as it did.

RIP FG-7. I knew ye well.

[David Lindquist]

Just a personal note. I was the Edwal Technical Services Manager from 1995-2001 and used to assist in the mixing and final batch calibration of all Edwal film and paper developers. FG7 was one of the best high acutance compensating developers around; Ansel Adams mentioned it often in his book Examples: The Making of Forty Photographs.

But, its' fine characteristics came from Benzoquinone. This stuff was absolutely merciless to mix on an industrial scale. If solutions were not added to each other ever so slowly and the temperatures were just slightly off, a black tar residue would form on the bottom of the mixing tanks rendering the whole batch run useless. Given Benzoquinone's toxicity, FG-7's difficulty to mix, increased shipping restrictions, propensity for oxidation and a relatively small market, I am amazed it lasted as long as it did.

RIP FG-7. I knew ye well.

Thank you for this very informative post, Duane. It's great to get reliable "inside" information like this.
David

[Allen in Montreal]

Thank you for this very informative post, Duane. It's great to get reliable "inside" information like this.
David

+2

[Duane Polcou]

You're welcome David and Alan. Edwal had so many truly unique formulas besides FG-7, such as Super 20 and Ultra Black. Steve Anchell, the author of the Darkroom Cookbook, used to contact me every so often to see if I could reveal formulas fearing they could be lost someday, but I was bound by a confidentiality agreement not to reveal them. I hope the new owners of this intellectual property, should they decide to cease production altogether, make these formulas public for those interested. FG-7 isnt that tough to mix from scratch if you can obtain the raw components and make a gallon or so at a time, and it would be a shame to see its' use disappear forever.

[BradS]

Thank you for this very informative post, Duane. It's great to get reliable "inside" information like this.
David

Yes. Thank you very much David.

[nolindan]

FG7's ... fine characteristics came from Benzoquinone....

I was under the impression that benzoquinone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,4-Benzoquinone is oxidized hydroquinone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroquinone.

[srbphoto]

Ah poo!

I asked Photographer's Formulary a couple of years ago if they had anything similar and they recommended their TFX-2 developer.

[Greg Blank]

FG7 to my knowledge is not discontinued. It is distributed by Omega Brandess, which bought the Edwal line, formulas and name rights from the previous owner BKA.

You should call Omega for the most local stocking dealers: 800-777-6634
Customer service or sales can help you.

[Roger Cole]

FG7 to my knowledge is not discontinued. It is distributed by Omega Brandess, which bought the Edwal line, formulas and name rights from the previous owner BKA.

You should call Omega for the most local stocking dealers: 800-777-6634
Customer service or sales can help you.

Eh, the poster on APUG (see link above) says he got that it was in an email from an Edwal rep.

Maybe it isn't and the rep was smoking crack, or maybe the guy is lying. If someone finds out otherwise, post it here (I've never used it but, oddly enough, these comments would tempt me to try it IF it isn't discontinued.)

[Allen in Montreal]

Roger,

Omega lists the 1 gallon size container only their web site (unless I missed a smaller size).

1 gallon of concentrate would make a whole lot of working solution.

[Roger Cole]

Yep, at $118 for the gallon too. Doubt they'll sell much of it at that price. Maybe if enough folks like it they could split a gallon, but I'm not sure about being able to ship broken up smaller bottles of it. It would probably require folks in the same location.

Looks like they've bought up a lot of brands, including Acufine that makes Diafine, something I would sorely miss if it were to go away. Not that often I use it but when I do, nothing else is quite like it.