XTOL Replenished Facts vs Fables

[Sirius Glass]

I have used replenished XTOL in the Jobo processor for years for 35mm, 120 and 4"x5". I have recently changed to storing in squeezable containers that can push all [well sometimes almost all the air out]. I just get stable and consistent results with good sharpness, small grain and very smooth tonality.

[Duolab123]

I have used replenished XTOL in the Jobo processor for years for 35mm, 120 and 4"x5". I have recently changed to storing in squeezable containers that can push all [well sometimes almost all the air out]. I just get stable and consistent results with good sharpness, small grain and very smooth tonality.

I don't doubt it. I am used to one shot on the Jobo. I was replenishing Flexicolor C-41 for months until someone pointed me to the Kodak directions that said don't do that. My bad!

[roscoetuff-Skip Mersereau]

FWIW, I tried replenishing XTOL (referred to as XTOL-R by some) when using a JOBO and figured I just wasn't good at working with replenishment. Found I wasn't alone, and a number of other folks had similar experiences with oxidation, and so did a little research. Even Omer Hecht at CatLabs suggested the Jobo might not be the best way to utilize XTOL-R as it tends toward maximum oxidation. I did in fact try to up my game in adopting containers to minimize oxidation, but instead of using collapsible wine-type containers as many do, switched to hard plastic drug/chem type containers of varying sizes. Still didn't work for me. Found a number of others who'd also bailed on debugging a process to make XTOL-R work for them in a Jobo, but felt no shame in the end - though a degree of disappointment because I wanted to follow the promise of greater accutance and superior tonality that it's supposed to give in an environmentally friendly form. Sirius Glass is to be commended for breaking the code, but fairly, if your development is by hand or dunk or something similar, maybe this just isn't an issue and you're "free to move about the country". But with a Jobo or similar high rotation processor, it seems likely exhaustion will require more figuring in terms of what will work for you. How much more... I can't say.... 'cause... I moved on.

For me, the thought of the time and expense to really get this figured led me to consider there were more fruitful paths. I switched developers - first to ID-11 and then Bergger's Berspeed (recommend by Omer Hect when I called to discuss options) - to use with my Jobo. The latter is particularly sweet IMHO (NOTE: Freestyle now likens BerSpeed to Acufine). Would have like to have seen the XTOL-R process work because many do beautiful work with it. I wonder if the question is whether you're more committed to your processing technique or more committed to your developer - XTOL-R... and it may be "either / or" with PERHAPS an exclusive path for each.

For my part, the process itself is secondary to producing consistent results; my commitment was to the JOBO because I wanted (needed?) to remove agitation as a variable in my development process at the time. And one day, that may change, but not for now. Meantime, I tip my hat to those who find it works.