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Thread: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

  1. #51

    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by shoshin View Post
    Same here. Xtol used to be my standard developer for years. I used the "new bags" for the first time. Date of manufacture: 2020/02/25. I couldn't get the 'A' powder to completely dissolve. After 24 hours I filtered and used the developer. Negs came out underdeveloped. Mixed the next bags. Same problem.
    I am done with Xtol.
    Hi,
    funny I was at Process Supplies in London yesterday, and we were chatting about how Kodak really is finished as a photo company. They were telling me the latest issue : Dektol now becomes a dark brown almost black liquid. It still works but you just cannot see the print developing in there any more! Crazy.

    By the way, I was in there buying Fomadon Excel. It is the same as Xtol. I use the same times, same results. Sometimes I find the pwder in sol A is all caked up, it looks terrible... but it always dissolves well and the dev is crystal clear. And it always works!
    It is more exepensive than Xtol but it is reliable. Go with Fomadon Excel!

  2. #52
    multiplex
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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Noel View Post
    Simple answer to these problems - Don't be a martyr- change chemistry. There are too many good ones available to waste time, money and film on questionable ones.
    +1

  3. #53

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Is this still a problem? Just bought myself some Xtol here in Switzerland. Don't know the batch date yet, as it is still in delivery.
    Instagram username: @AlmosLataan

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  4. #54

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Found the Xtol thread. Looks like problem now fixed, but will depend on what batch I have...
    Instagram username: @AlmosLataan

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  5. #55
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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by MilamBardo View Post
    Is this still a problem? Just bought myself some Xtol here in Switzerland. Don't know the batch date yet, as it is still in delivery.
    Problems have been endemic with Xtol since the 1990s when it was first sold. I used gallons and gallons of it off-and-on* since it was introduced for IDK 5 years and I'll never use it again.
    I'd be leery of using anything that isn't "fresh packets of developer" no matter what people on the internet tell you or publish/post ...
    * varied / bracketed exposure, elongated processing times including straight stock solution, 4 different water supplies, and distilled water, not a fan of thin negatives that lack contrast/crispness (or as they used to say "snap" ), Xtol is the worst ... YMMV

  6. #56

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by jnantz View Post
    Problems have been endemic with Xtol since the 1990s when it was first sold. I used gallons and gallons of it off-and-on* since it was introduced for IDK 5 years and I'll never use it again.
    I'd be leery of using anything that isn't "fresh packets of developer" no matter what people on the internet tell you or publish/post ...
    * varied / bracketed exposure, elongated processing times including straight stock solution, 4 different water supplies, and distilled water, not a fan of thin negatives that lack contrast/crispness (or as they used to say "snap" ), Xtol is the worst ... YMMV
    So, do you mean that Xtol always yielded thin negatives? Since reading these posts, I have been wondering about picking up some ID-11 instead. (Just getting back into Largeformat photography, so I'm starting afresh anyway)
    Instagram username: @AlmosLataan

    My Website

  7. #57
    multiplex
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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by MilamBardo View Post
    So, do you mean that Xtol always yielded thin negatives? Since reading these posts, I have been wondering about picking up some ID-11 instead. (Just getting back into Largeformat photography, so I'm starting afresh anyway)

    It is (for me at least) hands down the worst developer I have ever used. Yes, thin negatives that could not be made dense, by over exposing several different film stocks by upto 5 stops, over agitating and extended development ( sometimes by more than 2x ) with stock/undilute developer. I would use ID-11 or D76 or Sprint, or anything else you can get your hands on, even TMAX developer ( as long as you use the RS version so you don't get dichroic fog ) ...
    but these are my experiences, as you will read .. others have exactly the opposite experience and love it. YMMV
    Good luck!
    John
    Last edited by jnantz; 19-Jan-2023 at 06:05.

  8. #58

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    As John points out, Xtol will never give you hard density areas in your negatives. If you want hard, graphic negatives with "traditional" density in the highlights, then Xtol is not the best option. If you want harder contrast and strong density in your negatives, opting for D-76/ID-11 is a better choice.
    That said, there are many high contrast films that benefit greatly from pairing with Xtol, as it tames highlights and avoids "runaway" density in the higher values. I find it useful when I use certain films, or want to manage scenes where the luminance scale starts to exceed the film's abilities. Choosing a film + developer combination involves knowing what you want to achieve, and how to get there.

  9. #59

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    XTOL will produce nearly identical tonality to D-76/ID-11.

    Quote Originally Posted by MilamBardo View Post
    So, do you mean that Xtol always yielded thin negatives? Since reading these posts, I have been wondering about picking up some ID-11 instead. (Just getting back into Largeformat photography, so I'm starting afresh anyway)

  10. #60

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    Re: XTOL not mixing well and not working any more!

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael R View Post
    XTOL will produce nearly identical tonality to D-76/ID-11.
    Emphasis on "nearly".

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