So I'm going to give xtol a shot. After some research I've learned how cautious one must be in storing it to be air tight and such. What I was curious as to was how you dillute it and why, also how you feel it reats to n-1/+1 etc..
As always oppinions are appreciated.
http://www.butzi.net/articles/tuning1.htm
Check this out for more info on Xtol. I use 1:3, works great for scanning. Get a floating llid tank from B&H for $20 and you will not have any storage problems.
I have seen references to it being used at as high a dilution as 1:7 for semi-stand.
Read what Paul Butzi has on his site, as Ed mentioned, lots of good info.
I store all my developers in 500 ml glass, and top-up with glass marbles.
I dilute Xtol 1:1. I dilute it because it gives me an opportunity to adjust the temperature by diluting with hotter or colder water as necessary ( I use 68 deg), because it gives me sufficient quantity of stock developer ( I can do 8 sheets of 4x5 in a 5x7 Patterson tray) and for no other reason than I always have. After a failure incident some years back, I have become very comfortable with it's reliabilty. I mix the 5 litres and store them in 1 litre Jobo bottles. I typically use the 5 litres within 60 days and don't worry about storage life. I find Xtol to be a very good developer with any film and it works well for me for plus and minus development.
I have been using Xtol 1:2 @ 75 degrees F for many years and have had uniform success ever since Kodak stopped packaging the one liter size. I mix the 5 L and store it in a large container with a floating lid and spigot. It keeps quite well. The person on whom I rely for such info recommends that it be mixed and diluted with distilled water. I have a Sears water purifier still which I run periodically and keep a reasonable quantity of distilled water in plastic jugs. I vary the times for N+ and N- but one should really run one's own tests. I have used it mostly with TMAX 100 in 4x5 and 120 and TMAX 400 in 120 and have had good results. I use 200ml of stock with 400ml of distilled water for each batch, 4 4x5 sheets or 1-2 rolls of 120. I use the small Jobo set up and develop 4 sheets at a time in the 6 sheet tank. I'd love to have the larger processor and expert drums but have not been able to quite justify the cost and now, it appears Jobo may stop production.
Good luck.
Eric
Can someone tell me what dilution of Xtol one should use to match as closely as possible the development time of D76 1:1 for any given film? Just need a ballpark figue here as I will be doing more specific testing later.
Sandy King
Last edited by sanking; 11-Aug-2006 at 13:43.
Sandy, Here is a link to Paul Butzi's site where he has posted times for D76 and XTOL.
For TMX in D76 1:1 at 68 degrees: 7.8 minutes
For TMX in XTOL 1:2 at 75 degrees: 8.3 minutes
http://www.butzi.net/articles/tuning1.htm
Originally Posted by Ron Marshall
Ron,
Thanks for the link.
Sandy
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