Re: x-tol developer and tri-x400

[ireland@blazenet.net (Robert Brummett)]

>Hi friends:
>
>Some months ago, in the LUG there was an interesting thread on developers.
>There was somebody that pointed out the new Kodak x-tol developer, and seemed
>to have quite an expertise in using it.
>I started using it, and although I already prefer it to my former T-max
>developer, I still have some black holes.
>
>Could this person please tell me what does it change to use it at full
>strength, or at each of the different dilutions? I find the info that kodak
>has on the internet, insufficient.
>
>Also, when I use it at full strength(supposedly reusable for an amount of
>rolls) and keep it in the common black plastic bottle, when I want to reuse it
>for the second time, after some days, it has a grey color, totally different
>from the transparent color it had after the first use. Is this normal? If it
>is not, I am worried that it could be my chrome M6 dying its color into the
>negatives and them to the developer.
>
>P.S: As you see IT IS a Leica-related message  : )
>
>
>        Nicolas Levinton. Madrid. SPAIN
>        nlevintonm.i-solev@nexo.es

Nicolas-

You may be seeing the residue of anti-halation (and perhaps other) dyes
from the film you have developed. I use, and recommend, a water pre-soak
immediately preceding development. In addition to removing some of the
dyes, this pre-soak renders the film more amenable to even development and
helps toprevent airbells. I doubt that the discoloration represents any
serious problem, BUT it is just another reason to consider going to a
developer that allows fresh, mix-on-the-spot, one-shot doses.

Robert