Di Xactol /Verichrome Pan views

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Just to inform you lot of my now year long experience of this developer, the first problem I had was with uneveness of development using a small tank and 120 roll film, this was sorted out by using distilled water and careful slow torus agitation. The second problem took a while longer and verification from an Ilford boffin, pH reticulation of the base was being caused by the movement of the film from a high alkaline(dev) to an acid environment (stop, fix) this was solved by using water as a stop about 4 lots and Agfa's FX Universal fixer which is neutral pH, cheap and you don't have to wait the full ten min's.

I used the single bath method, the two bath always left me with uneveness no matter what I did, I think it maybe due to the fact that you need to throughly drain the first bath and this is not something you can fully control.

The developer is indeed very sharp has good compensation using the 'stand' technique, agitation for the first 30 sec then once every 2 mins, the only trade off seems to be compression in the middle tones particularly with Ilford Panf. I'd like to hear anyone's experience with Verichrome Pan only just available in the UK and I have'nt tried it yet, why I wonder do they only supply it in 120 and very large sheet size? I'd also like to hear from people who would like to see this film in the large format sizes, I will then pass on your views to Kodak.

-- Chris Kargotis (chris@kargotis.freeserve.co.uk), April 12, 2001

Answers

"Passing our views on to Kodak" is like offering a glass of water to a whale. You are wasting your time. Deal with Bergger, Forte or Ilford and you will have better luck. You would be better off to learn to use one of the existing films made in Large Format sizes than expecting The Yellow Peril to gear up to make an older emulsion for you. Even if they did you have no assurance it would be the same film. Often they have the same name from miniature & medium format to Large Format, but are different films entirely.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), April 12, 2001.

I'll pass on your view Dan!

-- chris Kargotis (chris@kargotis.freeserve.co.uk), April 12, 2001.

Hi Chris, I also used to have problems with evenness and now use JOBO 2000 series drums. Of course they are meant to be used with the JOBO processor but you can use them also by themselves. They load very easy and film spacing is more than generous. There is no chance for airbubbles to form inbetween. Only problem is volume: You need 1,400 mL to cover 2 rolls of film (versus 400 if processed as rotary). However, B&W chemicals are cheap and I think it is worthwhile.

-- (andreas@physio.unr.edu), April 13, 2001.

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