The typical recommendation for using Xtol is a minimum of 125 ml of stock solution per 35mm x 36 roll.

In response to someone else on another forum I was going over the data sheet. According to Kodak you can process up to 15 rolls per liter, which works out to 67 ml per roll. You do have to increase the time, 15% after 5 rolls, and another 15% after 10 rolls.

Also for replenished use, they state add 70 ml of stock per roll processed.

Has anyone tried longer times with the lower volumes? If not, I will have to test this.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), April 25, 2000

Answers

The last answer I heard was 100 ml per 36 exposure roll, and I've had no trouble with this. It's always assumed that different films deplete the developer by the same amount, but I've never heard of anyone checking this. Not sure how to either. At the higher dilutions (or even straight) it seems best to use it as a one-shot so you don't get into the consistancy problems that are bound to come with varying the time, especially if you mix 20 and 36 exposure rolls and different types of film.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), April 25, 2000.

Kodak's replenishment recommendations are for when you're using XTOL full strength, i.e. 250ml per roll. You can continue to do that up to 15 times per liter by increasing time, replenishing, etc. This does not really work out to 67ml per roll--it's still 250ml a shot, which you are reusing. This isn't a very good idea either, by the way, as the poster above notes.

Kodak's 100ml recommendation is for when you're diluting XTOL. In ohter words, if you want a 1:3 dilution, you should add 300ml of water to your 100ml of XTOL and develop in a two-reel tank. If you use less, you run the risk of incomplete development, lack of contrast, etc.

In fact, some people, notably The Film Developing Cookbook, say that 250ml should be your minimum per roll no matter what the dillution, just to be on the safe side. They make the point that of all the places you might skimp, why would it be on developer for your irreplaceable negatives?

-- Brian Hinther (BrianH@sd314.k12.id.us), April 25, 2000.

Brian,

But using 250 ml per shot, but using it enough times to do 15 rolls per liter IS the same as using 67 ml per shot. It is just that you have to use the times for the most reused case.

I am not trying to save money, but trying to figure out how to best use it in a Jobo processor which only uses about 120 ml per roll. Yes, I can put on 2 rolls in a 4 roll tank, but if there is another way, I want to find it.

Time to experiement.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), April 26, 2000.

Hello Terry,

did you have a look at Kodaks webpage, as they have the Xtol publication (almost 30 pages) on the web. Including dev. times for several techniques and thinning rates (1:1-1:3). Personally I use Xtol 1:1 or 1:2 in a small tank, which turns out 120 ml/135-36 at 1:1 and 80 ml/135-36 at 1:2.(one shot)

I came across the Jobo rotation volumes considering a Jobo myself and to cut a long story short: 120 ml/per roll is the minimum volume, so did you consider 160 ml per roll? Which would work out 80 ml Xtol at 1:1.

Regarding even lower ml per films please consider the fact that you need a certain number of developer molecules to develop a film. This number of molecules is controlled by the volume of Xtol stock solution used. And I think I heard of Jobo users having underdeveloped films in Xtol by simply using not enough stock solution. 67 or 70 ml/135-36 seems the lower limit, so 80 ml is on the safe side.

Kind regards,

Wolfram

Please do not reply by email as I will be "out of this world " till May 15th.

-- Wolfram Kollig (kollig@ipfdd.de), April 27, 2000.

Wolfram,

The 15 rolls per liter comes from the Kodak data sheet on Xtol. That was what started me asking.

The development chart lists the time to develop based on fresh (or one shot) developer. The chart on using the dveloper over requires an increase in time for more than 5 and more than 10 rolls.

I was trying to see if anyone had tried the longer development with less developer. And considering how everyone cites underdevelopment, apparently not. If you take a film that is supposed to go 7 minutes with fresh, using only 70 ml would take 9 minutes 15 seconds according to Kodak. So developing for 7 minutes WOULD give you underdevelopment.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), April 27, 2000.

Terry, it seems a silly corner to cut. Kodak recommends 100 mL of stock per 135-36 or 120 roll and that's what I use. There just isn't enough developer activity in lesser amounts with dilution, even if you have enough developer to physically contact all the film.

-- Jim MacKenzie (photojim@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000.