Response to XTOL question

Yep, "convenient, consistent and predictable", UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU. Xtol can be a marvelous developer when it works. But the mysterious underdevelopment problem can crop up without warning. Then, the 5 litre packaging has had major problems with the sealing of the part A packet. Got a nice batch of them with powder leaking all over the place. This was AFTER The Yellow Peril assured me it had been fixed. Went to the nearby camera store & took the packaging off the shelf, set it on the store counter & watched the white powder of the A packet make little sandpiles. EK replaces two packs but haven't yet replaced the three others I had that were leaking. I was using Xtol heavily as the results were very nice. I mix it to a gallon container, not a 5 litre one, for stock. Tested my times & got them standardized. Then had three rolls processed in a new batch at 1:1 come out so far underdeveloped they were unusable. NO change in developing habits and while using Distilled water. The fresh developer was less than a day old, my usual mixing procedures followed, and results for a client that were a total bust. EK tells me I did something wrong. They are probably right. So, I solved that problem in the darkroom by using Ilford ID11, and the problem has not returned. There is too much The Yellow Godfather is not telling us about Xtol. It should be one of the best products they have but somehow Quality Control isn't up to the task of producing the product so that it is reliable.

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