In my opinion the benefits of using Xtol are greater than the risk. There are some steps that I take with Xtol that I think have protected me from some of the disasters that are mentioned on this board. a.) If either of the powders are "clumped" upon opening I take it back to the dealer for a replacement. This has happened around 6 times. b.) Mix the powder with distilled water and at room temperature c.) Make sure that I have at least 100ml of stock chemical per roll regardless of dilution used. d.) I use distilled water for my stop bath as well. e.) Make sure the stock solution is stored in a dark place and without air between the top of the solution and the cap. f.) Dump (rare)the stock solution if it's older than 30 days.(posted 8504 days ago)I have had only one incident of failure in over a thousand rolls. I get consistent high-quality negatives. I haven't found anything I like better.