the key is that you experienced an unpredicted and unsuspected behavoural change. I am on a roll, with about fifty rolls developed in Xtol (stock) without problems. I tried defecting to the side of Microphen, ID-11, TMax RS, and Ilfosol-S, only to compare them all to Xtol and finding Xtol outshines them all. in TMY studies, grain is reduced and tonal gradients are as smooth as satin, yielding noticeable scanned improvements.(posted 8588 days ago)one contentious point is the Kodak spec for TMax films. I am generally developing two minutes (~30%) longer than specified. this falls out of the limits that I would expect to deviate from published target times. as discussed in other threads, localized exhaustion seems probable, requiring an agressive agitation profile.
I still feel like the kid walking in front of the bully's house after school each day. sooner or later, he'll come outside and pounce on you when you least expect it .. just because he can.