Dixactol

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Hello all

Does anyone have experience of Dixactol developer? If you do I would like your opinions.

Thanks Peter

-- Peter Choo (peter.choo@csiro.au), April 04, 2002

Answers

Fine grain, good grain masking effect (as it is said though, Pyro is better on the two precedent fields), v. good sharpness, compensating effects, highlight control, almost same dev. times for many different films, easy mixing, temperature tolerance (+- 2 degrees).

More toxic than other formulas (but not so dangerous, though), quite expensive, the two bath option can easily destroy films by creating streaks (uneveness) if not used exactly as described in the manual. Some films don't like it (or it doesn't like them), like old Tri-X for instance. I don't know whether the brand new Tri-X shall behave differently.

Despite the negative points I mentioned above, I believe it is a good alternative to Pyro, in two bath or single bath use. I have adopted it since first trying it and I am quite happy about it. I live in a country with lots of sunny days per year and like the control on the highlights the two bath formula gives. Lovely tonal rendition with Agfapan 100, which I use a lot with my Rolleiflex. Invisible grain on 10x10 inch prints. Superb sharpness. If it wasn't for the streaks...

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), April 05, 2002.


I have used it extensively and echo George's comments about Tri-X. It is a lovely developer in partial stand one path option giving very sharp results with lovely tonality. I now use it as standard for 5X4 with TMax 100 and love the results. No streaks since switching to one bath with partial stand.

-- David Tolcher (davidjt@btinternet.com), April 05, 2002.

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