OK, I know we cannot have everything, but is there a developer that offers a compromise between the two? I like both, but would rather have something in the middle!
As I see it both give full film speed, Xtol has incredibly fine grain and wonderful tonality and FX-39 has aggressive sharpness and grain noticeably coarser than D76...but boy is it crisp! The grain is hardly increased with modern emulsions but less retrained with traditional emulsions. I find Xtol great for films with inherent grain sharpness, such as Delta 100, but less wonderful with others for certain uses. For example, APX100 is a bit coarser than Fp4+ in most developers but turns to cream in Xtol...the grain vanishes and the images look silky smooth - great for certain images like child portraits but awful (IMO) for street or harder stuff. APX100 is sharp, but moderately grainy in Fx-39. d76 is in teh middle but one loses speed. For 120 TriX, Xtol gives very fine grain, but the image to me lacks the grain crispness I would like esp at low enlargement sizes - I find there to be an epic reduction in grain when going from D76 to Xtol with the new TriX - almost too much in 120 - it can be too smooth and lack bite! FX-39 although not meant for fast films produces super sharp, tight, pleasing grain, but it is definitely on the coarse side. In many respects D76 1+1 is somewhere between but one loses 1/2 stop in film speed!
Has anyone tried mixing FX-39 and Xtol ?!?!?! Based on image qualities alone, a developer smack between these two in terms of film speed (they are almost the same) tonality and acutance would be fantastic, but I can't think of one. DDX to me produces grain about the same as Xtol, perhaps a touch coarser but it certainly does not have acutance remotely approaching FX-39.
I know some people mix Rodinal and Xtol, but I dont particularly want to go down that road. I single developer with full speed and between FX39 and Xtol in otehr characteristics would be great and save me using and keeping both! Pyrocat meets the acutance, grain and tonality needs but offers me about ei 250 rather than the full 400 with TriX. The other good thing about Xtol and FX-39 is that a one stop push is easy with both and more than a stop with Xtol. V handy when shooting MF and one needs shutter speed in low light.
If only pyrocat HD had more speed, but in all reality, being in Afghanistan, I do not want to mix developers from raw chemicals, use scales etc, or use staining devs as battling with horrid, inconsistent water is a problem all of its own.
So maybe one could mix: Xtol and FX-39 or DDX and FX-39??? Anyone know what would happen based on their chemistry? I know it might not be simple due to the interaction of ingredients, but it sounds good!
In summary, I get:
TriX with D76 1+1 - Beautiful grain and glowing prints, but coarser look & the speed is about 250-320
TriX with FX-39 - sharp as hell but not good when one wants smoother tonality - full speed
TriX with Xtol 1+1 - smooth as hell, but lacking in acutance, esp with 120 and lower enlargement - full speed
Last edited by Tom Stanworth; 08-28-2008 at 03:26 AM.
Try Xtol diluted 1+3. If you would like a copy, I have an old data sheet (April 2000) that has starting points for higher dilutions than the newer ones.
I am not looking for a magic bullet, just one that suits me perfectly . I guess if you think about it, both devs make the speed i want, only one is super smooth and the other ultra-sharp - so I just want a compromise - if one thinks about it it should be entirely possible! I may experiment with DDX again and I would agree it gives more visible grain than Xtol and that might in the end suit me. I want to cut down on devs and films and get things as simple as possible.
Paterson, can you produce FX-39 for sensitive skin please Half way between Aculux/Xtol and FX-39!
Xtol 1+3 sound interesting, but does it introduce quite a shoulder? I guess FX-39 does that anyway, not that it has been much of an issue for me as it would appear to occur high up on the scale. My enlarger head is VERY low contrast (10x8 colour head)
I may just mix some Xtol 1+1 and FX-39 and do a test roll. Prob is I don't have an enlarger here in Kabul and so can only snoop at negs. I have to do this - sounds like fun!
I found it to give me the speed of Xtol and the smooth, classic look of D76.
And it should! DD-X is Ilford's Liquid concentrate version of Iford Microphen (a phenidone version of D-76). I'd expect DD-X to give a bit more film speed than Xtol.
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Tom Hoskinson
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Last edited by Tom Hoskinson; 08-28-2008 at 09:31 AM.
Reason: left a bit out
Anything between Xtol & FX-39 
. I guess if you think about it, both devs make the speed i want, only one is super smooth and the other ultra-sharp - so I just want a compromise - if one thinks about it it should be entirely possible! I may experiment with DDX again and I would agree it gives more visible grain than Xtol and that might in the end suit me. I want to cut down on devs and films and get things as simple as possible. 
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