timothy_mills1

I have been using XTOL since it was introduced.

The main difference that I have noticed is with the T-MAX films; T-MAX 400 in particular looks brilliant in it.

I like it because it is better for the enviornment, plus it lasts forever.

I have never experienced the failure that others have seen.

I have used XTOL that is several months hold stored in a clear plastic jug that was less than a quarter full, and it worked fine.

I was for some time using the 1 liter packs when they were having the sealing problem that caused the powder to "cake" I simply shook the bottle until the lumps finally disolved and it also worked fine.

I even once mixed the part B first and then added the part A. The liquid was a funny color until it mixed completely but it also worked fine.

I have no explanation for my good fortune; perhaps just dumb luck, but after several years and a couple thousand rolls/sheets in XTOL I have had nothing but good results.

I do only use it as a one-shot, maybe it is re-use that is the culprit?

Tim

Rahul,

Now that you have a OM screen you can compare it to the one that came in the camera.

Factory OM screens have the screen designation printed on the tab of the screen. I took the standard one out of one of my OM-1s and it has a "13" printed on it.

I am not certain how to verify a Beattie screen after the fact since none of mine have any markings on them.

You could compare them side by side against a light source such as a window with an overcast sky and see if the "Beattie" seems brighter.

Also when I look through my Beatties out of the camera they are bright and clear when I look straight through, but become darker if my eye moves even slightly off axis. I think this is the same effect as a wide angle lens causing light fall-off at the edges. The Beatties also look to have deeper cuts in the screen, but that may just be my imagination.

Tim

Rahul,

My guess is that you already have a Beattie screen in your OM-1.

In my experience all the Beattie screens vignette with lenses wider than a 28mm in the OM bodies. The 28mm vignettes slightly, but not enough to be a problem. My 24mm with the Beattie behaved just as you describe.

I finally took the Beattie screens out of my OMs for that very reason.

If you look at the Beattie site they warn about this issue.

If you use moderate wides or longer lenses the screens are great; very bright and snappy.

Tim

I am not heat drying, just air. I don't weight the bottom. Interestingly the APX400 negs have less curl from the bottom than other emulsions I use; perhaps the thicker emulsion Jim mentioned?

It is interesting that the bowing would be so severe, but the curl along the length is not.

I like the theory about the hardening fixer.

I am using a hardening fixer ( The Kodak powder fixer ) just because it is considerably cheaper than the two part Kodak liquid.

I will pick up some non-hardening fixer today and give it a go.

If that doesn't work, would heat be more or less likely to cause the bowing?

P.S. after reading my original post I realize that my description could have sounded like curl along the length. I hadn't thought of calling it "bowing."

Thanks

I am having a problem with APX400 135 curling. It is to the point of

the sprocket holes coming around almost to touch each other. It has

occured with all 20 rolls I have done.

I do not have this problem with either of the T-MAX, TRI-X, PLUS-X,

HP-5, or FP-4 films. I also don't have this occur with APX100.

I am using XTOL at 68F with a water stop, Kodak hardening fixer, and

Kodak Photo-flo.

Is anyone else seeing this?

Any ideas?