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12-22-2016, 04:57 PM   #1
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Help! I am terrified of under-fixing and losing everything!

...so I fix in Kodak fixer (the one you mix from powder) for TEN MINUTES.

What horrible things might I be doing to my images? Or is the only loss to my time and peace of mind?


ETA (in response to clarifying question): I am talking about B&W film.


Last edited by pathdoc; 12-23-2016 at 06:27 AM.
12-22-2016, 05:01 PM   #2
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I usually use the powder fix and go for about 7 min. Can't see anything wrong with going for ten though as I used to when I developed in caffenol.
12-22-2016, 05:11 PM   #3
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This article on Archival Processing of Prints might help (or might terrify you further).
12-22-2016, 05:37 PM   #4
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Prints (which the article concentrates on) aren't the issue here - negatives are. The one thing I gleaned out of this was that Ilford seem to believe it's impossible to overfix. The other hint, which I've seen repeated elsewhere, is to drop the film leader into fixative and then fix for double the time it takes for the leader to clear.

12-22-2016, 07:02 PM   #5
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Yes, I wondered whether you were talking about prints or film.

What I'd wonder about is the effects of residual thiosulfate and whatever else is in the water on the long-term stability of base, emulsion, and the silver. In particular it seems thiosulfate contributes to conversion of metallic silver into brownish silver sulfide. But I've no clue how bad this is....
12-22-2016, 10:40 PM   #6
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Use hypo clearing agent after fixing. It will take care of any residual. And then wash.etc.
12-24-2016, 04:27 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by pentaxus Quote
Use hypo clearing agent after fixing. It will take care of any residual. And then wash.etc.
Unfortunately this still doesn't solve my primary insecurities/fears, regarding underfixing and seeing everything turn black as soon as I pull the reels out of the tank.

12-24-2016, 05:56 AM   #8
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Back in the 1960s our college darkroom would get very busy on weeks where we put out special editions of the student paper every day, and in the chaos I've seen a few rolls get pulled out and washed, only to see under fixed whitish areas. So the films were put back on stainless reels still wet, fixed for a few more minutes, and they cleared up and gave good results. So don't panic.
I now use "Eco-pro" fixer, a liquid concentrate diluted to working stock. When fresh, fixing time is 2 to 5 minutes, so I start with 3 on a new mix, then lengthening to 5 as I use the qt. on more and more rolls. Then I wash by the Ilford method of 3-4 tankfuls of water with constant inversions up to 40 times.
So my usual PanF film in Rodinal is loaded, processed, washed and hung to dry in under 20 minutes. I like to minimize wet time on film.
12-24-2016, 07:00 AM   #9
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There should be no problem if you follow directions and your fix is not exhausted. Besides you can always put the film back into the fix. The fixer removes undeveloped silver from the negative. If you used a stop bath and the previous soak in the fixer would have arrested and neutralized any developer.
12-24-2016, 04:27 PM   #10
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When in doubt you can test your fixer quickly and easily with Edwal Hypo Check.
All you need is a drop. It's not cheap but the small bottle will last you forever.

Chris
12-24-2016, 07:32 PM   #11
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You aren't going to lose anything if you pull the film out of the fixer after 10 minutes, even if it wasn't long enough. If the negatives look milky after the final rinse, put them back in the fixer and re-fix. I use Kodak fixer and fix most films for 10 minutes, which may or may not be two or three minutes longer than required. I fix TMAX films for 15 minutes and then check on them. I do not use hypo-clear. Instead, I just rinse for a long time.
12-24-2016, 08:06 PM   #12
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I have been fixing Tmax 400 for 10 minutes in Kodak fixer and I think I should be extending my wash times. We shall see what happens with the next roll using your method.
12-26-2016, 07:42 PM - 1 Like   #13
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T-grain films like Kodak T-Max will exhaust your fixer faster than conventional films.

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12-27-2016, 07:17 PM   #14
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I've seen at least one school of thought which suggests treating fixer used with T-max as "one and done". I'm not unhappy to subscribe to that school right now, as winter and various life events have slowed down my rate of film photography and made expiry time more critical than volume depletion.
12-27-2016, 10:06 PM   #15
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That sounds wasteful and unnecessary. You can do a snip test or better yet invest in a bottle of Edwal Hypo Check.

Chris
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