Distilled water or Distilled water + photoflo?

Markok765 · Feb 18, 2008

I used distilled water only, and it came out the same. It seems easier to clean the tank/reels too. What do you guys think is better?

dancqu · Feb 18, 2008

Markok765 said:
I used distilled water only, and it came out the same.
It seems easier to clean the tank/reels too.
What do you guys think is better?

I prefer with Photo Flo. I use an eight blade
film squeegee; an easy pull. Dan

Snapshot · Feb 18, 2008

I find Photo Flo reduces spots enough to make its use worthwhile.

Dietmar Wolf · Feb 18, 2008

Everytime when I used wetting agent, I had problems. So I threw it away, simply use destilled water as last washing fluid.

Before I hang up the film, I wave the reel with the film in it fast through the air to remove excessive water via centrifugal force. I do never touch the film with whatsoever.

I have no dust or whatsoever problems, I use HP5 and ID11.

Mike Kennedy · Feb 18, 2008

I use 1 or 2 drops of PF & distilled water.Use your wet fingers to squeegee off excess water and you'll avoid scratching your negs.

Markok765 · Feb 18, 2008

I do not squeegee off the photoflo + distilled water. Is this a problem?

DannL · Feb 18, 2008

I started with distilled only (occasional small spots), then eventually it was Ivory and distilled (no spots), and now it's Photo-Flo and distilled (no spots). Since I'm only shooting sheet film these days I use a specific tray for the Photo-Flo dip, and for easy cleaning. Works great.

JBrunner · Feb 18, 2008

I always use a wetting agent. It's easier than distilled water.

Bob F. · Feb 18, 2008

Just to be awkward, I use both: a few drops of wetting agent in distilled water. Probably over-kill but both are cheap enough.

For washing, I just rinse immediately in hot water. I make a point of not letting the wetting agent dry on the reels as people have reported problems with that.

If you find using just distilled works fine then stick with it - different people have different drying conditions.

Cheers, Bob.

rippo · Feb 20, 2008

i use tap water (we have a water softener) and photo flo. i used to use distilled water until i ran out one day, used tap water, and then wondered why i ever bothered with distilled. if i DON'T use photo flo though (like on a test roll of film), i will see water marks. but the distilled seems like overkill. heck, try it. if you get water spots with tap+photo flo, rewash it with distilled. no harm done.

i save my distilled water for when i mix up home-brew developers now. i use tap water even for mixing up fixer and store-bought developers. your mileage (and tap water) may vary.

Saganich · Feb 20, 2008

I dropped the photoflo in favor if a squeeze bottle with distilled water. I hang the film and squirt a stream down both sides of the film catching the water runoff in a small basin below. never had a spot in at least 4 years.

Troy · Feb 20, 2008

I use distilled water and Sprint wetting agent. I'll never go back to Photoflo.

Anscojohn · Feb 20, 2008

Saved condensate water from the AC unit run during our Washington, DC humid summers. Filtered, with 2 drops of Photo flo or LFN. Wet fingers in photo flo and "squeegee" lightly after the film is hung up to dry. No problems, ever.

John, Mount Vernon, Virginia USA

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Feb 20, 2008

I use distilled water + Ilfotol wetting agent. I just get a 5ltr container of distilled water from the hardware store, drop in the correct ammount of wetting agent, shake it up, and leave it on the shelf. I tried with just distilled water, but still had problems. Better to be too careful than not careful enough, I guess.

Jerry Basierbe · Feb 20, 2008

Distilled water and a drop of LFN. No spots. No problems.

Jerry

Martin Aislabie · Feb 22, 2008

It depends
If I am developing roll film its (fairly soft) tap water+wetting agent and then a film wiper (fingers or rubber blade)
If its sheet film, i use commercial de-ionised water as my last wash & soak for about 5 mins with occasional agitation.
I then put them in a Durst UT100 film tent to dry with the fan only & no heat.
After about 20mins I put the heat onto the first setting for about 5 mins & then back to unheated air for the last 5mins.
I found if I put the heat on straight away I could occasionaly see "tide" marks on sheet film (roll film seems OK)
If I never put the heat on at all the films seemed to take to long dry and the drying tent becomes my film developing critial path
Martin

Christopher Walrath · Feb 22, 2008

I'm with rippo. I use tap, my local tap water is relatively clean so constantly purchasing and lugging distilled water into the downstairs bathroom is not necessary. I just got some PhotoFlo so I'm gonna try that. Oughtta reduce that drying time a bit. But unless your tap is horrendous, I wouldn't worry about distilled water.

dancqu · Mar 1, 2008

Markok765 said:
I do not squeegee off the photoflo + distilled water.
Is this a problem?

Wouldn't know. I've always squeegeed. Quick dry.
If you're tempted by an eight blade. Dan

dolande · Mar 1, 2008

I use distilled water with phot-flo and also for mixing developer, stop and fixer. I even use distilled water for washing the film. Don't know if this is over kill but I have clean negatives (Other than when my wife use the vacuum cleaner in the same room the film is drying)

Rafael

JohnFinch · Mar 1, 2008

I use Agfa Sistan in distilled water. I have a liter made up and use it over and over for about 20 films - then make another liter. Lasts for ages.

It does the same as LFN in the final wash except it has a couple of added bonuses (the second of which helps a lot here in Florida).

1. It converts the silver in the emulsion to a more stable form making the negatives more archival. (A claim by AGFA)

2. It is anti fungal and so stops the rather nasty stuff eating away at your emulsion in years to come - something I have unfortunately experienced with some of my older negs here in this hot humid climate.

I understand that AGFA has started making it again - at least the DigitalTruth website is advertising it. Highly recommended.

John
Dead Link Removed

Paul Verizzo · Mar 1, 2008

Components of Sistan

JohnFinch said:
I use Agfa Sistan in distilled water. I have a liter made up and use it over and over for about 20 films - then make another liter. Lasts for ages.

It does the same as LFN in the final wash except it has a couple of added bonuses (the second of which helps a lot here in Florida).

1. It converts the silver in the emulsion to a more stable form making the negatives more archival. (A claim by AGFA)

2. It is anti fungal and so stops the rather nasty stuff eating away at your emulsion in years to come - something I have unfortunately experienced with some of my older negs here in this hot humid climate.

I understand that AGFA has started making it again - at least the DigitalTruth website is advertising it. Highly recommended.

John
Dead Link Removed

Primarily potassium thiocyanate (fixer) and some Polyoxyethylated Octyl Phenol. Seems to be used as a surfactant, but I could be wrong.

Dead Link Removed

panastasia · Mar 1, 2008

For roll film I always used tap water and a photo chamois; it removes every drop, and they last forever. Though, holding sheet film at both ends would be more difficult when using this method. You would need to hold the chamois with both hands to cover the width of the film.

Paul

Paul Verizzo · Mar 1, 2008

Errata! Errata!

Paul Verizzo said:
Primarily potassium thiocyanate (fixer) and some Polyoxyethylated Octyl Phenol. Seems to be used as a surfactant, but I could be wrong.

Dead Link Removed

Boy, less wine or more cognition. Potassium thiocyanate, of course, is not fixer. Fixers are of the thiosulfate family. Couldn't find much about PT except it's a component of artifical blood in theater productions!

Sirius Glass · Mar 2, 2008

Tap water and Pho-Flo , then hang to dry without being touched by anything other than my hands since 1960. Never had a problem.

Steve

Bobby Ironsights · Mar 2, 2008

DISTILLED WATER ROCKS!

I've got a water cooler filled with distilled, and I find it works much better, as I thought it should. It's some of the best $7.50 Canadian a man could buy.

I also have photoflo, but it can leave a bit of scum on the negs. It works better than nothing, because I have extremely hard water, but I see no point in adding it to distilled water. Why add a surfactant to nothing?

(complete lack of dissolved ionic solids in distilled water)

Distilled water or Distilled water + photoflo?

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