How does un-finished "fix" film look like?

[Photo Engineer]

You cannot inspect film in the stop and then place it back in the developer. The inspection process uses light which will fog the film and cause a bad thing to happen to your film!

Do not turn on the lights unless you are in the fix or if you really must, you might get by with light in the stop. This exposure during or after the stop is no assured thing though due to the different types of films, developers and stops.

PE

 

[Ian Grant]

There's no reason why you can't do this but not with white light.

Development by inspection uses a dim dark green safelight and works because as a film gets developed it loses full Panchromatic sensitivity. If developments almost complete very dim Tungsten light is OK with some films.

The stopbath can be reversed as it has no effect except a pH change, so that's not an issue.

Not a technique I'd advocate.

Ian

If I have understood you correctly, you can inspect for development after a good soak in stop bath? If my conclusion is correct then presumably if you are trying a new developer/film combo and can't be sure about how long to develop, can you then replace the film in the tank, thoroughly wash away the stop and then refill with dev and continue to develop?

Ideal if you haven't yet determined the correct dev time. How long is a good soak and how long have you got to safely inspect?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[pentaxuser]

Well if you can't do an inspection except in dark green safelight when as I understand it stop bath doesn't help make any safer, then I wonder what Maris was referring to? He seemed quite unequivocal about it

Maybe he will clarify his point. I am intrigued about what exactly he was referring to.

pentaxuser

 

[Photo Engineer]

Once stopped, film can be inspected under a green safelight or even dim room lights, but you really cannot go back into the developer as you suggest in your post #25. Modern fast films can be fogged by the dim light used for inspection in the stop bath. It might be possible to squeak by, but I would not trust what you proposed above.

PE

 

[pentaxuser]

It is less what I proposed and more what I concluded from Maris' statement. He makes no mention of dim green safelight but of course he may have assumed that this was a "given"

As written it seemed too good to be true and like most things that sound too good to be true it seems to be just that.

Maris may yet reply and clarify but until then I won't be experimenting with my literal translation of what he seemed to be saying.

pentaxuser

 

[Andrew Moxom]

For saving money on fixer, I use it replenished like my developer.... I have a 1.5 liter working batch that I pour off 500ml every 8 rolls of film I process, and add in 100ml of Ilford Hypam to 400ml of water.... It's very economical this way and I've had this same batch working for years.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Monophoto is right. It is a false economy. Fixer removes any unexposed silver. Poorly fixed film can still be light sensitive. "Fixing" means making the image permanent. So if your image is not fixed, it's a fugitive image. Get some hypo check to see if your fixer is exhausted. Disposing fixer that is still good is wasteful.