Human friendly fixer

[IloveTLRs]

For film I don't use fixer, just water.
For paper I use Fujifilm Superfix-L (I think it's called.) It's not that bad.

 

[Photo Engineer]

If you use a water rinse after development, you must use running water for best results.

PE

 

[RalphLambrecht]

For film I don't use fixer, just water.
For paper I use Fujifilm Superfix-L (I think it's called.) It's not that bad.

Film processing without fixer? Are you serious, or do you mean 'no stop, just water'?

 

[fotch]

For film I don't use fixer, just water.
For paper I use Fujifilm Superfix-L (I think it's called.) It's not that bad.

If you don't use fixer, how long does it take the negatives to fade?

 

[Rick A]

For film I don't use fixer, just water.
For paper I use Fujifilm Superfix-L (I think it's called.) It's not that bad.

I trust you mean STOP not fixer. If you dont fix, how do your negatives look in the light?

 

[removed account4]

i think the folks at the formulary told me that
if one mixes their fixer ( i can't remember which one )
with anything but distilled water it will reek of ammonia.
i made the mistake of using tap water ... it was so bad smelling
i had my waste hauler take it away unused !

aside from that minor laps in judgement, i have been using sprint speed fixer
for almost 30 years .. the smell isn't that bad ..

 

[wiggywag]

Well, you can use an acid stop bath with TF-4 with no problem whatsoever. Or, you use a running water rinse. This presents no problem.

However, TF-4 does smell like Ammonia and any alkaline Ammonia based fixer will smell like Ammonia. However, Sodium based alkaline fixers do not smell. Great, but at what cost? Well, the Sodium based fixers are about 2x - 4x slower to fix and slower to wash out than Ammonia based fixers. If you wish to pay that price, then use a Sodium Hypo based alkaline fixer.

TF-5 is totally odorless.

PE

In the technicals details for TF-4 - it says: "has little odor when mixed with distilled water". Does this relate to other alkaline Fixers? I wonder if I should try distilled water with my Foma Fixer which is an ammonia thiosulfate fixer. Will it work?

 

[Photo Engineer]

ALL alkaline fixers that contain ammonia will have an ammonia odor. Distilled water will not cure the odor problem.

I decided to add a bit here.

Some of people use water supplies that vary in pH from about 5.5 to about 9.0 as delivered to the faucet. All distilled water varies from about 5.5 to 7.0 depending on storage, but averages about 5.5. Therefore, the water supply can influence the fresh odor of any alkaline fixer to a small degree. However, a truly alkaline fixer with ammonia will have an ammonia odor to some degree. The lowest change from any acidic water delivered for human consumption cannot negate the pH and odor of an ammonium based alkaline fix.

With use, and with only a water rinse of some sort, (no stop) all alkaline fixers become more odiferous with use. The amount of increase depends on the fixer and the amount of use among a number of factors.

PE