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Hi all,
Is it important that the stop bath matches the developer? To the film? Are there pros/cons if the brands are mismatched? How about for the fixer?
Patrick
The simple answer is... no. You can use any stop bath and any fixer for any regular film.
Well, to make it simpler, you really don't need the stop bath. I used it for years, and now I just use water, and there's been zero difference in my negs.
If you're just starting out I highly recommend shooting Tri-X (metered at 200 or 250) and developed in D76. Very forgiving combination that delivers beautiful photos.
Hi all,
I'm getting started in B&W film, and have been consuming tons of great info on this forum (and elsewhere) for the results of mixing different films with different developers. There's not a lot of mention on fixers or stop baths and how they relate to developers, though. Is it important that the stop bath matches the developer? To the film? Are there pros/cons if the brands are mismatched? How about for the fixer?
Any references to good guides on film chemistry (either online, in books, etc.) is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Patrick
Oh yes, do not use stop bath so you can save lots of money.
Fixer and stop do not matter that that much since they do not have an influence on the way the image is rendered. Any Fixer will work, but for sake of convenience you should use one of the modern rapid fixers. Back in the past some films needed a hardening fixer but that is not the case anymore with any of the major manufacturers (Ilford, Kodak, Adox). I think some Efke films may still work better with hardening?
Stop bath is even less important. Any cheap stop will do what it should. You do not need to use a stop bath at all as some mentioned before. Only exception: If you use a neutral or alkaline fixer you must use a stop bath to stop the development. The development is stopped by the acidity of the fixer normally, and since these fixers are not acid, they can´t stop development! However these kinds of fixers are mostly used for fibre paper processing. You can use them with film as well though.
No pyro developer does not use the common hypos, instead it requires TF-4 or TF-5. Otherwise yes.
Not accurate: I (and many others) have been using PMK (and Pyrocat) with non-alkaline rapid fixers for years with good results. I use Ilford Hypam or Rapid Fix personally. Never a problem. True, the alkaline fixers, TF-4 and TF-5 have advantages, but that is mostly in the more rapid washing out in fiber-base prints.
@OP: Stop baths generally come in two "incarnations," acetic acid and citric acid. They both work just fine with any developer, but citric acid stops don't keep as well in working solution; they grow bacterial slime after prolonged storage. I use my citric-acid stop one-shot. Acetic-acid stops can be stored until exhausted (usually there's an indicator; when that starts to turn from yellow then the stop is exhausted).
(Opinion here: Use a stop bath. Not only does it prolong the life of your fixer, it stops development instantly and efficiently and neutralizes the alkalinity of the developer as well. This makes fixing more efficient. Yes, you can use plain water, but stop right with water you need running water or a couple of changes of water for one minute . A stop bath doesn't have to be running or changed, does the job better and only needs 30 seconds.)
Fixers are a bit more complicated. There are several families, but can all be used for film and paper, but with some caveats. I'll go through them.
First there are the "conventional," sodium-thiosulfate based fixers. These work the slowest. Most are acidic and the majority of formulas are hardening (acid hardening fixer is a common term). They usually come as packaged powders. There are two caveats here. First, some experts feel that these type of fixers don't work as well with modern tabular-grain films (e.g., T-Max and Delta). If such a fixer is used with tabular-grain films, the fixing times are rather long. A "rapid fix" is recommended for these films. Second, the hardener in the fixer (if you get a hardening version) is largely held to be unnecessary for most modern films. If you use a hardening fix, you'll have to wash longer. This is a particular issue with fiber-base papers; non-hardening fixers are the standard for processing fiber-base papers for just this reason.
The second "category" are "rapid fixers." These fixers are based on ammonium (instead of sodium) thiosulfate and fix both film and paper in a shorter time (hence the term "rapid"). They are usually supplied in liquid concentrate form. The "normal" variety of these is slightly acidic to neutral in pH. They can be used without caveats for all films and papers; just follow the directions.
The third and newest group of fixers (well not "really new, but new in popularity) are the alkaline fixers. TF-4 and TF-5 (mentioned above) are more-or-less alkaline fixers, with TF-5 being very close to neutral. These are also "rapid fixers" but have been formulated without the usual acid to allow them to wash out easier. This is desirable, especially with fiber-base papers. These fixers also work for all materials, just follow directions.
There are more details and reasons why one fixer might be preferred over another, but, with the exception of the tabular-grain film/conventional fixer caveat, all can be used with both films and papers. If you're just starting out, you might consider a rapid fix or TF-5 (if you can get it where you are). Both are excellent and can be used with all materials.
Best,
Doremus
Doremus
This is so wrong a proper fix and proper wash are both essential, you can use any fine grain developer for 35mm like Eg D76, Microphen, ..., etc., they will get you an image but if you want it a year later ...
If you are on well water and pumping it by hands.Oh yes, do not use stop bath so you can save lots of money.
If you are on well water and pumping it by hands.
Question for knowledgeable folks:
I use HC-110, Kodak stop and Kodak powder fixer. If I wash it after stop bath, will it make fixer lasts longer?
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