Low Odor Darkroom Chemicals

[zemzem]

I was wondering if anyone out there had used any low / no odor Stop and Fix and how they worked. Was also wondering if there was any Developer out there of the same kind. I live in an apartment building where all the ventilation seems to be linked between neighboring apartments. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

 

[Brian Miller]

Yes! The Clayton chemicals are great. There is also the Arista low-odor chemicals, but I haven't used them.

I bought the Clayton fixer and stop at Glazers.

 

[b1bmsgt]

I use the Arista powdered chemicals, 1 gallon size, and they are all virtually odor free to me.

Russ

 

[john_s]

The Nova vertical slot processors minimize odour because the surface area is quite small. They're expensive and might not suit you for other reasons, but I've found them ideal.

Alkaline or near-neutral pH fixers have less odour. But as they are used, and with some spillage they end up smelling a bit, but nothing like standard acid fixers (i.e. most black and white fixers).

I use Kodak Flexicolor fixer (near neutral pH) for black and white film and paper even though it's made primarily for colour work. It's cheap.

 

[phaedrus]

Another voice for alkaline stop bath and fixer. I can't smell them at all.

 

[srs5694]

At least one alkaline fixer (TF-3) has an extremely strong ammonia odor. Thus, I wouldn't assume that "alkaline" equals "low-odor."

I've used the Arista Premium Odorless Powder Fixer in the past, and it certainly irritated my nostrils less than the Kodak standard fixer (with hardener) I'd been using before that. (The Kodak fixer's odor didn't seem to be strong per se, but I think it released a gas in use that was irritating.) Both of these fixers are based on sodium thiosulfate, so they aren't as fast-acting as fixers based on ammonium thiosulfate. I get impatient when I'm developing prints, so I've been using fixers based on ammonium thiosulfate lately, despite the ammonium odor (which is much stronger with some than with others -- TF-3 is the worst I've encountered in this respect).

For stop bath, water is pretty low in odor. It may also be preferable to an acid stop bath if you use a neutral or alkaline fixer.

 

[mcgrattan]

I find most liquid developers don't smell at all, I've never noticed a smell from DD-X or from Adox ADX (my main developer). I use water as a stop bath -- I really don't like the smell from acid stop baths.

The Adox Adofix fixer I use has an odour -- it's a traditional acid fix, I think -- but it's really very mild compared to some other fixers I've tried.

 

[Ole]

Odor was one of the reasons I made OF-1 fixer.

If you wasnt an acid stop, I find citric acid to be less objectionable than vinegar. YMMV.

 

[removed account4]

sprint fixer doesn't smell very much at all
and their stop bath smells like vanillia
i don't use their stop bath anymore, i kept getting
too hunger-pains whenever i was in the dark.

 

[Moopheus]

I decided to try the Clayton odorless stop and fix, because I'm using part of my office and there isn't ventilation when I have the windows blacked out. There was a little bit of residual odor that was cleared out by opening the windows after I was done. The important thing was that the wife didn't notice the smell when she got home from work. But otherwise I'd say they worked as advertised. It wasn't too bad being in a closed room with them.

I wish I could have one of those Nova slot processors, that would make my life so much easier, but I can't spend that much on it right now.

 

[juan]

I use TF-2 for a no smell fixer. I use mostly water as stop, but add a little citric acid if I need acid. I don't smell Pyrocat P or Pyrocat PC at all, and Pyrocat HD very little.
juan

 

[Bob F.]

Developers: most I've tried, both film and paper devs, have a low odour.

Stop bath: Any citric acid based stop will do there. No odour at all. Ilford's Ilfostop is one, Fotospeed and Tetenal are some others. Or drop a tablespoon of citric acid powder in a litre of water and dump it when finished.

Fixer: Have tried several low-odour fixers (Fotospeed and Tetenal mainly) but by far the cheapest and as good as any (and better than most) is the Agfa Universal Fix that comes in 5 litre bottles (intended I believe for machine processing). It is neutral pH and seems to be well buffered from the effects of my citric acid stop-bath. I'm fairly sensitive to fixer fumes as they give me a sore throat even with most "low-odour" fixers if in an open tray rather than my Nova slots, but the Agfa stuff does not do that.

You didn't say if this is for film or paper developing. All of this is less important with film where the chemicals are mainly confined to a daylight tank than with printing in open trays where there is a lot of surface area of the chemicals exposed to the air.

Good luck, Bob.

 

[reellis67]

Water is the least smelly stop bath I've ever used (but not if you live in Orlando - phew!). As far as fix goes, I work in a residential bathroom and have no problems with 4-6 hours in there, with no fart fan, using TF-4. But, as others have already stated, your mileage may vary...

- Randy

 

[nworth]

As you noted, the stop and the fixer are the big odor produces. Several suggestions have been made for commercial products. If you mix your own, you also have some choices. For the stop bath, it's the acetic acid that stinks. For film, you can usually do with a water rinse instead of a stop bath. For prints, and for film if you need it, you can use 15 g/l of citric acid. The pH of this brew is pretty low, and you may want to buffer if with sodium citate or sodium metaborate. I have never seen it recommended, but I suspect a solution of sodium bisulfite may work as well. With fixer, the odors come from sulfur dioxide, acetic acid, and ammonia (if you use a rapid fix). Using sodium thiosulfate instead of ammonium thiosulfate eliminates the ammonia. You will not have a rapid fix, but that is what you need to do. Using a higher pH will reduce the sulfur dioxide. Using something other than acetic acid will eliminate that odor. If you can use an alkaline fixer without a hardener, TF-2 is a possibility. For acid fixers, Kodak once recommended F-6, which contains sodium metaborate to moderate the odors. F-6 is a hardening fixer. The pH is low enough so that you still get some odor, just not nearly as much. For a non-hardening acid fixer, F-24 can be used. For a bit higher pH, but still in the acid range, try 240 g of sodium thiosulfate, 15 g of sodium bisulfite, and 10 g of sodium sulfite per liter.

 

[Doug Webb]

TF-4 mixed with distilled water is almost odorless. A water stop bath is recommened for this fixer.
I use both, no odor problems.