Negative stop bath

[Kim Catton]

Whats the best way to "stop" ? I am using Foma 35 mm and Foma 120 roll film. Please help me :O)

regards, kim

 

[clay]

I've always used water. The way I figure it, the dilution of the developer will cause the developing to 'poop out' first in the highlight areas, with the shadow areas going on maybe a little longer. That is not a bad thing, in my book. Plus it is cheap and doesn't smell funny.

 

[George Collier]

I use two fills and dumps of plain water same temperature as my developer and fixer, 30 - 45 seconds total. Used to use acid stop, but I now use alkaline fixer, which is corrupted by carry over acid stop. I agree with Clay's post.

 

[Fotohuis]

Why I think it's better to use a stop bath also with film development:

1) Lower base fog of the film
2) Exact time in development which gives you more reproducibility
3) safety and easy working method

You can use a stop bath made from acetic acid (but stinks) or preferable made with citric acid. Normally about 1,5-2% solution.

When using a neutral odourless fix you have to use a stop otherwise the buffering in the fix is not working in the right way.

But about this item there are many opinions.

 

[BradS]

A creature of habit, I have used plain old Kodak indicator stop bath since I was introduced to the darkroom 30 years ago. Never tried anything else. Never worried about it too much. Never had a problem.

 

[Markok765]

ilford ilfo stop oudorless, lasts forever

 

[John Bragg]

Hi Kim,

Consistency is everything with film developing, whether you use a stop bath or just plain old water. I know you are using Ro9 and it is highly alkaline, so an acid stop will make a more abrupt and predictable end to development.

Regards, John.

 

[fschifano]

Kodak's indicator stop bath smells like vinegar, and that's not so bad. I can think of a lot worse.

There was a time when I did not use a stop bath. I learned that I was prematurely killing off my fixing bath. Stop bath will allow you to get the most from your fixing bath, keeps development times consistent and does no harm. Outside of a few circumstances when the use of an acid stop bath is NOT recommended, there is no good reason to avoid the stuff.

 

[Saganich]

I concure with using water, unless your developement times are really short. Acid stop reduced bd+f? First I've heard of that.
Chris

 

[PhotoJim]

I use a 60-second running water rinse and then fix in alkaline fixer. It works for me. I've noticed no observable difference in density due to the extra development. The developer that remains is so dilute that it really can't do very much.

 

[don sigl]

Choice of stop is dependent on choice of fixer and in some cases choice of developer. An acid bath can affect the amount of stain in some staining developers. E.g., Gordon Hutching recommends a water bath with his PMK developer.
If you are using a non acidic fixer like TF-4, you should never use an acid stop bath. Plain water wash.

Not sure if there are any glycin based film developers, but the Darkroom cookbook recommends avoidance of acetic acid baths with Glycin based paper developers. A Citric acid bath is recommended.

 

[Fotohuis]

Kim is a beginner and he's using R09 a para-amino phenol developer in combination with the Fomapan films.
He will be happy if his 35mm/120 roll films are free of typical beginner problems like stripes, drops and have a consistent result.

He's not using PMK, Tanol a.s.o. and also doesn't need the alkaline fix. Also no two bath developer and all that kind of more "difficult" things.

He wants a fool proof developing method for his first films and I think certainly with a R09 developer this fits best with a standard citric acid stop bath. Do not make it too difficult for him.

 

[lowellh]

EVERYONE:
Water is not a stop bath. The purpose of stop bath is to stop deveoplment. This is done CHEMICALLY by changing the pH of the residual developer from alkalyine to neutral or acid. We do make Odoless Stop Bath but I also tell those who don't want to use a stop bath that our fixers are stop-fixes. We also make Odorless Fixer for those that see the logic of odorless products.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Here is a simple odorless Citric Acid Stop Bath from the APUG Chemical Recipes Section:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

It's odourless...

To make 1 litre
5-10 grams of citric acid (powder)
Water to make one litre
Use as it is.

 

[Jim Noel]

Water only.
Using water does not increase fb+f.
Using water lessens the possibility of pinholes caused by rapid contraction of the emulsion when the film goes from basic to acidic too fast.

Water is as repeatable as an acid stop bath if the operator uses a constant time and procedure.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Water is as repeatable as an acid stop bath if the operator uses a constant time and procedure.

Worth repeating, in case the acid heads missed it

Murray

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Worth repeating, in case the acid heads missed it

Murray

Murray - in spite of my earlier post in this thread - I'm a water rinse guy (for film) - not an acid head.

 

[don sigl]

Do not make it too difficult for him.

I don't think anyone here is trying to make anything "too difficult". The question as originally worded invites the variety of responses it got.

 

[JBrunner]

I've always used water. The way I figure it, the dilution of the developer will cause the developing to 'poop out' first in the highlight areas, with the shadow areas going on maybe a little longer. That is not a bad thing, in my book. Plus it is cheap and doesn't smell funny.

Water. See above.

 

[dancqu]

A creature of habit, I have used plain old Kodak
indicator stop bath since I was introduced to the
darkroom 30 years ago. Never tried anything else.

Your acid stop precedes your acid fix. Reasonable. Dan

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Murray - in spite of my earlier post in this thread - I'm a water rinse guy (for film) - not an acid head.

Whew...sure glad you aren't one of them hardcore 'Electric Acid Koolaid Test' & Rinse guys from the late sixties who's barely hanging onto their last shred of reality!

Murray

P.S. The young punks won't get that reference

 

[MattKing]

It has been more than 25 years since I took a chemistry course, or measured acidity in any scientific way, but .....

My best recollection is that in most locations tap water is mildly acidic anyways, and therefore if you use it, you get some of the "stopping" effect that stop bath offers.

If my recollection is incorrect, please feel free to jump right in with your correction here.

Matt

 

[MattKing]

Whew...sure glad you aren't one of them hardcore 'Electric Acid Koolaid Test' & Rinse guys from the late sixties who's barely hanging onto their last shred of reality!

Murray

P.S. The young punks won't get that reference

Psst Murray - I think it's 'Electric Koolaid Acid Test'

Which makes me think of a strange segue - have you ever read "Sometimes a Great Notion", and do you, like me, find it has an interesting West Coast/Forest feel to it?

(P.S. - Marko, here is an opportunity to expand your horizons )

Matt

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Depends on the water - that's what pH meters and pH indicator paper are for.

For film development, I use semiconductor grade deionized water (cause that's what I have in my lab) and it is pH neutral. Thus, I rely on a combination of dilution and washing to slow or stop development before fixing. My fixer is a pH buffered ammonium thiosulfate fixer, so it remains just slightly on the acid side of neutral pH (See the APUG Chemical Recipes).

For paper development, I use a buffered acid stop bath. (See the APUG Chemical Recipes).

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Psst Murray - I think it's 'Electric Koolaid Acid Test'

Which makes me think of a strange segue - have you ever read "Sometimes a Great Notion", and do you, like me, find it has an interesting West Coast/Forest feel to it?

(P.S. - Marko, here is an opportunity to expand your horizons )

Matt

Matt: "Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."