No Hypo-Clear!

Mike Kennedy · Aug 6, 2006

Thought I had all my supplies gathered for our long weekend, (New Brunswick Day on Monday). Steaks on the marinade an assortment of beverages and plenty of grub from the farmers market including ripe field tomatos,fresh corn,and blueberries.
The one thing I forgot to add to my shopping list was hypo-clear. By Monday I should have 6 rolls of B&W to develop. Question: Can I get away with NOT using hypo-clear and if so should I make my rinse time longer than 5 minutes?

Thank You,
Mike

jovo · Aug 6, 2006

Mike Kennedy said:
Question: Can I get away with NOT using hypo-clear and if so should I make my rinse time longer than 5 minutes?

The answers are: yes, and yes. Wash your film for at least a dozen complete changes of water. There are several ways to do that. About 30 minutes of continuous running water is one, Another, that I use (I never use hypo-clear) is to fill your tank with water, slosh the film, and dump the water out twelve times. It takes about 10 minutes, and has never been inadequate.

pentaxuser · Aug 6, 2006

Jovo has covered it all very well but just to reinforce I never use hypo clear either and have never had a problem. There is the famously quoted dumping routine which I hear is on the Ilford site if you want to check. I think Les McLean and possibly Roger Hicks have mentioned it too in replies. I usually then run fresh water into the reel for about 3-5 mins as well. Probably not necessary but it costs little extra in terms of water or time.

pentaxuser

Mike Kennedy · Aug 6, 2006

Many thanks John and Pentaxuser.
I had heard of the non-hypo method but couldn't find a reference.

Mike

raucousimages · Aug 6, 2006

Film and RC paper are OK without hypoclear. Fiber paper is where you need to use a clearing agent to remove fixer from the paper base.

Roger Hicks · Aug 6, 2006

Dear Mike,

Hypo-clear is simply not needed with film, and if you use a non-hardening fixer you can use the Ilford rapid-wash system mentioned by Pentaxuser. Fill tank: invert 5x. Drain. Refill: invert 10x. Drain. Refill: invert 20x. Hard though it is to believe -- even the Ilford guys who did the original research found it hard -- this will give ANSI-standard washing. If you are paranoid, repeat any step as often as you like, but there's really no need. I usually repear one step...

If you use hardener, you're on your own, but that isn't needed with any current Ilford or Kodak films either. I understand some still prefer it for some Eastern European films but I've never needed it with either Foma or Forte.

Cheers,

Roger

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 6, 2006

Make your own one-shot hypo clear (for fiber paper processing).

Add 20 grams (4 teaspoons) of sodium sulfite to a liter of water.

For a buffered (reuseable) Hypo Clear recipe see:

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

Sodium Sulfite and Sodium Metabisulfite are available at The Chemistry Store (Google it).

Ole · Aug 6, 2006

I've never used Hypo-Clear for anything, and see no reason to start using it.

reellis67 · Aug 6, 2006

A quick note on the Ilford Method of film washing. Anchell and Troop (Film Developing Cookbook) state that it is imperitive to have a 5 minute soak after each agitation cycle when washing to allow the fixer to be removed.

I never use HCA with either film or paper, but I use TF-4 fixer which does not require it.

- Randy

dancqu · Aug 6, 2006

[QUOTES=reellis67]
"A quick note on the Ilford Method of film washing.
Anchell and Troop ... state that it is imperative to have
a 5 minute soak after each agitation cycle when washing
to allow the fixer to be removed."

As you say that's according to Anchell and Troop.

"I never use HCA with either film or paper, but I use
TF-4 fixer which does not require it."

That's according to Troop.

Ilford's three water changes are OK with me but all
that agitating is so much wasted energy. Agitate of
course but in a relaxed manor. Ilford has a reputation
for the quick fix and wash with paper and maintains
that reputation with their 5-10-20 inversion film
wash routine. As A & T say, let it soak some. I
wouldn't go 15 minutes plus inversions. Dan

John Bragg · Aug 7, 2006

I have used the Ilford/ Agfa method of washing for the last 20 years and never had a problem with under washed negatives. Like Roger says most people, my self included tend to repeat one stage. I include a 15 inversion stage, but am assured that this is not nescessary. J.B.

Roger Hicks · Aug 7, 2006

reellis67 said:
A quick note on the Ilford Method of film washing. Anchell and Troop (Film Developing Cookbook) state that it is imperitive to have a 5 minute soak after each agitation cycle when washing to allow the fixer to be removed.- Randy

And they're completely wrong. The people at Ilford who did the original research have no idea where this belief came from. It's simply not true.

Cheers,

Roger

David H. Bebbington · Aug 7, 2006

Ole said:
I've never used Hypo-Clear for anything, and see no reason to start using it.

I haven't either, but I have always been taught that it is vital to use hypo clear with double-weight FB, since it is otherwise not possible to wash all the fixer out of this paper. I have never considered using hypo clear for film.

Mike Kennedy · Aug 7, 2006

I was looking over some old school notes and found my original film development guide. It was a photostat taken from the Kodak Darkroom Data Guide.
My night school instructors had been following Kodak's lead which stated that hypo was an essential part of film development. I have been using that chart ever since.
Live and learn. I have replaced the hypo clear step with a water rinse.

Thanks All for your time,
Mike "H2o" Kennedy

chapmank · Aug 7, 2006

you don't need it

like roger and pentaxuser, I have used the Ilford wash sequence with no trouble. It's also more environmentally sound as it used so much less water. I am sure that most of us are lovers of the landscape, let's do our bit to protect it.

reellis67 · Aug 7, 2006

It seems to me, and I make no claim what-so-ever to be an authority on this, but it still seems that the soak would allow the fixer to be leeched out of the emulsion while without it, only the surface, or perhaps just a bit under the surface, would be washed of fixer. I'm never in a hurry, and I've always done it that way.

- Randy

No Hypo-Clear!

Mike Kennedy

jovo

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