Types of fix.....

I am just a hack "Street Photographer".
I use, primarily, HP5 and FP4.
I mostly print 8x10 on both RC and Fiber.
For the last few years i have been using Ilford Rapid Fix.
I am pretty liberal with my chemicals. I use them for a session and them toss them out.
They have another Fix concentrate...Hypam...which is a bit less expensive.
Is there any reason i should not try this other, less expensive, Ilford fix.?
Thank You

Use whatever you can find and/or is cheaper. There's not really much of a difference between these two. Hypam is compatible with the optional hardener, while the other Ilford Rapid fixer isn't. That's all really.

I wonder what's the difference between the two: They're both presumably ammonium thiosulphate based and I don't understand why one is hardener compatible and the other isn't. However, I've never added hardener.

CMoore said:

I am just a hack "Street Photographer".
I use, primarily, HP5 and FP4.
I mostly print 8x10 on both RC and Fiber.
For the last few years i have been using Ilford Rapid Fix.
I am pretty liberal with my chemicals. I use them for a session and them toss them out.
They have another Fix concentrate...Hypam...which is a bit less expensive.
Is there any reason i should not try this other, less expensive, Ilford fix.?
Thank You

Click to expand...

no reason is a rapid fixer based on ammonium thiosulfate rather than the slower sodium thiosulfate, typically mixed1+4 for film strength and ,I believe,1+7 for paper strength, what you call 'liberal' use of chemicals is the way to go especially with fixer. underfixing is the number-one processing error in analog photography. i can't recommend two-bath fixing highly enough.

Martin Rickards said:

I wonder what's the difference between the two: They're both presumably ammonium thiosulphate based and I don't understand why one is hardener compatible and the other isn't. However, I've never added hardener.

Click to expand...

Ilford Rapid Fixer and Hypam are very similar, the only difference is Hypam has additional buffering to allow the use of a hardener. This additional buffering is required to keep the pH stable a hardener become ineffective if the acidity drops due to developer carry over.

Don't re-use a fixer used for films with papers particularly FB as the Iodide from films makes fixer by-products difficult to wash from the paper base/

Ian

RalphLambrecht said:

no reason is a rapid fixer based on ammonium thiosulfate rather than the slower sodium thiosulfate, typically mixed1+4 for film strength and ,I believe,1+7 for paper strength, what you call 'liberal' use of chemicals is the way to go especially with fixer. underfixing is the number-one processing error in analog photography. i can't recommend two-bath fixing highly enough.

Click to expand...

Yeah...no kidding.
If somebody would convince me that i could safely reuse my fix 37 Thousand more time, i would save it. Otherwise, i use it to develop 2 rolls of film, and it goes in the recycle jug.
I make 22 Oz more in a few weeks when i develop more film.

For paper.....i toss out the fix frequently. It never fails the paper test. I could probably use it 2-3 times longer, but THAT is not my thing.
I change the stop every day.
The only problems i ever have in the darkroom are related to Talent.

Hypam is generally sold in larger quantities and is buffered to permit adding hardener. Essentially it is bettered suited to large volume users than the small containers of Ilford Rapid Fix are. So it meets a different market need.
There is actually a third type of Ilford Fixer - 2000 RT fixer - which is designed for higher volume Roller Transport (thus the "RT") commercial processors, which again meets a different market need.
If you aren't using hardener, Hypam and Rapid Fixer are both fully usable - decide based on convenience, availability and price.
Ilford's data sheet indicates that a litre of working strength film fixer has the capacity to fix 24 rolls of 36 exposure general purpose film. 22 ounces should fix 16 rolls. If you are only fixing two rolls in that quantity, you are wasting fixer.
I recommend the clearing time test to monitor film fixer capacity. This article shows how I do this: https://www.photrio.com/forum/resou...ixing-procedure-for-black-white-negatives.75/

MattKing said:

Hypam is generally sold in larger quantities and is buffered to permit adding hardener. Essentially it is bettered suited to large volume users than the small containers of Ilford Rapid Fix are. So it meets a different market need.

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Here in the UK Ilford Rapid Fixer and Hypam were both sold in 5 litre bottles and small, more recently the smaller Hypam packaging has been dropped,. It's rare these days to use a hardening fixer and it's more usual to find Ilford Rapid Fixer on dealers shelves. Ilford don't actually recommend a hardening fixer any longer with films or papers and they no longer list a hardener.

Ian

CMoore said:

Yeah...no kidding.
If somebody would convince me that i could safely reuse my fix 37 Thousand more time, i would save it. Otherwise, i use it to develop 2 rolls of film, and it goes in the recycle jug.

Click to expand...

Ilford says 1 liter of 1+4 Rapid Fix is good for 24 rolls of 35mm... so 2 seems definitely on the low end of the scale.

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/2012/product_id/711/