Your favorite rapid fixer

[Ian Grant]

I've used TF-4 from the get-go. Terrific shelf-life and it works equally well for paper, pyro negs, and regular negs...

But then so does Hypam, and it has better capacity. Ilford are also a site sponsor

Ian

 

[23mjm]

Ilford Rapid all the way. I have been using it for years and have no complaints. I have thought of switching to TF-4 but after lookin at some of the numbers above, I'll stick with Ilford Rapid, + they have been a APUG sponsor for years and Simon's participation in the site is a huge selling feature to me.

 

[c6h6o3]

I use the Ilford Rapid because it's one of the few photographic wet chemistry products that I can buy in a store. When I need some I can go down to Penn Camera and pick up a bottle of concentrate.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Ilford Hypam, for both negs and prints. It's about $25 for a 5L bottle and that lasts a very good long time.
And like c6h6o3 says - you can buy it in the store, which means I don't have to pay shipping for it.

It works really well with Pyro negs too if you wonder. No adverse effects to the stain at all.

- Thomas

 

[DAK]

Formulary TF-4

 

[BetterSense]

For example rapid fixers go bad just sitting unused. And that
includes sealed concentrates.

Don't I know it...I just dumped a frestly-opened liter of Illford Rapid Fixer. It smelled funny and didn't clear film. No idea how old it was though.

I've found that it's very important to use fresh film for the clip test. Film that's been left out in the light will "print out" and take much longer to clear if it ever does. I've dumped good fixer due to this mistake. Always grab your clip-test clip fresh from a section of film that was still in the cassette.

Ammonium and sodium thiosulfate, alone, are odorless.
I'm not in the same rush some are and my volume of
work is low. So, I use the solid, good for ever
concentrate, sodium thiosulfate.

So you just mix up some powdered Sodium Thiosulfate right before you fix and then dump it? I have read that if you want sodium thiosulfate to 'keep' you have to mix in some other ingredients.

 

[Ian Grant]

The buffering and particularly the sulphite in commercial fixers help give greater capacity as they influence the equilibriums as Silver halides are dissolved, first forming semi-soluble complexes then soluble complexes. If the reaction isn't complete the semi soluble complexes remain invisible, but over time break down releasing the silver and or sulphur products as a stain.

So while plain Thiosulphates work they have limited capacity and the solution should be fresh.

Ian

 

[BetterSense]

I don't understand the difference between Hypam and Rapid fixer. They both seem to be ammonium thiosulfate fixers.

 

[Ian Grant]

Not much at all, the buffering is slightly different, Boric acid is used in Hypam so it can work with a hardener at a lower pH without problems of precipitation. Hypam on its own is ph 5.2-5.5 but with hardenerb needs to be pH 4.3 or the Potassium Alum breaks down.

Ilford Rapid fixer is slightly cheaper to manufacture but can't be used with a hardener.

Ian

 

[dancqu]

Different films show different clearing times.

In other words the time needed to fix varies from
film to film. That's not all that varies. The amount
of fixer consumed will vary.

In other words the capacity of a fixer varies with
which films AND papers are being processed.

See my first post this thread for
additional variables. Dan

 

[nworth]

I've always mixed my own, which is cheap and easy. I use what is approximately Kodak F-34 - about 190 ml of ammonium thiosulfate solution, a teaspoon of sodium sulfite, and a teaspoon of sodium metabisulfite per liter.

 

[dancqu]

Don't I know it...I just dumped a frestly-opened liter
of Illford Rapid Fixer. It smelled funny and didn't clear
film. No idea how old it was though.

I've found that it's very important to use fresh film for the
clip test. Film that's been left out in the light will "print out"
and take much longer to clear if it ever does. I've dumped
good fixer due to this mistake. Always grab your
clip-test clip fresh from a section of film that
was still in the cassette.

So you just mix up some powdered Sodium Thiosulfate right
before you fix and then dump it? I have read that if you
want sodium thiosulfate to 'keep' you have to mix in
some other ingredients.

That's about it. I know ahead how much will be needed for
the session and mix that much. No preservative/ph booster
added. A very plain fix. Dan

 

[eclarke]

I've always mixed my own, which is cheap and easy. I use what is approximately Kodak F-34 - about 190 ml of ammonium thiosulfate solution, a teaspoon of sodium sulfite, and a teaspoon of sodium metabisulfite per liter.

I can't seem to mix my own as cheap as I can buy Hypam right here in town. The only gripe I have with TF-4 is that it appears to be more of a dispersion than a solution and I always have sediment at the bottom of the gallon jug when I have used it up, regardless of how much I shake the bottle before mixing. I don't think my final mix is consistent and the differences between it and Hypam don't justify the risk, I have TF-4 just for Pyro....Evan Clarke

 

[Snapper]

I use Retrophotographic Alkaline Retro Fixer, supplied as powder. As I can't find TF-4 in the UK, does anyone know of an alternative available in the UK, especially for using with PMK Pyro?

Silverprint have Moersch Alkaline Fixer available on their site, under 'Specialist Fixers' - is this a good substitute?

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

I use Retrophotographic Alkaline Retro Fixer, supplied as powder. As I can't find TF-4 in the UK, does anyone know of an alternative available in the UK, especially for using with PMK Pyro?

Silverprint have Moersch Alkaline Fixer available on their site, under 'Specialist Fixers' - is this a good substitute?

Fotospeed FX-40 is an alkaline fixer.
FX-30 is an odourless fixer using citric acid instead of acetic acid and FX-20 is a regular acid fixer.
www.fotospeed.com

 

[WolfTales]

Ilford Rapid Fixer and Formulary TF-4 for Pyro

 

[psvensson]

Another vote for Sprint Speed Fixer. Odorless and nearly neutral. I've used TF-4, but found it expensive and difficult to mix because of the precipitate.

 

[wogster]

I've been using the Arista Premium Odorless rapid fixer. It's important to me that my paper fixer doesn't smell, because I have such a small dark-closet.

It seems to me that ammonium thiosulfate is ammonium thiosulfate, so one might as well buy the cheapest fixer available. It seems that the only qualities to buy on are price, capacity, and keeping ability. If capacity and keeping ability are better between brands of fixers, the more expensive ones might end up being cheaper in the long run.

I buy whatever fixer is the cheapest or on sale, fixer is fixer, I have a low volume operation, so I usually look for smaller quantities, the Ilford comes in 1L bottles, I have an empty 500ml bottle from years ago, and put half in there and seal it up, the rest I can usually use before it expires.

 

[jeroldharter]

I use Ilford Hypam 1:4 for film and 1:9 for paper. Availability and cost are my main factors. Calumet sells it and it comes to my door within 2 days of the order. Calumet is a sponsor here as well. Calumet is a member of Upromise also and sometimes they have free shipping offers so I stock up then.

 

[Kirk Keyes]

Hypam for paper, and film, both pyro and non-pyro. It has no effect on the pyro stain, based on my personal tests.

 

[Lowell Huff]

The ARISTA PREMIUM ODORLESS FIXER is a very highly concentrated fixer and is a "stop fix" as well. Therefore, if you like there is no need for a stop bath. If you prefer ODORLESS STOP BATH is also available.