Do I also need to clear the negative in sodium sulphide when using Fuji FP 100 instant film? The packet doesn’t say anything about further processing the negatives, and the data sheet only explains how to dispose of them properly.
Hello Steffen,
I’ve had quite good results with the Fuji FP 100C negative:
- First, I let the image develop for about 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, the chemical ‘switches itself off’ and stops developing. In my experience, it doesn’t matter for the positive whether you let it develop beyond the recommended 2 minutes.
- Then I remove the remaining developer from the negative by holding it flat between both hands under the running tap in the sink (at around 20°C) and rubbing off the developer with a little pressure. You can’t really go far wrong here, as long as you don’t crease the negative.
- To remove the black protective layer on the back, I use “Domestos Grot Buster” cleaning agent (available in any chemist’s). This is supposedly the only product that still contains the proper bleach required for this purpose. I coat the back with the gel-like Domestos using a brush and take great care to
ensure none of it gets on the front, as it will immediately dissolve the film layer there.
- Rinse briefly and you’re done.
- Optionally, you can then treat the negative with standard black-and-white fixer; I use Adox Adofix from Hausherrenshop. You can also soak the negatives in Aqua Dest + wetting agent to ensure they dry properly. However, I usually find both of these steps too much work; the results are fine as they are. Of course, I can’t say what the negatives will look like in a few months’ time.
Further tips:
The order in which you remove the developer and rub off the back coating doesn’t matter. It has since proved practical to bleach the backing off first, whilst leaving all the other bits attached to the negative; this way you can hold it securely and the edges are protected by the white streaks. Less bleach is better, as it doesn’t run as easily.
I’ve successfully extracted negatives from copies that were several days old – no problem at all.
Nowadays, I simply collect the complete counterparts to the positive without any treatment, and then process all the negatives in one go every few days.
Best regards,
zoomie
PS: Feel free to ask any further questions about the process if anything is still unclear ;-)
PSII: You should wear latex gloves during the process; the bleach and developer aren’t exactly skin-friendly!
