Double colour change from Adofix

markusheinisch · 2009-11-16T11:54:09+00:00

Hallo, gestern hatte ich mit Rodinal einen Fuji Neopan 400 entwickelt und mit Adofix fixiert. Der Fixierer war zunächst leicht Magenta-Lila farbig, so wie d...

markusheinisch

Hello, Yesterday I developed a roll of Fuji Neopan 400 using Rodinal and fixed it with Adofix. The fixer was initially a pale magenta-purple colour, as were the first few rinse cycles. After I had rinsed the film and returned to the fixer, the liquid in the measuring beaker was clear again. How can I explain this? The fixer (1:9) had only been used on three roll films previously, and had shown no ‘interim’ discolouration with the other two Fujis. What colour does Adoxfix turn, and does the colour remain stable? Many thanks for your advice, Markus

bernhardmangelsgmxde

The discolouration that then disappears again isn't specific to Adofix; it's quite normal with Neopans. Best regards Bernhard

Andreas_23

Hello Markus, It is perfectly normal for the base of black-and-white film to take on a slight purple tinge after development and fixing. The discolouration usually disappears if you expose the film to daylight for a longer period of time. I find it rather unusual that the fixer itself (i.e. the liquid chemical) discolours and then clears up again after a while. However, I have never developed Neopan before. Best regards, Andreas

MirkoBoeddecker

The anti-halation dye is not very stable and is broken down by the fixer in a relatively short time. It is therefore possible to remove the anti-halation dye from the film by over-fixing, but this is a processing error (it damages the highlights) and should not be done. Best regards, Mirko

markusheinisch

The anti-halation coating is not very durable and is broken down by the fixer in a relatively short time. It is therefore possible to remove the anti-halation coating from the film by over-fixing, but this is a processing error (it damages the highlights) and should not be done. Best regards, Mirko

Hello Mirko, In that case, I must have fixed the other two Neopans for too long beforehand. Come to think of it, there might be something in that, as I’m sure I fixed those two for at least a minute longer. Now I understand your point to mean that it’s better if the fixer is still coloured when it comes out of the can. Is that correct? Best regards, Markus

Wolfgg

Hello Markus! Rule of thumb: Fixing time = twice the clearing time. Clearing time is the time it takes for the film to lose its milky appearance completely. You can determine this time either by opening the canister after fixing for about 1 minute, or by using a test strip of film. Best regards, Wolfgang

bernhardmangelsgmxde

Good to know... I’ve always tended to use 6–8 times the standard development time, thinking, ‘better safe than sorry’. Just 1 min 10 s (Neopan 400) felt a bit too short to me, especially as data sheets often specify 3–5 minutes. And Neopan does take longer than, say, a Lucky... (which sometimes clears in as little as 15 seconds) What about Delta T-Max or Neopan? Is double the clearing time enough for those as well? These films are said to require more fixing than other films. Regards Bernhard

Hello Markus! Rule of thumb: Fixing time = double the clearing time. Clearing time is the time it takes for the film to completely lose its milky appearance. You can determine this time either by opening the canister after about 1 minute of fixing or by using a test strip of film. Regards, Wolfgang

Wolfgg

Hello Bernhard, Ilford specifies the same fixing times in its data sheets for films such as FP4+ and Delta 100, whilst Kodak states for Tmax 100 that you should "fix for twice the time it takes for the film to clear"; so this rule of thumb also applies to modern film types. Any remaining dye residues will also disappear if, after fixing, you place the film in a foot bath of lukewarm water for 30 minutes, for example (simply leave it to stand). Addendum: with the clearing time method, you can also see immediately when the fixer needs replacing. As soon as the clearing time has doubled compared to fresh fixer, the fixer is exhausted. Regards, Wolfgang

Andreas_23

Hi everyone, It still seems a bit odd to me. Markus writes:

The fixer was initially a light magenta-purple colour, just like the first few wash cycles.

So it wasn’t just the fixer that was coloured; the rinse water also still contained visible colorants. Could it really all be washed-out antihalation coating? I’ve already thought of something like the backing I’m familiar with from sheet films. I pre-rinse those before the development, and the water then turns completely blue. But this is about roll films, isn’t it (do they have that too?), and besides, the colour should have been washed out with the developer. Best regards, Andreas

bernhardmangelsgmxde

It’s exactly the same for me, at least... KB and 120s. Why couldn’t it be a washed-out antihalation filter?

Hi everyone, It still seems odd to me. Markus writes:
The fixer was initially a light magenta-purple colour, just like the first few wash cycles.
So it wasn’t just the fixer that was coloured; the rinse water also still contained visible colorants. Can it really all be washed-out antihalation coating? I’ve already thought of something like the backing I’m familiar with from sheet films. I pre-rinse those before the development, and the water turns completely blue. But this is about roll films, isn’t it (do they have that too?), and besides, the colour should have been washed out with the developer. Best regards, Andreas