vizzo7
Hello,
I’m not sure if I’m having a problem with the fixing process or not. In any case, I’m currently using Agefix. The instructions say 1:5 for rapid fixing of film. Following the advice from my specialist shop, I use a 1:4 ratio, and after each fixing session I pour the fixer into a 1-litre plastic bottle. I use the solution for about 8 rolls of film. I develop for 5 minutes in a 650cc container.
My negatives sometimes appear slightly purple, sometimes grey – it varies a lot. I don’t think a slight purple tint is good, but this happens even when I first prepare the solution, not just the last few times.
What am I doing wrong?
Is the purple/violet cast perhaps normal depending on the film emulsion?
Is the fixer from the stock solution faulty?
Am I fixing for too short a time (there’s no time specified for Agefix and for Agfa it’s 5 minutes, I think)?
Am I using too much of the solution?
Has it been sitting in the plastic bottle for too long?
Well, I hope someone can help me.
Kind regards,
David
cfb_de
Hello David,
The discolouration is caused by the anti-halation layer and has little to do with the fixing process. Normally, this colorant is removed at some stage during the process (where exactly depends on the colorant; with Efke films, for example, this happens as early as the pre-rinse stage), or at the very latest during the final rinse.
If some remains in the film, it looks a bit unsightly but isn’t a problem. Ilfords, for example, sometimes retain a slight violet tinge, whilst TMax films tend to be more pink.
Best regards,
Franz
Gast
Hello David,
You really should carry out a fixing time test and fix conventional films for at least twice the standard time, and ‘flat-crystal’ films for at least three times the standard time.
The fixing time also indicates how depleted the fixer has become.
With Agefix, I’ve found that the fixing times for Ilford Delta and Fuji Acros are unacceptably long compared to Tetenal Superfix Plus.
Best regards,
Andreas
Arthur
Try extending the rinsing time. And fixing it for a bit longer than the manufacturer recommends probably won’t do any harm either. For example, I fix Tri-X for 7 minutes and then rinse it using a Jobo rinse tube for 20–30 minutes; by then, the pink/purple fog is only very faint and barely noticeable.
