I don't use medium format film, but I do use 35mm tri-x.
Are you using fresh rapid fix at 1/4 dilution? You should only have to fix for 3 minutes (for the 35mm anyway). How long are you washing the film for?
I give it a number of vigorous inversions in the tank before force washing (very gently) for at least 20 minutes.
Fresh is a relative term for my fixer. =) I've probably only done 15 rolls at the most with a liter of fixer I mixed up at 1:4. It's the ilford rapid fixer. I generally leave it in the fixer for 5 minutes with some agitation.
For washing I do running water for about 5 minutes and the 5-10-20 method after that. Should I be washing it longer?
For washing I do running water for about 5 minutes and the 5-10-20 method after that. Should I be washing it longer?
I think that the only way to know is to do a residual hypo test. There's a recipee for such a test in the chemistry section, if I'm not mistaken, and Photo Formulary sells a test solution. Quite easy and painless to do.
Actually, I just looked at the recipee section, and I think that the Photo Formulary is much easier to do, but not as precise. I have used the photo formulary one for my paper needs...
I have developed a lot of 35mmTrix and never seen this coloration. However, just processed my first roll of 120 TriX320 last night (same developer) and the developer discharged pink. Stop bath cleared mostly the coloration and no color after fixing. The emulsion is clear, but remains a very subtle tint.
Perhaps this is something inherent to the 320 variety of TriX? Does the coloration of the emulsion base have any impact on the ability to produce a decent print? I've had a similar experience with 120 format TMax400 recently.
Yesterday I developed a roll of Delta 100 and used Kodak's standard (not rapid) fixer for 7 minutes. My dried negatives have a purple tint to them. Will this affect my ability to easily and successfully print them in my darkroom? If not, what adverse conditions am I likely to experience?
Terry
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Not as long as you hum "Purple Rain" while printing.
The purple cast is residual antihalation coating that wasn't cleared in fixing/washing. Vigorous aggitation during the initial fix or wash, or extra fixing time will usually clear it.
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If the coating is not washed off and if it is evenly applied to the whole negative area the coating will have the effect of increasing printing times and with VC paper increasing the contrat.
If the negatives were still purple and the used fix was pinkish, that means that your fix is/was exhausted. This has happened to me once.
Instead of risking printing problems and perhaps the degeneration of your negatives, why not simply re-fix them in fresh fix? I only suggest this because it has happened to me.
Kent
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If the negatives were still purple and the used fix was pinkish, that means that your fix is/was exhausted. This has happened to me once.
Instead of risking printing problems and perhaps the degeneration of your negatives, why not simply re-fix them in fresh fix? I only suggest this because it has happened to me.
Kent
When Kodak introduced the new Tri-x, I could not get the blasted pink cast to come out of it, where I never had an issue with it with the old tri-x. Tried longer fix, longer wash. Fresher fix, fresher wash. And different fixer brands, and it would never go away so I just gave up and lived with it. Then one day I developed in Rodinal instead of Diafine. The developer came out very dark in color, and the negatives came out without a hint of magenta.
Linear Mode
