Film fixer options.

[cardiff_gareth]

Hi everyone.

I've run out of Fixer and currently I was using Ilford Rapid fixer. I was going to order some film from Analogue Wonderland and I saw they don't sell the Ilford fixer but sell Adox Adofix P II

I've never used this fixer before so do I make the powder up with water to a concentrate and store, and dilute down to 1+4 like Ilford Rapid fixer when I need to use it.

Also, do I treat it the same as the Ilford so 4 minutes fixing time and like the Ilford can be used to develop all films such as Foma, Kentmere, Ilford etc?

Thanks.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

From the horse's mouth...

You mix the powder bag directly to the working solution and do not dilute it further.

The best things in life are analog | ADOFIX P II Powder Fixer

www.adox.de

Once your film's been in the fix for a few seconds you can open the tank and check to see when the unexposed film is clear. If you time that you'll know how long to give it in future. (it's safe to expose film to light once it's been in the fixer for a few seconds).

 

[cardiff_gareth]

Ah! OK, to get my head around it, it says it'll fix 10 films but once made up it's 1 litre of fixer and it only has a shelf life then of 6 weeks?

Ilford Rapid fixer comes as a 500ml concentrate (larger 1l concentrate available also) but that needs diluting down and working on the 1+4 ratio means the 500ml bottle will make 2.5 litres in total with a longer shelf life.

So I'm better off with the Ilford?

 

[ChrisR]

Yes, it looks like the Ilford would give you a much more economical result. I bought a litre of Ilford Rapid Fixer in 2015 and I'm still using it! In fact, I'm still using the 750 ml of mix made late 2019, the last time I devved some 4x5! I just take 200 ml off it, do a test with the leader, and return it to the (old Fixer) mix bottle when done. I think it might just about have got to the point it needs chucking!