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Old 7th June 2019, 06:39 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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Default Kodak vs. Ilford rapid fixers and film washing method

Would anyone happen to know if the Kodak Rapid Fixer is the same stuff as Ilford's? I can now get the Kodak here locally at a lower price than Ilford.

Background to the question is that I have been using the latter for eons, partly because of the Ilford post-fix film washing technique (I'm sure you all know what that is...) which saves so much water.

If they are the same (i.e. ammonium thiosulfate) is there any reason I couldn't use the Ilford wash method with Kodak Rapid Fix?

I am aware that the Kodak comes with a Part B bottle of hardener, which I wouldn't use with film.

Any insight greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Old 7th June 2019, 07:33 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Svend, if the Kodak is a rapid fix as well then I can see no reason not to buy on price. I cannot see how the Ilford wash method should be compromised by a Kodak rapid fixer

Mike
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Old 7th June 2019, 07:47 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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Mike, that's what I was thinking also. If possible, I'd like to hear from someone who has used the Kodak stuff and then washed per Ilford method, just to be sure before I submit a film to it. I can't see the Kodak formula being significantly different from Ilford's, but I can't be sure of that. I did a web search on this question, but no hits.
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Old 8th June 2019, 06:24 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Hi Svend. I have used bothTetenal and Champion rapid fixers, and others over the years, and used the ilford washing method with them all without problems, so I can't see why it shouldn't work just as well with the Kodak fixer,
Richard
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Old 8th June 2019, 10:52 AM
Svend Svend is offline
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Hi Richard,
So is the Kodak fixer also ammonium thiosulfate then, like Ilford's? If so, then I should be OK. Good to know that you've used other rapid fix with success using the Ilford wash. Thanks for that.
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Old 8th June 2019, 10:59 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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I seriously wonder if all the "big companies" (Ilford, Kodak and Tetenal) fixers are really that much different anyway

Someone makes Ilford fixer and it clearly isn't Ilford. Champion makes developer and fixer for itself called Amfix and this sells for considerably less than the "big company" stuff.

So does Ilford for instance (a) insist its contractor makes better fixer than justifies the premium and/or(b) does Champion who make Amfix "economise" on its own stuff to sell it more cheaply and (c) can this even be done while still making fixer work?

If Ilford or Kodak fixer is demonstrably better than say Amfix I have never seen this being widely broadcast on the likes of Photrio

To be fair I have never seen the Amfix technical data but unless this states much lower capacity than Kodak or Ilford then I think I know what my own conclusion is.

Mike
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Old 8th June 2019, 11:18 AM
Michael Michael is offline
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Svend - You could always use the Kodak hypo clearing agent before washing, as an extra precaution.

When I was checking the Bergger information sources prior to processing Pancro 400, I found that they recommend a 10 per cent sulphite bath before washing. That's a pretty strong solution. I used it and it seemed to do no harm. It goes off as quickly as does the Kodak product but is a much simpler formulation; so making one-off quantities is more practicable, I think.
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Old 8th June 2019, 11:24 AM
Michael Michael is offline
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Here's the MSDS for the Kodak fixer, by the way. You'll see the ingredients listed.
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Old 8th June 2019, 11:28 AM
Svend Svend is offline
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Mike, you're probably right. Ammonium thiosulfate fixer is likely the same basic formula for all, give or take a few variations in stock solution concentration. Kodak includes a separate bottle of hardener with theirs, but if left out I wonder if it's not just the same (or close enough) to other rapid fixers. Still, worth asking those here with more experience than I in such things.

Michael, thanks for the suggestion of using hypo clearing agent. Good idea, but then it negates any advantage of buying the Kodak fix, and is another processing step I'd rather not bother with. I'll save that stuff for my printing paper.
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Old 8th June 2019, 11:36 AM
Svend Svend is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael View Post
Here's the MSDS for the Kodak fixer, by the way. You'll see the ingredients listed.
Good find Michael! Thanks for that. I just found the MSDS for Ilford's and it doesn't list all the ingredients, but those indicated match with Kodak's. Looks like it's more or less the same basic brew.
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