That guy at the camera swap meet was right about my fixer

Last month I was at the Photorama show in Portland and some old timer saw me buying a bottle of standard Kodak fixer. He told me to switch to TF-4 for my Tri-X rolls because it clears way faster and lasts longer in the tray. I figured whatever, it's cheap, so I grabbed a bottle. First roll I developed with it cleared in like 3 minutes instead of 5 and I got way less stain on my negatives. He also said to bump my temp to 72 instead of 68 for the developer and now my shadows have way more detail. Anyone else get fixer advice from a stranger that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_kelly549d ago

Might want to double check that temperature bump. 68 is the standard for a reason, going to 72 can work with some developers but it also speeds up grain growth and can fog up your film if your developer is getting too warm. Been using TF-4 for years myself and it's great, dries negatives cleaner than Kodak fixer for sure. Just watch your times if you're pushing to 72, especially on Tri-X which is already a grainy film. Did you notice any change in sharpness or grain when you switched temps?

leo2389d ago

Man, I totally feel what you’re saying about temperature control. It’s one of those things that seems small but can really mess with your results if you’re not careful. I’ve definitely seen grain get a little wild on Tri-X when I’ve tried bumping temps up even a few degrees, so I stick to 68 most of the time now. That said, I do think some films handle it better than others. I’ve had pretty good luck with slower films like FP4 at 72 in a pinch, but I always cut my development time by a bit to keep the fogging down. It’s all about testing and keeping notes, I guess.