Re: Polaroid Negatives

In a message dated 11/18/2002 3:57:21 PM Central Standard Time,
Antonio.Vieira@siemens.com writes:

> I was thinking in trying type 55, but I was going to the sodium sulfite.
What
> exactly is the Hypo Clear??
>
> Thanks
>
> António Vieira

Antonio, Hypo Clear, or HCA (Hypo Clearing Agent ) is a product made by a
couple of companies that I am aware of, there may be more, if anyone else
knows of the companies , please feel free to chime in here . Kodak makes one,
and another brand is called Orbit . Hypo Clear is a product to be used after
the fixing step and a water rinse has been completed , it shortens the
washing times needed for films. I use it for sheet films as well as roll
films. My practice using Hypo Clear , is to use it with my Polaroid Type 55
positive/negative films, I put the negative in a 4X5 film hanger, and dunk
the film for as long as it takes to get the " developer gunk " off the film,
usually about 2-3 minutes at the most, I then wash the negative as I normally
would any negative , and hang to dry.

Am not sure where you are located Antonio, but if its the United States, you
can get Hypo Clear at most any camera store, or order it online from
www.bhphoto.com .

I just looked at the Orbit bath instructions, and they say, to use 4 ounces
of concentrate to a gallon of water , agitate for 30 seconds , and wash for 5
minutes .
A one gallon working solution can do 80/8X10 (double weight) prints , or 150
sheets of 8X10 film . So you can see it is quite economical . Orbit is made
by a company called TKO Chemical Co, in St. Joseph , Missouri , USA. price is
about $10.95 USD per pint .If you order Hypo Clear from www.bhphoto.com, I
would suggest getting a couple bottles or more, at time of ordering .

 I know the instructions on Polaroid Type 55 call for clearing with Sodium
Sulfite, and I too wondered about using it when I posted my question similar
to yours. Since I did not use Sodium Sulfite, I can not speak to the results
. It seems to me someone remarked that using the Sodium Sulfite produced a
higher grain , than just using a Hypo Clear. Some one correct me if I am
wrong here . I started with the Hypo Clear ,and have the results I like, so
have just continued with it .
Kodak Sodium Sulfite sells for about $9.00 USD in granular form I know, but
thats the extent of my knowledge using it for Type 55.
Received on Tue Nov 19 01:58:42 2002