My stop bath is too strong?

[totifoto]

I just mixed a new stop bath before developing two films tonight. The films came out totally different then most days, flat and smudgy. I found out that I mixed my stop bath 1+9 but the bottle said 1+19 :bang:😱🙄

Does a too strong stop bath have effects on the film or did I do something else wrong?

Thanx.

 

[rogue_designer]

i can't see how too strong a stop would have that effect on film. Possibly pinholes in the emulsion would form, but that doesn't sound like what you are seeing.

I think something else is at play.

 

[russianRF]

IAWTC. Stop bath merely arrests the left-over developer; it doesn't actually do much of anything to the emulsion itself.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Sounds like your fixer might be weak. Refix the film in room light and see if it clears.

 

[Beemermark]

Too strong a stopbath (and it depends greatly on the film emulsion) will make lots of tiny clear spots (pinholes). otherwise it has no effect on the film. I speak from experience. Some films recommend plain water for a stop bath. I use 1/2 the concentration for stop bath twice as long. It stops development. Developer also contaminates the fixer. Thus the stopbath, by removing the developer, prolongs the fixer life.

 

[russianRF]

If you use your fixer as one-shot, you don't have to worry as much about using a stop bath. Whenever I use a plain water stop bath (a requirement for Efke films), I make the fixer a little stronger than normal.

 

[totifoto]

Thanx all for the answers. I´m gonna mix another fixer and see if that is the case. 😱

 

[dfoo]

I've never used a stop bath for film, or paper other than plain water. My fixer lasts for ages. Its easy to test fix... When you first make the fix, put a piece of film in there and see how long it takes to clear. Test the fix every once in a while by putting a piece of film in the fix. When the clearing times doubles from the fresh fix, its time to throw it out.

 

[venchka]

Plain tap water for film stop bath is never too strong. It always works for me.

 

[mojobebop]

i stopped using stop bath with film
years ago. you don't really need it.