Darkroom / Developing goofs....

[Chinasaur]

N00b here... 🙂

Needed a new batch of fix. Ended up with a liter of Ilfo-flo before I realized I'd used wrong bottle... :bang:

What have you all done???

/me trundles off to order new bottle from Freestyle....

 

[nikon_sam]

Just last week I ran a roll of APX 100 through a camera for a second time...normally I rewind the film completely into the cassette...for some reason I didn't on this roll...
The first images were no big loss...the second images I was testing a new to me Olympus 35SP...I was more upset that I had to shoot & develop another test roll...

In the darkroom I occasionally load a test strip in the easel upside down or forget to stop down the lens before exposing...
Chemistry-wise I've been pretty good...

 

[Vics]

The lesson we all learn sooner or later is the need to simplify! I've made, I think every mistake one can make, each error creating a "new rule."
NR1: If I only use one kind of film, I never wonder what kind of film is in my camera.
NR2: If I just use (or bring) one lens, I never have the wrong lens on the camera.
They go on and on, but you get the idea. All this stuff becomes second nature if you keep your equipment and your methods really as simple as you can get them. Then, as if by magic, your pictures get better and better.

 

[JohnTF]

Friend was doing some C41 for me, evidently a little blix got in the developer, everything was blank, he thought it was an exposure problem, for about 2 minutes until we noticed there was no edge printing as well. Lost 2 rolls of nudes, well the film was nude.

Have had some oddities, was reusing bottles and the cap on the bleach for E6 had some silver deposits, which appeared on the film, in pieces, Kodak looked at the film and figured it out very quickly.

Had some odd objects in the sky area using Konica IR 120, even Konica could not figure that one, sent one negative to Japan-- no explanation.

Agfa admitted they published some wrong times and I had some very thin negatives, their tech guy admitted it, so you have to give them credit for that.

Any time someone screws up some negatives, it is really bad, IMO. My regular lab processed C41 B&W, scratched the negs and turned off Digital Ice because they did not know you could use it with C41 B&W, then, though I told them not to, they cut the negs, so I have a lot of re-scanning of short strips to do.

Dilution problems, I am pretty good with math, but a friend using my darkroom was off my an order of magnitude with HC 110, blank rolls again.

Time and money are one thing, but when you ruin negatives/film there is no going back.

FWIW, more labs have screwed up than I have, some take care of their equipment, and some do not, liability in Ohio is limited to replacing the film.

Regards, John

 

[btgc]

Two sessions before I broke my quicksilver thermometer - happily, it dripped into syphon and I got whole amount out from tube right into bottle.

Yesterday I decided to replace fixer and used my aged Ilford Rapid fixer (has "flakes" in it). Tested pure fixer - didn't clear film at all. After scratching head decided to make tiny bit of working dilution - voila, it cleared film instantly. Got to learn something new, glad I didn't go out for a bottle of new fixer.

 

[JohnTF]

Two sessions before I broke my quicksilver thermometer - happily, it dripped into syphon and I got whole amount out from tube right into bottle.

Yesterday I decided to replace fixer and used my aged Ilford Rapid fixer (has "flakes" in it). Tested pure fixer - didn't clear film at all. After scratching head decided to make tiny bit of working dilution - voila, it cleared film instantly. Got to learn something new, glad I didn't go out for a bottle of new fixer.

Normally when fix throws a sediment, it's time for a new bottle. I think it is a pretty simple solution, so a sediment is probably taking something out you want, but film clears easily.

Regards, John

 

[btgc]

Normally when fix throws a sediment, it's time for a new bottle. I think it is a pretty simple solution, so a sediment is probably taking something out you want, but film clears easily.

Regards, John

John, do you mean my fixer isn't fixing properly? At least now (after few days) film is as it were when hung to dry.

Problem is Ilford 1L bottle is too much for me. I even bought new 250ml bottle of Tetenal fixer about year ago, poured 150ml into another bottle with no air under cover and know what? Now this little bottle has sort of white dust on bottom. I know, simple solutution is shoot and print more, but with my 1-2-3 rolls a month I can't use up all fixer.

 

[charjohncarter]

How about loading C-41 film (thinking it was TriX) and developing with HC-110h. I then sat around wondering for a hour what went wrong.

 

[JohnTF]

John, do you mean my fixer isn't fixing properly? At least now (after few days) film is as it were when hung to dry.

Problem is Ilford 1L bottle is too much for me. I even bought new 250ml bottle of Tetenal fixer about year ago, poured 150ml into another bottle with no air under cover and know what? Now this little bottle has sort of white dust on bottom. I know, simple solutution is shoot and print more, but with my 1-2-3 rolls a month I can't use up all fixer.

I am in a similar situation these days, am tossing more chemistry than I use, but the concentrates do have that problem. It can take a year for poorly fixed film to show some brown stains.

You might switch to powder mixes, or mix your own, but in the end, your time is worth more than your tossed chemistry.

I used to use Ektaflo in gallon cubitainers (makes 3-7 gallons), but got to the point that I was tossing a lot out.

Last time I saw nice small bottles of concentrate, it was Foma chemistry in Prague- which leads to another disaster-- being out of the country, I mixed the chemistry in empty water bottles.

My friend's mom visited and watered her plants with fix, I ended up buying some plants to replace.

Regards, John

 

[charjohncarter]

I am in a similar situation these days, am tossing more chemistry than I use, but the concentrates do have that problem. It can take a year for poorly fixed film to show some brown stains.

Hola John, I'm the guy at Velas, maybe I'll see you in Jan-Feb this year. I buy concentrate fixer and even in a great bottle from Freestyle it last only 5-6 months. I use about 50ml per roll but I still only get 2/3s through the bottle. What really makes me mad is my fixer costs (and this is my fault because I buy the concentrate liquid) costs more than developer (well, maybe not mad, just feeling used).

 

[JohnTF]

Hola John, I'm the guy at Velas, maybe I'll see you in Jan-Feb this year. I buy concentrate fixer and even in a great bottle from Freestyle it last only 5-6 months. I use about 50ml per roll but I still only get 2/3s through the bottle. What really makes me mad is my fixer costs (and this is my fault because I buy the concentrate liquid) costs more than developer (well, maybe not mad, just feeling used).

Get used to it, nature of the hobby, just sometimes more than others. ;-)

I was lucky to snag some antique glass stoppered bottles years ago, half gallon or so, only bottles that really seal, what ever is inside has a longer shelf life. Saran Wrap under the cap helps, but the way availability is headed, you might be better off with the dry stuff, or start ordering straight hypo and mix it when you need it. Really good scales should be less than $100 now, and you can always try the local police auction, evidently a lot of criminals are mixing up photo chemistry and the evidence gets auctioned. ;-)

I'm not too hard to find there, I am booked for the holidays, and will spend the better part of the winter there, though I have time elsewhere to use.


Would be great to get a car and shoot in some of the small towns, there is a lot of interest to shoot away from the cruise ships. I may go East if things settle down to shoot with Jorge.

I crossed paths with a Brown Recluse last year and it really slowed me down, took 5 months to heal.

Regards, John

 

[robbeiflex]

Where do I begin....

1.) Before I had a good accordion bottle I left some XTOl in the distilled water 5L plastic jug. I wrote "XTOL" and "Developer" all over it with a big black marker, which unfortunately did not prevent our cleaning lady pouring some into our iron 😱 (Distilled water jug does have a little tiny iron icon on the label though...hmmm)

2.) Bought what I thought would be enough paper developer to make 5L. Received 5L of concentrate! 😱

3.) Knocked over a glass of red wine in the dark... 😱

Cheers,
Rob

 

[JohnTF]

Where do I begin....

1.) Before I had a good accordion bottle I left some XTOl in the distilled water 5L plastic jug. I wrote "XTOL" and "Developer" all over it with a big black marker, which unfortunately did not prevent our cleaning lady pouring some into our iron 😱 (Distilled water jug does have a little tiny iron icon on the label though...hmmm)

2.) Bought what I thought would be enough paper developer to make 5L. Received 5L of concentrate! 😱

3.) Knocked over a glass of red wine in the dark... 😱

Cheers,
Rob

Heard the accordion bottles have too much surface area.

Might be good for the wine overnight?

;-) Regards, John

 

[Tom A]

Washed out bottles for Beutler A and B solutions - and in my infinite wisdom allowed them to stand overnight with plain water in them. Next day I was running film and had two test rolls for Beutler - well you can guess the rest - taught me to NEVER leave water in developing containers!

Dropped a Gralab 300 into the fix tray. I did unplug it, hosed it off inside and out, let it dry and plugged it back in - it worked!!! And continued to work for about 5 years. Those are tough timers.

I tend to "tap" my Paterson tanks against the edge of the sink - occasionally quite hard. Did it with a 5 reel tank and the bottom split - dumped the developer all over me and the floor. Now I pad the edge of the sink with gaffers tape!

One time I forgot that one tray held some acid stop-bath and I was mixing ferrocyanide for bleaching - managed to splatter some ferrocyanide mix into the acid stop bath. Now I know what it feels like in a gas-chamber. It was as if someone grabbed the throat and squeezed it shut! Dont't try it - some stuff is dangerous like hell.

The more you do darkroom work, both film developing and print - you will find new ways to screw up. Chalk it up to experience and avoid repeat performances.

 

[JohnTF]

Cannot top those Tom, though I may have a IIIf photo to post.

Paterson had a problem with some of their tanks, some had a triangle like pattern at the bottom center, cracks seemed to radiate out from those lines. They replaced some tanks shipped back, but not the last several I sent them, those came back cracked all the way up the side.

I have seen people slam tanks down to dislodge bubbles, hardly think that necessary.

I did not realize ferrocyanide reacted the same as cyanide, good to know, not an experiment I care to perform.

Regards, John

 

[Luna]

Developing some Acros, and while holding the film between two fingers on small edge of each side, the film flew out of my hands thanks to my fan (which I usually set to level 2 but it was on level 3 this time). Took a few minutes to find it.

Agitating in the fixer by moving the bottom sheet to the top sheet. Film got stuck on the bottom of the cheap plastic trays I have. Tried to use my bitten fingernails to easily move it towards a bump in the middle. Finger slipped and scratched my film up really good.

Got two sheets stuck together due to wet hands and ripped the emulsion a tiny bit on one of the sheets.

Stepped barefoot into my fixer (developing in trays in my bathroom).

Good times.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Stepped barefoot into my fixer (developing in trays in my bathroom).

That's the best one yet!

 

[kosta_g]

The lesson we all learn sooner or later is the need to simplify! I've made, I think every mistake one can make, each error creating a "new rule."
NR1: If I only use one kind of film, I never wonder what kind of film is in my camera.
NR2: If I just use (or bring) one lens, I never have the wrong lens on the camera.
They go on and on, but you get the idea. All this stuff becomes second nature if you keep your equipment and your methods really as simple as you can get them. Then, as if by magic, your pictures get better and better.

I love these rules, fantastic.

I had a mental black out and went to change the film in the camera - before I rewound it! burned!

I also forgot which flask had fixer and which had wetting agent and 'wetted' the film before fixing :S still turned out ok though!

 

[JohnTF]

I could not afford a safe light, so got out the Xmas lights, swapped out all but the red, tossed it over the shower rod.
Anyone see a possible disaster here? ;-)

Eventually saved up for a screw in Kodak safe light, which used a white bulb the same size as the Xmas lights, with a cup over it, still have a few.

I also took a corner off a thumb and a finger at various times using the old paper cutter, until I got the rotary blade Nikkor, still have it. Probably cost more than my first enlarger.

 

[Turtle]

Or alternatively have working systems so we don't have these problems! Thats why I have a very specific mental routine when a new roll goes in any camera and comes out. Errors are still possible, but slick routines come from lots of practice doing it the same way. This is why I am not good conversation while changing film; I'm going through my checklist!

The worst dev problem I had was a roll of apparently solarised Delta 400. I cannot for the life of me figure out how is happened.