C-41 underdevelopment?

[Dante_Stella]

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon: you've been using the same camera, film, and basic setup for months - and right in the middle of that you get a roll of consistently thin negatives that translate into dark, grainy scans or prints (or in the case of a Frontier, both)?

It's not the camera or any flash equipment - I have been able to eliminate these as factors (and frankly, neither camera AE systems nor flash sensors or capacitors could be expected to malfunction for exactly one roll of film).

Is this a glitch in C-41 developing? Were these b/w negatives, it would be pretty easy to make the call that the negatives were grossly underdeveloped.

 

[Freakscene]

Increasingly. I used to run process control on a C41 line and I am sure this is caused by decreased demand feeding decreased control.

It's 15:45, you need to have the machine turned off by 16:30. You're only meant to use the current batch of chemicals for 100 rolls but you've already put 98 rolls through and you have another 11 rolls to run. You're not going to run the machine tomorrow because there just isn't the demand. In fact, as the operator you've been cut back to three days a week already.

So you just run the films out to the 109th in the same batch of chemicals anyway. Some of them look a little thin, but that doesn't matter, it's just students and cranks - all the serious pros switched to digital for colour years ago anyway . . .

Tetenal three bath, anyone?

Marty

 

[Keith]

Increasingly. I used to run process control on a C41 line and I am sure this is caused by decreased demand feeding decreased control.

It's 15:45, you need to have the machine turned off by 16:30. You're only meant to use the current batch of chemicals for 100 rolls but you've already put 98 rolls through and you have another 11 rolls to run. You're not going to run the machine tomorrow because there just isn't the demand. In fact, as the operator you've been cut back to three days a week already.

So you just run the films out to the 109th in the same batch of chemicals anyway. Some of them look a little thin, but that doesn't matter, it's just students and cranks - all the serious pros switched to digital for colour years ago anyway . . .

Tetenal three bath, anyone?

Marty

LOL!

Great post ... I may print that out and give it to the local Kodak 1hr to study!