Developing Issue - Black Smears on Negatives

[- ASH -]

Hey all,

I have been lurking around the forums for a while, and have hit an issue that hopefully someone here will be able to provide some insight into.

So far I have home developed around 15 rolls of film, with no real issues, except for this last roll of FP4+ that I shot through my Minolta 7s. On this day, I had processed 4 other rolls of film, using a freshly mixed (day before) batch of ID-11, Ilfostop, Ilford Rapid Fixer and Fotospeed wetting agent after wash.

The issue you see below appeared with the last roll processed, and what is the first of FP4+ in 35mm that I have done. There are number of black smears left all over the film, that vary in shape, size and number. Some shots are perfectly fine, others have heaps across them and are unusable, and the below is an example of a moderate amount.

My thoughts are something to do with the squeegee at the end, however I had no issue with any of the previous rolls.

Anyone have any ideas??

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Is it something on the surface of the film, or is it part of the image?

The only time I have had something like this happen was with a Mamiya C330f, a medium format camera. The foam seals on the camera back were badly deteriorated. The camera didn't leak light, but the foam was sticky and gummy, and was flaking off and falling on the film. It was virtually impossible to clean off the film without scratching the film.

If your film has these dirt spots on the surface of the film, and they're sticky/gummy then that is a possibility.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Welcome aboard.

It might be fluff or lint picked up when the wet film was drying. You'd have to look carefully and perhaps wet it again in the spiral and get the water moving about to wash them off...

Anyway, I'll wish you luck.

Regards, David

 

[- ASH -]

Thanks for the quick responses!

I had considered maybe it was a physical something getting in the film, but from close inspection, looking at the emulsion side of the film, the dark marks appear much the same as the exposed areas and edge markings on the film. Doesn't look to be anything on top of the film, but does definitely seem to be on the emulsion side.

What I can't figure though, is how you could get light leaks and exposure on the film in that kind of pattern? Seals on the camera have been redone, and subsequent films (shot after, but developed before) do not show any signs. Could moisture possibly be a cause, as with the spots you can get on moisture affected films?

I will try washing a strip again, to see what, if any, effect that it has.

 

[NeeZee]

Looks strange indeed. If it's nothing physical on the negative then the only thing I have seen that causes dark smears is bad fixer. As you used fresh one and the pattern does not look like it at all, I doubt that's the problem here, though. I agree with Chris that it looks like dust or foam from the film chamber but if it is on the picture it should be white on the negative... strange...

 

[tvdpid]

The spots are identical ...

 

[Ronald M]

Contamination of chemicals.

You need air and water filters, glass storage bottles which you wash, ditch the plastic crap, do not reuse fix on film, throw away the squeegee that has crud on it (contamination).

Darkroom must be hospital clean, floor, ceiling, walls counters.

Only then will clean negs be consistently achieved.

 

[Papercut]

The spots are identical ...

I noticed that too. Have no idea what would be leaving identical marks like that, but it would seem to rule out the "usual suspects" to me.

 

[mpaniagua]

Contamination of chemicals.

You need air and water filters, glass storage bottles which you wash, ditch the plastic crap, do not reuse fix on film, throw away the squeegee that has crud on it (contamination).

Darkroom must be hospital clean, floor, ceiling, walls counters.

Only then will clean negs be consistently achieved.

Agree, had the same issue once. My dad scolded me for not being tidy enough 😛. My developer was contaminated with some fixer or stop bath solution.


Did you use stock? mixed from a bigger container? Try a second roll being really careful (and clean). If it happens again, discard your current developer and fixer, or mix another batch of both of them and give it a try.


I always use crystal containers to keep my developer. Sometimes plastics but only for single use mixing.

If you have a measuring cup to do the mixing, keep one for developer, one for stop bath (if yo use any) and one for the fixer. Never mix any of the above.

 

[Larry H-L]

With identical dark spots in different areas, that would lead me to think it is a tiny light leak, with light hitting the neg from different angles as the camera or light source moves around.

Or, some sort of internal reflection off the back of the lens mount? A reflection off of stainless steel reels?

 

[Papercut]

With identical dark spots in different areas, that would lead me to think it is a tiny light leak, with light hitting the neg from different angles as the camera or slight source moves around.

This would make sense with what the OP describes too: that some frames have none (wound on and fired the frame quickly), while other frames are loaded with them (the frame was in place for a while and got exposed many times as the camera was moved around).

 

[BLKRCAT]

How did you proess? Ive experienced similar effects actually. Turns out its loose emulsion rubbing off and sticking to parts of the film as you squeegee down.

Did you process or rinse warmer than usual?

How much did you squeegee? Did you use your fingers? Did you use photoflo?

If when squeegeeing you feel almost like the film is lubricated and you cant squeegee off all or most of the moisture then you could be damaging the emulsion. I had this on a recent roll of efke 25. After I realized what I was doing I stopped and only a few frames were contaminated.

I found this was from where i tear the leader so I can spool it up in the tanks.

Ive never experienced this phenomenon with FP4 though.

 

[Bill Clark]

Where did you dry the film?

When I was living at my parents home, a long time ago, I had to contend with dust, fighting it most of the time, especially when hanging film up to dry.

 

[BillBingham2]

Just a guess that it's something in the fixer stopping the antihalation layer from dissolving completely. My guess is while the fixer worked there's stuff floating around it in settling onto the back of the film stopping the magic from happening.

If I remember right and you are feeling lucky (read not sure it will work), you might try putting the film back into fresh fixer and it might clear-up.

B2 (;->

 

[mpaniagua]

Just a guess that it's something in the fixer stopping the antihalation layer from dissolving completely. My guess is while the fixer worked there's stuff floating around it in settling onto the back of the film stopping the magic from happening.

If I remember right and you are feeling lucky (read not sure it will work), you might try putting the film back into fresh fixer and it might clear-up.

B2 (;->

umm could work, I guess no harm in trying but if the fixer couldn't completely do its work, it would look like undeveloped film (opaque not transparent) but it looks black to me.

 

[BillBingham2]

The antihalation layer is opaque. On the negative it would be dark (blackish) and would look white-ish on the print (blocking light to the emulsion on the paper).

B2

 

[mpaniagua]

The antihalation layer is opaque. On the negative it would be dark (blackish) and would look white-ish on the print (blocking light to the emulsion on the paper).

B2

Agree. Either way ,I don't think it will do any harm to do as you said.

Wish you luck ASH 🙂. And dont forget to give us feedback as how well did it when. Also, if you process another roll from the same camera, let us know it you had the same issue.

Cheers.

 

[sepiareverb]

The 7S has a leaf shutter, so perhaps some potential for a bent blade?

If this is not something on the film but rather something in the film, then you've got some kind of exposure going on. I've had static marks on film on rare occasions. Your marks aren't shaped like the static marks ones I had, they were more 'spark' or 'asterisk' shaped, but were exposed/developed silver in the negative and appeared the same density, with the same variation within each mark.

You don't say where you are located, in a very dry place?

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I doubt if it is a camera's light leak because the marks go across the edge of the film, outside the frame.

Perhaps the negative carrier in the scanner or enlargers? It could be dust or fluff that gets "swept" out as the film is scanned or printed and goes through the system.

Perhaps another scan/enlargement of the first negative would show less marks?

Regards, David

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Hi,

I doubt if it is a camera's light leak because the marks go across the edge of the film, outside the frame.

Perhaps the negative carrier in the scanner or enlargers? It could be dust or fluff that gets "swept" out as the film is scanned or printed and goes through the system.

Perhaps another scan/enlargement of the first negative would show less marks?

Regards, David

Light leaks can show anywhere on the film, not just the image area.