MaxFrank
Member
Hello all,
I just developed two rolls of Tri-X 120 at home and when I rinsed the film I had an unpleasant surprise. The film is completely opaque
No image, no edge markings, just a purple substrate staring at me. Lost some photo's I think would've been nice but it happens to us all. So I am now trying to figure out what went wrong.
I think it's my chemicals since they might be a bit old but I have not had problems with them until now.
I use rodinal, a bottle which I've had for some 4 years now maybe? It's a very deep brown and the bottle is almost empty but I have heard that it's supposed to last forever. The developer that came out of the daylight tank was a deep reddish brown. I developed for 7 minutes at a dilution of 1+25
For this batch I mixed fresh fixer, Ilford Rapid Fixer 1+4, could this be the source of failure as the unmixed fixer is also a year or 4 old.
After the first roll failed I made absolutely sure that I poured in the developer before the fixer and not the other way around.
I am ordering new chemicals just to make sure I am using fresh chemicals for the next batch. Do you have any more troubleshooting tips for me? Is there anything I can do to test my chemical before developing?
I just developed two rolls of Tri-X 120 at home and when I rinsed the film I had an unpleasant surprise. The film is completely opaque
No image, no edge markings, just a purple substrate staring at me. Lost some photo's I think would've been nice but it happens to us all. So I am now trying to figure out what went wrong.
I think it's my chemicals since they might be a bit old but I have not had problems with them until now.
I use rodinal, a bottle which I've had for some 4 years now maybe? It's a very deep brown and the bottle is almost empty but I have heard that it's supposed to last forever. The developer that came out of the daylight tank was a deep reddish brown. I developed for 7 minutes at a dilution of 1+25
For this batch I mixed fresh fixer, Ilford Rapid Fixer 1+4, could this be the source of failure as the unmixed fixer is also a year or 4 old.
After the first roll failed I made absolutely sure that I poured in the developer before the fixer and not the other way around.
I am ordering new chemicals just to make sure I am using fresh chemicals for the next batch. Do you have any more troubleshooting tips for me? Is there anything I can do to test my chemical before developing?
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
It sounds like there was no development at all, so either the Rodinal was kaput or maybe it wasn't mixed properly.
Dwig
Well-known
... The film is completely opaque
No image, no edge markings, just a purple substrate staring at me. ...
???
Purple opaque base = fixer failure. development status unknown.
Purplish, transparent, blank (no edge markings) = developer failure
Sid836
Well-known
It could also be a bad roll, exposed to light, or severely fogged.
MaxFrank
Member
I'm sorry I should've been more clear. The film base was completely transparent,
the film was not fogged in any way so I think the fixer was fine. I'll order some new chemicals as that would be prudent in this situation.
the film was not fogged in any way so I think the fixer was fine. I'll order some new chemicals as that would be prudent in this situation.
sinisaostojic
Established
Have you developed film from this camera lately? I might not be the chemicals...
I had a similar problem a while ago with clear negative. Have a look at this thread: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143956
I had a similar problem a while ago with clear negative. Have a look at this thread: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143956
Highway 61
Revisited
I use rodinal, a bottle which I've had for some 4 years now maybe? It's a very deep brown and the bottle is almost empty but I have heard that it's supposed to last forever. The developer that came out of the daylight tank was a deep reddish brown.
Aside from a camera shutter problem I'd say that your developer was dead.
Fool is the photographer who would use a developer laying in an almost empty bottle having been open for 4 years !
Whatever the developer is.
And Rodinal lasting forever is nothing else than an urban legend.
After having got severely underexposed negatives with relatively new Rodinal having crystallized and got deep reddish brown I promptly ceased to use that stuff (which, even when it works well, doesn't provide such different results) and got back to D76 1+1, with which everything went constantly very well since the early 1980s.
MaxFrank
Member
Seeing as I got no edge markings and no trace of silver on the substrate I am assuming developer failure. I have order a bottle of HC-110 which I'll be subdividing in 100ml glass bottles and a few 1l powder packets of d-76.
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