Help: developed my first B&W - can't scan

[alexz]

Well, developed by first B&W (TriX at 400), looks good to my untrained (on B&W) eye...
However my scanner fails to read it (Nikon LS-40) - I used to scan my negs/slides for 6 years, but now, inserting the strip of my B&W - it runs preview thumbnails scan and then reports there is no items to scan, and the thumbnails are empty indeed.

What can be the problem ? (I set it to Negs (Mono) in NikonScan)

 

[RayPA]

Can you go back to what worked before and see if it works again? I don't know NikonScan. Are you seeing/hearing normal activity on the scanner (internal light, autofocusing, etc.)? Have you not used the scanner for 6 years? What do the thumbnails look like (light or dark)? Could be something simple like a setting, but again, I don't know NikonScan. I think you need to start eliminating the various possibilities.

🙂

 

[alexz]

Well, I'm quite familiar with the scanner, use it routinely throughout 6 years I'm owing one. Just a few days ago scanned my recent slides, all was good.
As for now, it apepars to work as usually, producing its normal activity noises, operation appears to be normal durign per-scan (for thumbs), perhaps it takes a bit longer then usual (probably about 30-40% longer) .
The thumbnails were appearing blank - light gray/slight yellowihs blank rectangles (in which thumbs usually appear).

Right now, I run a strip of good film (C41) through it - the one I do regularily -and opsss....didnt' work either - produced similar blank thumbnails. This is kind of film that I scan regularily without problem.
Then I took a strip of slides (ans set the scanner to Positive) that I scanned just recently - once again the problem appeared - the thumbs turned to be blank also, but this time - they where just black.

it appeasr something went wrong when I was trying to scan my B&W strip and battered the sacnners somehow. Then, I took off strip adapter, checked it visually (appeared to be fine, little dust which I blew away and put it back into the machine. The next strip of slides I was trying to scan - it just reported (in NikonScan) some kind of hardware error and advised to turn it off and on to check whether the hardware probelm persists. Just did it - it got back to normal, scanned successfully C41 strip and then E6.

Put my TriX back - WOW, it works ! Weird, but begun to do its job just fine.. 🙂

Appears to be some strange system glitch when the scanner saw for its first time a real B&W film...LOL





BTW, I noticed my B&W film that I developed has some chemicals smell, is it somethign that is normal with manually processed B&W ? (in HC-110, Tetenal Superfix Plus)

 

[payasam]

If the film was well washed after being fixed, it shouldn't give off a "chemical smell".

 

[alexz]

yes, it was washed according to Ilford recommendations (saving water): multile agitations with changing water 4-5 times...but still stinks....🙂

 

[iml]

I would wash it again, just to make sure.

Ian

 

[oscroft]

yes, it was washed according to Ilford recommendations (saving water): multile agitations with changing water 4-5 times...but still stinks.

I don't want to start what can be a passionate argument (it's been argued ad nauseum on APUG), but if your film still stinks of chemicals then it's not washed properly, no matter what Ilford or anyone else might claim.

 

[alexz]

Of course, Alan, no intention to start an argument, I tend to agree with you given my so far nearly zero experience in B&W. The smell is weak but noticeable if trying to smell it in particular...
Well, perhaps I'll need to refine my washing procedure...

Also, albeit applying a short hand-soap bath at teh end, after drying out I still notice quite a few water residue spots on the film.
How to avoid them in the future developments ?

 

[doitashimash1te]

Of course, Alan, no intention to start an argument, I tend to agree with you given my so far nearly zero experience in B&W. The smell is weak but noticeable if trying to smell it in particular...
Well, perhaps I'll need to refine my washing procedure...

Also, albeit applying a short hand-soap bath at teh end, after drying out I still notice quite a few water residue spots on the film.
How to avoid them in the future developments ?

You can use photophlo for that, a few drops dilluted in the washing bath.

 

[kully]

That's peculiar, my film has a whiff of fixer about it even after 40 minutes of washing...

 

[varjag]

In my experience, NikonScan can fail to detect frames when the film has dense base fog. Does your film base look clear?

If not, it could be not sufficiently fixed: try sinking a strip into fixer for a couple minutes more and see if it makes a difference. Then wash it.

I can't smell any chemicals after washing my film with Ilford method; might be just my nose though. Remember, their method is not "several agitations 4-5 times", but specifically 5, 10, and 20 inversions in a tank, changing water after each of the runs, plus final bath.

 

[Rhoyle]

Two things...first, sometimes scanners and other computers and periferals simply need to be turned off for a few minutes and then turned back on if they start misbehaving. It appears that that was all that you needed.

Second, I usually just wash my film after using Ilford rapid fixer for ten minutes in cold slowly running water and have never had a chemical smell. Don't use soap as it will leave lots of residue on your film.

BH

 

[alexz]

Thanks guys.
Well, varjag, the scanner works fine since that incident (knocking onto wood), dunno what was the problem...
The film looks good to my untrained on B&W eye, the film base looks clear and clean (with very slight, barely noticeable violet tint which is typical for Kodak as I was advised by my experienced friend). It was clearly scanner's issue....
BTW, I followed Ilford's recommendation for 5, 10 and 20 inversions, but even added two more water cycles (wuth 20 inversions each)...now I there is no discrenable smell out of the film...next time I'll probably try out a constant running water washing through the tank just for the sake of experiment...

Rhoyle, lightly dilluted soap (with foam by a single drop of soap) was recommended specifically to avoid water stains and according to many this is quite proved method when no dedicated solution available. I suspect I either did not put enough soap to make the bath "soapy" enough, or somehow made the bathing improperly.

 

[iml]

I use the Ilford 3 wash 5/10/20 inversions followed by a couple of minutes under running water, that seems to do the trick.

Ian

 

[alexz]

Thanks Ian, sounds approach worth to try out...