Is this normal grain?

brothernature

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Are the tiny white dots reticulation? I was careful about my temps, so I'm not sure how it could have happened. Everything was in a water bath at 20C, except when I washed it was from the tap, I checked the temp at the beginning but maybe it changed part way through the wash.

This is HP5+ in Xtol 1:2.

Thanks!
 
It does look odd. That is not reticulation. Is the negative normal density? It looks thin. Or are there particles in your developer or fixer? What rinse water are you using? It is hard to tell without understanding the whole process.

Marty
 
It does look odd. That is not reticulation. Is the negative normal density? It looks thin. Or are there particles in your developer or fixer? What rinse water are you using? It is hard to tell without understanding the whole process.

Marty

They are on the thin side. Could that be it?

Process is:
Dev for 9:30 minutes - 500mL Xtol stock + 1000mL of distilled water at 20C. Agitate for the first 30 seconds, then for 10 seconds every minute.
Stop for 1:00 minute - Distilled water.
30 second rinse in tap.
Fix for 7 minutes - mixed with distilled water.
30 second rinse in tap.
Hypo clear for 1 minute, 30 seconds agitating.
Wash in tap for 10 minutes.
Photo flo for 30 seconds.
Hang dry.

I was worried about particles in the developer, so I filtered it through a coffee filter that I ran distilled water through first, then the developer. Hope that wasn't a dumb move that caused it.

Overall it's not the worst thing to happen, I bet printing them at smaller sizes you wouldn't notice much. Just a bit frustrating! :eek:
 
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They are on the thin side. Could that be it?

Process is:
Dev for 9:30 minutes - 500mL Xtol stock + 1000mL of distilled water at 20C.
Stop for 1:00 minute - Distilled water.
30 second rinse in tap.
Fix for 7 minutes - mixed with distilled water.
30 second rinse in tap.
Hypo clear for 1 minute, 30 seconds agitating.
Wash in tap for 10 minutes.
Photo flo for 30 seconds.
Hang dry.

I was worried about particles in the developer, so I filtered it through a coffee filter that I ran distilled water through first, then the developer. Hope that wasn't a dumb move that caused it.

Overall it's not the worst thing to happen, I bet printing them at smaller sizes you wouldn't notice much. Just a bit frustrating! :eek:

Not sure what it is, and the coffee filter should not be to blame; they are generally a good choice. Is your water good?

How many rolls did you develop? 1.5L of developer is a lot.

You don’t need hypo clear for film. Just wash it properly. Are there any particles in the hypo clear?

Stick at it. Only change one thing at a time, otherwise you can’t figure out where the problem is. I’d start with checking development time and then improved water (easiest).

Marty
 
Not sure what it is, and the coffee filter should not be to blame; they are generally a good choice. Is your water good?

How many rolls did you develop? 1.5L of developer is a lot.

You don’t need hypo clear for film. Just wash it properly. Are there any particles in the hypo clear?

Stick at it. Only change one thing at a time, otherwise you can’t figure out where the problem is. I’d start with improved water (easiest).

Marty

5 rolls. :D

I've never been able to get the purple tint from HP5+ to completely disappear, which is why I was using the hypo clear, but I'll try without it. This was with fixer that I just mixed.

The water is very hard here, I can try and get a filter for my faucet, but that's why I've been using distilled water for everything outside the running wash.

Thanks again for the help Marty. I'm going to do another batch tonight, this time without the hypo clear.
 
5 rolls. :D

I've never been able to get the purple tint from HP5+ to completely disappear, which is why I was using the hypo clear, but I'll try without it. This was with fixer that I just mixed.

The water is very hard here, I can try and get a filter for my faucet, but that's why I've been using distilled water for everything outside the running wash.

Thanks again for the help Marty. I'm going to do another batch tonight, this time without the hypo clear.

If you are using distilled water, firstly try using it for the rinse with the Ilford washing method. Even if you don’t settle on it long term, it will provide information on the problem. Next I would try filtering the distilled water. Next filtering your fixer or trying fresh fix. Then think of what else it could be . . .

We have very hard water here and I don’t use it even for the rinse.

The purple is residual antihalation coating. Provided your negatives are properly fixed, it is no problem. If you want to remove it a few hours of indirect sun exposure gets rid of it - try taping the negatives in their sleeve to a window for a few hours. It fades over time anyway.

The worst problems are ones that you can’t reliably reproduce. Good luck, and do stick with 100mL of stock per roll.

Marty
 
Process is:
Dev for 9:30 minutes - 500mL Xtol stock + 1000mL of distilled water at 20C.
You says you developed in X-Tol 1:2. Official Ilford time with X-Tol 1:1 for HP5+ exposed at 400 is 12 minutes at 20C. So, 9 minutes and 30 seconds in X-Tol 1:2 sounds more than odd. And nowhere can I find any data about X-Tol used at 1:2.

Also sounds like you prepared a huge quantity of already 1:2 diluted X-Tol. You cannot do that. Like D76, X-Tol must be stored as stock solution, then you make the proper amount of diluted working solution just before developing, and you use it within twenty minutes. You cannot keep the already made diluted working solution for longer than that. Preparing 1.5 liter of working solution means that you are using a tank allowing developing 8 rolls of 135-36 films at once. For 5 rolls, you need 1 liter of working solution only.

You very probably have a very underdeveloped negative ; so the white spots pattern we see on the photo above is heavy digital noise from scanning, and nothing else.
 
It could be the fixer. I never use immediately but prepare a few or more days ahead of usage. I use coffee filters but never distilled water. I store water for all chemicals in large containers to drop PH. A trick taught me by my Lady. It's done for aquariums.
 
You says you developed in X-Tol 1:2. Official Ilford time with X-Tol 1:1 for HP5+ exposed at 400 is 12 minutes at 20C. So, 9 minutes and 30 seconds in X-Tol 1:2 sounds more than odd. And nowhere can I find any data about X-Tol used at 1:2.

Also sounds like you prepared a huge quantity of already 1:2 diluted X-Tol. You cannot do that. Like D76, X-Tol must be stored as stock solution, then you make the proper amount of diluted working solution just before developing, and you use it within twenty minutes. You cannot keep the already made diluted working solution for longer than that. Preparing 1.5 liter of working solution means that you are using a tank allowing developing 8 rolls of 135-36 films at once. For 5 rolls, you need 1 liter of working solution only.

You very probably have a very underdeveloped negative ; so the white spots pattern we see on the photo above is heavy digital noise from scanning, and nothing else.


I think you're right. I have an old Kodak PDF that has 1+2 times. It's 15:50 for HP5+ at EI 400, 20°C, CI 0.58!
But it could also be from your Xtol not being properly dissolved. I've had that once, on my first use of it. The coffee filter might not filter out very small particles. In my case however, the particles just dissolved on their own after a while.
 
You says you developed in X-Tol 1:2. Official Ilford time with X-Tol 1:1 for HP5+ exposed at 400 is 12 minutes at 20C. So, 9 minutes and 30 seconds in X-Tol 1:2 sounds more than odd. And nowhere can I find any data about X-Tol used at 1:2.

Also sounds like you prepared a huge quantity of already 1:2 diluted X-Tol. You cannot do that. Like D76, X-Tol must be stored as stock solution, then you make the proper amount of diluted working solution just before developing, and you use it within twenty minutes. You cannot keep the already made diluted working solution for longer than that. Preparing 1.5 liter of working solution means that you are using a tank allowing developing 8 rolls of 135-36 films at once. For 5 rolls, you need 1 liter of working solution only.

You very probably have a very underdeveloped negative ; so the white spots pattern we see on the photo above is heavy digital noise from scanning, and nothing else.

The quantity is correct - it is for 5 rolls, presumably in a single tank.

But yes, the film looks thin and is probably underdeveloped.

Marty
 
You says you developed in X-Tol 1:2. Official Ilford time with X-Tol 1:1 for HP5+ exposed at 400 is 12 minutes at 20C. So, 9 minutes and 30 seconds in X-Tol 1:2 sounds more than odd. And nowhere can I find any data about X-Tol used at 1:2.

I exposed at 250, their time is 12.75, so it could be underdevelopment.

I start my timer after I've finished pouring and empty the tank when it goes off, others might do it differently, but I'm consistent in what I do.

I think Xtol used at 1:2 is pretty common. It's in Kodak's old data sheet that Marty linked me: https://125px.com/docs/techpubs/kodak/j109-1998_04_b.pdf

Also sounds like you prepared a huge quantity of already 1:2 diluted X-Tol. You cannot do that. Like D76, X-Tol must be stored as stock solution, then you make the proper amount of diluted working solution just before developing, and you use it within twenty minutes. You cannot keep the already made diluted working solution for longer than that. Preparing 1.5 liter of working solution means that you are using a tank allowing developing 8 rolls of 135-36 films at once. For 5 rolls, you need 1 liter of working solution only.

I'm using a 5 roll paterson tank. It takes 1500mL of solution. I'm not storing it already diluted.

It's 35mm film.
 
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I exposed at 250, their time is 12.75, so it could be underdevelopment.
It is, for sure. Now that you say you exposed at 250 it becomes clearer why you used the 1:2 dilution. But since you're pulling the film speed, Perceptol at 1:2 would be more interesting than X-Tol, rather designed to develop at box speed at 1:1.

I'm using a 5 roll paterson tank. It takes 1500mL of solution. I'm not storing it already diluted.It's 35mm film.
Alright, I'm using Nikor stainless tanks and reels. They are smaller and take 1000mL of solution for five 35mm film rolls.
 
What kind of fixer? Any hardener added? I've had problems that led to a similar look with some bad fixer.


Can you see any particles or such embedded in the emulsion on the film itself? Any sign that it is a physical effect? or does the emulsion and back side look clean, pointing to a chemical issue?
 
What kind of fixer? Any hardener added? I've had problems that led to a similar look with some bad fixer.


Can you see any particles or such embedded in the emulsion on the film itself? Any sign that it is a physical effect? or does the emulsion and back side look clean, pointing to a chemical issue?

Eco-pro fixer.

No I don't think it's particles embedded in the emulsion, it looks like it's a part of the grain structure.
 
Wash with a quart or 100 ml of water. Fill, invert 10 times, repeat, repeat for third but use 20 inversions. Been using this sanctioned Ilford procedure for decades with no problem.

I usually do last step 2 time and/or use 16 oz tank with 12 oz water and invert or use a lift rod up down required number of time.

Diluted developer can only be used one time. Favors sharpness over fine grain. Sharp, fine grain, film speed- pick one. No developer does it all so do not waste time looking.
Develop soon after exposure with fresh film. Latent images deteriorate.
 
Anytime I get a pink or purple tint after a final rinse I will leave the film in slightly warm water for an hour or so...I'll check it every so often and pour out the tinted water then add more until I don't see any color in the water...just let it sit in the tank...
Once this is done I'll do my photo-flo rinse and hang them to dry...
 
Anytime I get a pink or purple tint after a final rinse I will leave the film in slightly warm water for an hour or so...I'll check it every so often and pour out the tinted water then add more until I don't see any color in the water...just let it sit in the tank...
Once this is done I'll do my photo-flo rinse and hang them to dry...

You don't worry about the emulsion swelling? I read that happens but wondering if anyone has experienced it. I've been trying to keep my total development time to around 20 minutes.
 
Pre-soak, ammonium thiosulfate fixer and rinse using the Ilford method with 20C tap water will make all the anti-halation purple tint go away.

Nowadays, pre-soak with 35mm film is quite mandatory. For some reason, the new films base creates more foam in the developer than before. Without pre-soak, you can have bubbles arrows stains at the top of your films, due to much foam happening in the tank while developing. Pre-soak will dramatically reduce that foam.

The double-sided anti halation layer of 120 films always made pre-soak mandatory with 120 films, anyway, so this is a normal part of the job. Two minutes pre-soak sounds less prone to make film swell than one hour post-soak. ;)
 
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