Problems with 120 film

[Tajnost]

Hi, I've just finished with my 2 first rolls and noticed an effect on the same side each frame which looks more likely chemistry related.

Please take a look:

What it could be? Not enough developer in the tank ? (if so, what amount I should add - recommendations my tank says: 550ml of developer for 1 120 roll ).

Your help is very welcome! Thanks!

 

[Brian Atherton]

A few of questions to help us:

• Do the marks run the entire length of the film, including between the frame spaces?
• Have you checked to see if 550ml of water adequately covers the reel?
• Is there a possibility you didn’t accurately measure 550ml.
• Do you know for sure that your measuring jug is reading 550ml?
• How did you agitate your film when developing? Inversion? Stand?

 

[mike rosenlof]

The left and right photos look exactly like not enough developer. The center photo is a bit less clear to me. If you have a plastic tank with the reel sliding up and down on a center post, it's possible that your reel wasn't all the way at the bottom.

To check how much solution you need, put the empty reel into the tank, fill with water until the reel is just covered, pour into your graduate to measure.

 

[Noll]

Looks to me like you didn't have enough developer to completely cover the film reel. Double check your measuring cups and add an extra 50mL to the recommended volume to be safe - though be careful not to over-fill. That will leave you with another kind of mess.

Once or twice I put the film reel in the tank upside down, so the reel was elevated off the bottom (may not apply to your developing tank), which caused this effect also. Keep it up though, 120 is quite rewarding once you get the process ironed out!

 

[Tajnost]

Thanks for your help. Yes, those marks run the entire length of the film but vary in width a little. I used 1:1 xtol developer and the way I do it is: 30 seconds initial agitations by spinning, then 10 seconds inversions at every minute.

After I saw developed film for the first time it looked like lack of developer to me as well, but strange thing - I've checked the tank - 550ml covers the reel well (with no margin ), and there was no mistake with measurements (double-checked... ).

Maybe the reel wasn't all the way at the bottom... Yes, it could be, should be careful with that next time... Anyway I will try to add an extra 50ml to see how it will work.