Rollei IR400 - ouch!

[swifty63]

I've developed two rolls of Rollei IR400 for testing exposure and development. Something very wrong here, both rolls show the mottling as seen in the attached scan. The mottling is uniform everywhere except in this photo from the end of the roll where there are some stripes of cleaner image. I wonder what happened? There are a couple of variables:

1. Film is expired - Jan 2011, but I was told it was kept in the fridge the whole time.
2. Developed 6 minutes in ID11, 20C. Chemicals fresh.
3. BUT there was a 5 minute pre-soak as recommended on the Massive Dev Chart - although Ilford says not to do this. I did pre-wash on both rolls. I think this may be the culprit?

Any comments most welcome! I should just run another roll without the pre-wash to answer my own question.

 

[quejai]

I don't think it would be the pre wash, as it shows lines. A pre wash would result in a homogenous effect.

Because the mottling runs with the length of the film when wound up, I think its due to the backing paper coming into contact with the film - perhaps the stripe on the right is from the very end of the film pushing that area when wrapped around the spool.

What actually happens to do this, I'm not sure of.

Perhaps the film was used in a humid environment / was taken quickly out of the fridge, and the backing paper has bits of the emulsion stuck to it?

Age would show up, most often, as a background fog.

 

[sevo]

Pre-soaking can't do much harm. The film was exposed in a TLR with vertical transport, I presume. If it was not and the big streak is across rather than along the longitudinal axis of the film, look for light leaks or partially IR transparent case components.

Otherwise, it looks more as if the film was treated more roughly than you hoped. A fridge is no guarantee for good storage, the single-* box on a household fridge with temperatures constantly oscillating around freezing temperature can kill film more thoroughly than storage at constant 25°C - if the spools are stored upright, sometimes with freezing lines quite like yours, at the level where the emulsion water condenses and crystallizes. Or you had frothing and volume issues in development - sure you did not develop with the developer quantity for one 135 rather than one/two 120 films? That edge would be in just about that position!

 

[Frontman]

I have shot a lot of IR400 with great results. Your film looks like it might have been exposed to humidity, which can cause the emulsion to stick. I have had this happen to Tri-x which I didn't store properly. If I remember properly, I shoot IR400 at ASA 12 using a Hoya R72 filter, and I develop in D76 for 7 minutes 30 seconds.

 

[swifty63]

Because the mottling runs with the length of the film when wound up, I think its due to the backing paper coming into contact with the film - perhaps the stripe on the right is from the very end of the film pushing that area when wrapped around the spool.

Thanks for the reply. That makes sense.

Otherwise, it looks more as if the film was treated more roughly than you hoped.

Your film looks like it might have been exposed to humidity, which can cause the emulsion to stick.

Thank you for your replies, I couldn't figure how the development could cause the mottling. Developed in a stainless steel tank and certainly no problems there with frothing or insufficient quantity.

The film was stored temporarily in a deep freeze at one stage, so has gone through some abrupt temperature changes.

Hopefully I will get better results next time. I've got a dozen rolls of the same vintage, I am guessing they might all be useless like these two. My tests were at EI3 to EI3+2EV with a Hoya R72 filter. Luckily I still have some SFX200 to shoot. I only just realized that Rollei Retro 80S can also give an IR effect so also have some of that on order.

 

[Fotohuis]

It is typical for a film exposed to humidity. For a good "wood" effect with a #88A IR filter expose the film between iso 6-12.