What exciting ways have you found to screw up negatives?

[Cascadilla]

My last screw up was trying a mono bath instead of using normal developer/fixer. The negatives were probably the worst I have ever developed over five decades, so out it went.

 

[caila77]

I once opened the tank before fixing the film.....

 

[Alpsman]

I once opened the tank before fixing the film.....

I've already done that, but it didn't harm the film.

 

[caila77]

I've already done that, but it didn't harm the film.

no, but after a while the film is still to be thrown away

 

[Muggins]

Having loaded two films on the developing spools and then the wonderful realisation the Patterson tank lid is outside the changing bag! 😫

Time for the duvet darkroom?

 

[WoodallP]

Time for the duvet darkroom?

Yes, it helps that I always do my bag work on the bed. Moving everything undercover without removing arms from the bag is usually possible unless the bed is covered in cameras!

 

[Bolo Kukus]

Swapping rolls between cameras. Although I have become good at it, there is always at least some frame wasted. Especially if you swap from a small camera (I.e OM) to a bigger one (F5).

Yup! I have a few dozen refrigerated 35 rolls with small bits of paper in the canisters marked with something like 'Continue on 18'. Allowing for two blanks between 17 and 20 often as not solves this problem with minimal waste. Given the horrific price of most films nowadays, it's good to keep a written record of where you were at when you rewind a partially exposed film from the camera. Oh, and don't wind in the leader. I've done this so many times, eventually I paid $15 for one of those whiz-gizmo film leader extractors or whatever they are called, and retrieved all those seemingly wasted films. It's an odd thing with seemingly useless instructions, but surprisingly it works...

While we are on the topic of films, never try to rewind a 120 roll in one of those black film loading bags (aka the headless T-shirt). Disaster awaits.

 

[Bolo Kukus]

Not a new one, but an all-time favorite: replenishing a deep tank of X-Tol with HC-110 stock solution because I didn't look carefully at the nearly identical brown glass bottles. The next rolls through that tank were dense. Now label the glass bottles with different color masking tape. So far that's helped.

This reminds me of the time I stupidly replenished a film developer with 20 cc of fixer.

Which made no difference at all to the two films I then processed. So yeh, miracles happen. And a valuable lesson learned.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Another one: loading my Nikonos V, I did not wind it a full rotation before closing the back. Apparently when I closed it, the film leader came loose and the film just did not wind at all while I was shooting happily. I was sure I had some keepers on the roll. It came out completely blank instead. And what stings most: I made this mistake TWICE within a couple weeks.

I really am my greatest enemy when it comes to photography.

Dear lukx,

Trust me, you are not without company. While I don't yet have many developing mistakes under my belt, I have accomplished all the film loading and rewinding mistakes multiple times! 'Tis a gift I have! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

 

[Muggins]

One more before I post. With older cameras, scratches on the negatives often as not clear up with a small adjustment and/or an isopropyl alcohol clean to the pressure plate. Or there may be a bit of emulsion stuck somewhere behind the plate.

If I think to (ie I don't do it half as often as I should) I give the film rollers a polish and feel the gate for rough spots.