pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
Hi guys, I've been trying to develop a lot of rolls during the lockdown and have been pretty successful thusfar. but my last three rolls of 120 (HP5, 120, Pushed to 800) have been perplexing me. There's these ugly little bubble like textures that have been forming on my negatives. i havent been doing anything different except for making a new batch of fixer. I'm using HC110 dilution B, a water stop bath from the sink, liquid kodafix 1+3, and kodak photoflo for my chemistry, if that helps anyone know what's up? 
Weird Film Particles (Help?) by Cole Turner, on Flickr
Weird Film Particles (Help?) by Cole Turner, on Flickr
John Bragg
Well-known
Very odd symptoms, almost like a poorly fixed negative. Am I right that this can be seen between frames ? What camera did you use ?
Beemermark
Veteran
Fixer is too strong. Creates hydrogen bubbles when reacting with base. Are you sure you mixed the right proportions? Why a lot of us just rinse with water after the developer.
BillBingham2
Registered User
My guess is a change in temperature between baths (including initial wash temp).
Streatching for other ideas.....
Could be crappy clearing of the annihilation later by the fixer, thought I’ve never seen that appear as such random bubbles
Poorly dissolved developer adhering to the film?
Did you presoak the film? I never have, just fires off something in the far back recesses of my mine.
B2 (;->
Streatching for other ideas.....
Could be crappy clearing of the annihilation later by the fixer, thought I’ve never seen that appear as such random bubbles
Poorly dissolved developer adhering to the film?
Did you presoak the film? I never have, just fires off something in the far back recesses of my mine.
B2 (;->
Larry H-L
Well-known
How old is the film, and how long has it been sitting around since it was shot?
It looks more like heat damage than a chemical issue to me, but it is difficult to get a true feel of the speckling without examining it in person.
It looks more like heat damage than a chemical issue to me, but it is difficult to get a true feel of the speckling without examining it in person.
pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
it was a rolleiflex. and it can be seen between frames. which has me thinking it might not be fixer
pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
should i use a less strong dilution? again, it's kodafix with a 1 + 3 like the instructions call for: 250 ml plus 750 ml to make a liter of fixer.
pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
temp was one thing i was thinking because i was a little off on my temperature but i did compensate by speeding up developing times.
fixer might be it but i'm not sure.
im mixing up my developer properly im pretty sure.
and i have presoaked all the rolls too.
thanks for all the thoughts though i'm quite confused on why my negs decided to crap out on me (most likely user error)
pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
You know i asked someone that works at my local film store and at first glance he said exactly what you did. which makes perfect sense because although it's not expired or anything, it's been sitting in a closet for almost a year since i didn't have the means to process it until now. i'm gonna develop a recent roll and see how that one turns out. thanks!
Freakscene
Obscure member
Carbon dioxide, not hydrogen.
And when that happens in the emulsion the marks are circular.
This looks more like humidity or heat damage in storage after exposure but prior to development.
Marty
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Agreed. Looks very much like the film got way too hot.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
i ad a very old mf film (from eighties) in the kiev i inherited from my father in law and when i dev'ed it it looked exactly like this.
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Are you sure nothing is embedded in the emulsion? In other words, is the film smooth in texture when you run a finger lightly over it? I had something like this when I was working in a country with very hard water -- also suspended particulate matter. A water filter and final wash with distilled water took care of most of it?
znapper
Well-known
Ok, break it down:
It is seen directly after developing and fixing, right?
Did you check your fixer, to see if it is clear? (no residue).
Or, have you had the opportunity to verify that the fixer works well with other films?
It is hard to tell, but it seems like right right side of the negative is more affected than the left side.
Is your developer clear?
Have you tried to re-fix with a fresh fixer?
If it doesn't come off with another fixing and rinse,
then it is possibly something else, perhaps mold, from storage conditions.
It may also be something weird if you freeze/chill your films and use them too fast, creating condensation upon use, perhaps even smudges from the backing-paper.
Is this uniform to the whole film-roll, or just parts of it?
Which side of the film is affected? (emulsion-side or the rear?)
Generally, try to make the last few rinses in filtered water (Brita-jug or others), as well as, as clean water as possible for the chemicals you use.
It is seen directly after developing and fixing, right?
Did you check your fixer, to see if it is clear? (no residue).
Or, have you had the opportunity to verify that the fixer works well with other films?
It is hard to tell, but it seems like right right side of the negative is more affected than the left side.
Is your developer clear?
Have you tried to re-fix with a fresh fixer?
If it doesn't come off with another fixing and rinse,
then it is possibly something else, perhaps mold, from storage conditions.
It may also be something weird if you freeze/chill your films and use them too fast, creating condensation upon use, perhaps even smudges from the backing-paper.
Is this uniform to the whole film-roll, or just parts of it?
Which side of the film is affected? (emulsion-side or the rear?)
Generally, try to make the last few rinses in filtered water (Brita-jug or others), as well as, as clean water as possible for the chemicals you use.
pushto1600
Certified Camera Owner
Hi everyone, an update, I figured out it was definitely heat damage, the rolls i developed with the weird spots were stored in a warm dresser for almost a year, I developed some more recent rolls and there weren't any spots. it's safe to say that the backing paper probably melted onto the emulsion.