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First time film development and a question


jmahto

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After starting my film journey couple of months ago (got M2 and all), I tried my hand on black and white film development first time this weekend. I practiced loading film in the changing bag, followed Ilford's instructions, consulted massive development chart, yada yada yada and overall I am quite happy with the results.

 

I do have a question on some spots I see only in the bright sky. Are they water marks while drying or something to do with chemistry?

 

I used all liquid chemistry (Ilford's DDX and all) mixed in distilled water. Rinse was in regular tap water but I did final rinse in distilled water mixed with drop of detergent (I am ordering proper wetting agent). I didn't touch the negative after rinse (no squeegee, no wet finger wipe). Simply shook the water off after final rinse and hanged the film. Film is Ilford HP5plus 400.

This is the crop from top right. I darkened little to show the spots.

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Full picture (America Cup winner sailboat from 2010). Leica M2, 28Cron ASPH
Edited by jmahto
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You seem to be doing it all correctly, probably better than most of us.

 

The spots look as if they might be something chemical or a tiny bit of dust got in the way somewhere, in the camera or in the developer/wet film in the tank.

 

Welcome to the world of film and the analogue version of dust on the sensor.

If it happens it will usually be on the best negative on the roll !

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If those spots occur in almost all frames, in the same location at the same ƒ-stop you might have opaque dust in the lens. If they don't show, then it's  likely to be temporary. One good thing with film is that you get a new sensor every time you advance the film.

Edited by pico
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i would use normal water for developer and fixer, not destilled one. and i say that as former pro with 30 years developing experience under every possible condition.

Why is distilled water not ok for developer and fixer? Or you are suggesting that it is not necessarily?
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It looks like drying spots on my BW film. I'm lazy and reusing PhotoFlo for months.

Detergent is not wetting agent. Come back if issue still exist after getting wetting agent.

Yes, I have ordered PhotoFlo. Next I am trying Tmax 100. Just to see the difference in grain for landscapes.

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I’m not sure what this is but:

If I remember well DDX is a syrop just like HC-110. With HC110 I know from experience that it is very important to shake very well and quite long before the final solution is homogene. You can see that when you hold it to the light, strings of syrop have to be gone after sufficient shaking. With HC110 you make first a stock solution of 1+4 before coming to solution B (1+31).

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i would use normal water for developer and fixer, not destilled one. and i say that as former pro with 30 years developing experience under every possible condition.

 

I have never found a problem with normal water either, since 1983. One might theorize that stock solution of for instance HC110, 1+3, might benefit from destilled/demineralized/deionised water (which is practically all the same), but in my country we drink water from the tap and this doesn’t contain strange chlorides as you can taste in Paris for instance. Edited by otto.f
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Jayant, your journey sounds almost exactly like mine except I've developed about ten rolls at home.  I also use DD-X.  I get the same blotches but not limited to any any particular part of the frame.  In another post a few folks suggested using distilled water during the entire process and I'm going to try it.  

 

Since your blotches seem consistent, have you checked your scanner to make sure it's clean?

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Jayant, your journey sounds almost exactly like mine except I've developed about ten rolls at home. I also use DD-X. I get the same blotches but not limited to any any particular part of the frame. In another post a few folks suggested using distilled water during the entire process and I'm going to try it.

 

Since your blotches seem consistent, have you checked your scanner to make sure it's clean?

Yes. My scanner is clean. I have scanned other rolls and they don’t have these spots. I should have said that even after these spots, my negatives are better than the local lab’s (had lots of dirt and scratches).
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I’m not sure what this is but:

If I remember well DDX is a syrop just like HC-110. With HC110 I know from experience that it is very important to shake very well and quite long before the final solution is homogene. You can see that when you hold it to the light, strings of syrop have to be gone after sufficient shaking. With HC110 you make first a stock solution of 1+4 before coming to solution B (1+31).

Well, I didn’t shake the 1+4 mix at all. After mixing in the bottle, I left the bottle for almost 30 min in water bath to come to proper temperature while I was arranging rest of the things. Next time I am going to use normal water and shake it well.

 

Edit: just now read the DD-X data sheet and it asks to stir it well after mixing. I missed that part.

Edited by jmahto
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It could be air bubbles on the film before the initial agitation. Tap the tank hard after filling.

You think so? The white spots on the positive are black spots on the negative, so these are overdeveloped spots, isn’t it?

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I’m not sure what this is but:

If I remember well DDX is a syrop just like HC-110. With HC110 I know from experience that it is very important to shake very well and quite long before the final solution is homogene. You can see that when you hold it to the light, strings of syrop have to be gone after sufficient shaking. With HC110 you make first a stock solution of 1+4 before coming to solution B (1+31).

 

I never used DDX, but HC-110 is my only developer for 400 films, which I use most, except 100 film in summer time.  I never bother to dilute and using it straight from the bottle for years. 

I pure it to the medicine cap to measure. Say, 10ML, then I add water into this cap and drop it to the measuring cylinder where I have 150ML or so water added. This is then it gets gobbles. But steering cylinder with one hand deals with it and then I add water into medicine cap to flush the rest to HC-110 into mixing cylinder. It is has to be done five or so times and then I add water into cylinder to have right mix. By the time it is gone, mix is even. 

I develop this way for years now and dozens of 30 meters bulks. Never a problem. No long and heavy agitation. 

Was yours HC-110 genie? :)

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