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My first processing faux paw


kenneth

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When I removed the film, Pan F- Plus 50 asa out of the tank it was totally blank. It also did not show the manufacturers details or exposure numbers, nothing. According to Michael Langfords book- Darkroom- he reckons that I managed somehow to pour the fixer in first and not the developer. I still don't see how I managed to do that but I just thought this information might help someone else who inadvertently did the same. Good job the pictures were only of an area in Leeds and not camp four on Everest

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Ken-

 

OUCH! I try to prepare my chemicals one at a time so I do not have mix ups.

 

Unless you used straight water as developer yes, you poured the fixer first. Was there any black on the film, perhaps where you loaded it?

 

Best,

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Your developer could be bad. I know from experience X-tol will fail without warning if it is mixed and aged. I make a habit of testing X-tol with a small clip of film off the leader if it has been sitting around for a month. You can do this with the lights on and you don't have to develop it all the way. When Xtol fails it fails completely, you get nothing.

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A (semi-pro) friend did the "fixer first" trick some years ago when processing a wedding shoot. His first thought was of emmigrating to Mozambique.:D

 

All the usual tricks are applicable. Also, smell. Fixer has a unique smell. Take a whiff of everything before pouring into the tank.

 

You can also develop in coffee - which also has a unique smell.:rolleyes:

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When I removed the film, Pan F- Plus 50 asa out of the tank it was totally blank. It also did not show the manufacturers details or exposure numbers, nothing. According to Michael Langfords book- Darkroom- he reckons that I managed somehow to pour the fixer in first and not the developer. I still don't see how I managed to do that but I just thought this information might help someone else who inadvertently did the same. Good job the pictures were only of an area in Leeds and not camp four on Everest

 

Quite a common problem, especially with the students we had, when I did B&W I mixed up the developer first and put it in the tank, the fixer was premixed in a large bottle and the required amount poured out into a measuring cylinder in between agitating the film. The fixer was not even touched till the dev was in the tank, so no more problems after the first one!

 

Gerry

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