Patchy fogging on B&W film

<p>Folks, I shoot TMax 100 120 on Mamiya RZ Pro II. Over the past 50 rolls a few negatives (about 10 spread over different rolls) are coming with a funny kind of fogging - streaks which extend beyond image area and go upto the edge of the film. Cant really figure this out. I have tested the film unexposed but there is no problem. I also shoot colour and there is no problem.<br>

Could someone help... please...<br>

The scans of the negatives can be found here :-<img src="http://picasaweb.google.co.in/dileep.prakash/TMax100" alt="" /><br>

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/dileep.prakash/TMax100#</p>

<p>Thank you<br>

Dileep</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Dileep</p>

<p>Do you develop your own color film as well as BW? Or do just develop your own BW and send the color to the lab?</p>

<p>To me it looks like insufficent agitation during development or bad chemicals. Possibly bad fixer or lack of agigtation during fixing...</p>

<p>It does not look to be caused by the camera itself or the film, since it's not consistent. Nor does it appear to be related to the loading / spooling of the film.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Been through any X-rays lately? That looks like it could be representative of the scanning pattern used by xray machines, particularly the strong ones used for checked luggage. Maybe the batch of film you bought got exposed to some bad handling...</p>

<p>That is not a chemical problem as damage extends into non image area and is too uniform. <br />Could there be a leak in the lid of the developing tank? The only other two possibilities are checked luggage x ray before you got the film or after or a camera leak which is unlikely as color is not effected.<br>

Examples I have seen of freight x-ray damage are all streaks like this at random angles depending on how the scanner hits the film. </p>

<p>Get another brand of fiilm and and see if the streaking is gone.</p>

<p>Dileep,</p>

<p>It looks like textbook X-Ray damage to me. X-Rays don't quite fog the film all at once but do so in a "V" pattern such as what's on your film. A regular carry-on baggage X-Ray machine is unlikely to do this (Though I'd request hand inspection anyway just to be safe), but a check baggage X-Ray machine most certainly will.</p>

<p>I'm assuming that you bought the B&W in packs of five? Perhaps a couple of them made their way through a heavy-duty scanner.</p>

<p>More towards the bottom looks like that you're seeing: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml</p>

<p>Ronald, Kodak's quality control is superb. I have to disagree with you about getting another brand of film as this isn't going to fix the problem.</p>

<p>Hi All, Thanks...<br>

I think it is the airport X Ray. I had these films hand carried by a friend from New York to Delhi, India and they were in the checked baggage. I guess some of the rolls did not get affected and some did (is this possible - there were 10 packs of 5 films ??)<br>

Dileep</p>

<p>Never ever put film in the checked baggage.<br>

Always carry it on the plane.</p>

<p>Yes, being in the checked baggage will do it every time. They use much stronger x-rays. I am not sure why some would be affected and not others...maybe some were blocked by other rolls or some way shielded from the rays. Either way, it is unfortunate, because there is no way to tell until you develop the film. Your best bet is to just get new film and use the remainder for testing or things that do not matter very much. </p>