Trouble with developed film.

<p>For a few months now, I have had some films come out completely blank. ie. no trace of any image at all. Taking into account the variables I can't come up with a reason for this happening.<br>

To start with the film, I have shot with Lucky SHD100 and with short rolls from bulk Fomapan 100, so there's no consistency with film type or bulk loading, both have, on different occasions come out clear. If the film was completely exposed as in holding a length of film in daylight, I would have thought the negative would have been all black after it was developed. If the film was not exposed at all, then I would expect black ends of the film where they have been exposed in loading or in the bulk film loader and the rest of the film to be clear.<br>

On to the Developer. I have used both Ilfosol 3 and PMK Pyro at times, both have developed ok, and also just clear. Fixing before developing will give that effect I have been told. I would believed that error may have happened but not for all of the times.<br>

Cameras, I have used different Classic cameras, but its not consistently bad from just one camera.<br>

Chemicals. the last lot was in ilfosol 3. I developed 3 short lengths. The first two were ok, but the 3rd length was clear. I reused the developer assuming it wasn't exhaust from the 3 lengths of short film.<br>

The chemicals are still in their use by date, and I believe they are not exhausted.<br>

Mixing the chemicals. I don't use distilled water. It used to be expensive to freight it all the way here, some 700k, but now I see the local supermarket stocks it for steam iron use. The tap water is pumped from underground bores, salty and laden with Calcium. We have a rain water supply which we use for making tea or coffee and that is what I have ben using to mix the chemical.<br>

Could their be a slow chemical reaction with undistilled water which will react with the dev and render it useless?<br>

Any straws to clutch at will be welcomed.</p>

<p>if your film is clear and without edge markings it has NOT been developed. Dead developer or fixed film before developer. If your film has edge markings after processing and nothing else could be under exposed or under developed or camera failure.<br>

Chris</p>

<p>+1 for Christopher's response.<br>

I have had developer die and leave ghost images. The film appeared clear but on careful examination in bright sunlight the film showed a very faint image when held at the correct angle. I always use developer 1 shot.</p>

<p>Use a water filter be it a pitcher or faucet type for chemical mixing and processing.</p>

<p>Normally distilled water isn't needed. There are a few chemicals that can interfere with the photographic process, but they are unusual in water supplies.</p>

<p>If you water has solids in it, then a good filter should remove them.</p>

<p>I have never accidentally used fixer before developer. I keep the developer bottles to the left, and the fixer to the right, and work left to right. </p>

<p>Normally exhausted, or oxidized due to oxygen in air, developers turn brown, so that you know. They might not do that if you pour fixer into them, or stop bath. </p>

<p>Most films have frame numbers on the edge. That allows testing for unexposed film vs. development problems. For 35mm film, usually part of the leader will still be attached, and should also turn black. </p>

<p>If you cut off part of the leader, you can put that into some developer and see that it turns black, before using that developer. It is more usual to use the leader to test the clearing time in the fixer. You should fix for twice the time it takes a scrap of the same film to clear. There is probably enough leader to do both tests.</p>

<p>A developer should not exhaust from use such that one roll would be fine, and the next completely clear. Weak developer could give a weak (very light) negative. </p>

<p>Besides shutter problems, an old favorite was not getting the leader well enough into the take up spool for 35mm cameras. The test for that is to be sure that the rewind knob turns when you are winding. The leader would still come out black.</p>

<p>Potable (drinkable) water is OK to use to mix the chemicals of the process. Purest use distilled or demineralized water to avoid disfiguring the film with solids dissolved the water used to mix the needed solution. For the most part, this is over kill. <br /> <br /> If you have any doubts that the developer or fixer (the two chief chemicals of the process) are good, you can easily run a test. Trim two snipping of film and place a small quantity of each in a cup. In a lighted room, immerse one snipping in the developer and the other in the fix. The slice in the developer will darken before your eyes in a matter of minutes. The sliver in fix enters opaque and quickly clears to become transparent. If these actions as described, likely both are OK. By the way, the time in the fix is twice the time it took for the film to become clear.<br /> <br /> Now let’s talk about clear film. Look at the edges of the frame. Do you see edge printing? All films have numbers, letters and symbols imprinted on the edges, outside the image area. These are applied using a “light” printer. This printer, projects the exposing light, exposing the edge of the film to data like the emulsion and batch number plus maker and frame number. If the film is clear but the edge printing is easly read, the film was OK and it likely developed OK. This condition proclaims the film was never exposed, perhaps operator error or camera mechanical failure. <br /> <br /> Total black film translates to “light stuck”. However it is possible, but not likely, that the developer was contaminated. <br /> <br /> Lastly, our good camera work, when spoiled by bad processing is a heartbreaker. If you have any doubts about the chemicals, replace so you are working with fresh stuff.</p>

<p>Thanks all for your replies.<br>

<strong>Christopher & Charles:</strong> I did not know that about dead developer, but it is logical. If putting the film into the fix first causes that effect then its logical that dead developer followed by stop would have the same effect.<br>

<strong>Glen H:</strong> Thanks for the comments about the water. That's what I have thought and used. The exception is making up Pyro, where distilled water is specified and Formulary insist that it is used. That could be why my Pyro developer doesn't work any more.<br>

<strong>Alan:</strong> I will run those tests and see what happens, but I think the results will be much as described. I agree about the disappointment when you have good shots and they all come out clear.<br>

I will load my Nikon F90 with some film, mix up fresh developer and see what happens.<br>

Thanks again.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Chemicals. the last lot was in ilfosol 3. I developed 3 short lengths. The first two were ok, but the 3rd length was clear. I reused the developer assuming it wasn't exhaust from the 3 lengths of short film.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This could be part of the problem. Always use fresh developer and throw it away after each use. Developers oxidize during development due to air exposure and agitation, besides the exhaustion from the film. </p>

Ilfosol is notorious for "dying" without warning, and

it certainly shouldn't be stored and reused after

dilution and use.

 

If you want to use that method of working then

change to ID-11/D76. It's very reliable and

practically "bulletproof".

<p>Thanks <strong>David</strong> and <strong>Joe</strong>, that's something else that I did not know.</p>

<p>Ilfosol 3 is supposed to solve the "sudden death" problem that Ilfosol 2 had in the bottle.<br>

But Ilfosol 3, once diluted to working strength, is "use once and discard". Same with Ilford Ilfotec DD-X. </p>

<p>I have never accidentally used fixer before developer. I keep the developer bottles to the left, and the fixer to the right, and work left to right. </p>

 

I have a very easy approach to avoid such confusion. Given that working developer solutions are far more light-sensitive than stop bath or fixer, I only use my "brown" or "black" bottles for developer, everything else is in clear bottles (albeit stored in a dark place when not in use). My first process step is usually a wetting agent, placed on the left rear side of my bathroom sink, with the developer dispensed to the right quantity for the given tank in use on the right side. Only AFTER developer is in the process tank do I switch out my bottles in the sink, placing stop bath on the left, fixer on the right. Simple approach for me, no problems ever.