Strange white spots on my scanned negatives

<p>Hi<br>

I have a question regarding some strange white spots one my scanned negatives (i assume they are black on the actual negtives. I don't have a loupe so I can't really see them before I scan).<br>

It only happens to some rolls and it has only happened to my 100 iso films like Delta 100 and FP4 plus, not my Delta 400 and HP5+ films. It started about a year ago. After several rolls that were just fine after development of Delta 100 some rolls started having these white spots and when trying to adjust the negatives in lightroom the looked awful and just changing slightly on some of the sliders in lightroom they started to break up/apart.<br>

I could not figure out what I was doing wrong. I tried searching online but could not find any good answers. I tried with new chemicals and longer fixing and washing times but nothing helped. I then changed to FP4 plus and the problem was gone until a couple of months ago. Then the same thing happened to the FP4 plus rolls aswell, but not to the 400 iso films (delta and hp5+). <br>

I tried refixing and washing but that didn't work. Same with new and old chemicals.</p>

<p>How I develop my negatives:<br>

(I use the massivedev chart app)<br>

1.Presoak - 1min<br>

2.Develop HC110 - 1+32<br>

3. Ilford/Kodak rapid fixer - 7min<br>

4. Washing - 10-15min</p>

<p>Here is a 100% crop - left side more contrast added:<br>

<img src="http://s14.postimg.org/4pst1u369/problem_med_negativ.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Hope someone can help me figure out how to fix this from happening again and if there is a way to save the negatives I've already developed.<br>

Thanks for your help!<br>

Thomas</p>

<p>Are you using distilled or de-ionized water for mixing the developer?</p>

<p>I had something like that with some Ilford rolls. Think it was some chemical residue. They had been sitting for maybe 20 years before I got around to scanning them, fwiw. Very frustrating Photoshop cleaning exercise.</p>

<p>Using water straghit out of the tap. The water is very clean where I live.</p>

<p>Not sure that this has anything to do with the problem but:<br /><br />1) there is no need to presoak<br />2) Fixing time with Kodak Rapid Fixer is 4-5 minutes, not 7<br />3) Wash time without any hypo clearing agent should be about 20 minutes.<br /><br />How do you dry your film -- could this be dust?<br /><br />What if anything do you different with the 100 speed films compared with the 400?</p>

<p>Do you reuse the fixer?<br>

Do you filter the reused fixer before the next use?<br>

Ilford archival wash:<br>

Fill the developing tank with water, give it 5 continuous inversions, dump<br>

Fill the developing tank with water and give it 10 continuous inversions then dump<br>

Fill the tank with water and give it 15 continuous inversions then dump<br>

Use wetting agent or squeegee and dry.</p>

Looks like moisture damage. Is that medium format

film? Moisture trapped between the film and

backing paper can produce spots like that. It can

happen with 35mm too, but less often.

 

Try to keep your film dry. If you don't have a

frost free fridge/freezer, don't store opened

film in there. Dry at room temperature is safer

unless you can keep the film dry in the

fridge/freezer.

<p>No I do not reuse chemicals and I use a Paterson Tank with a Paterson Force Film Washer to wash my film. I also use Photo-flo wetting agent.<br>

My film is medium format stored in my fridge unopened in a supposedly air tight box with cilica gel balls to keep it dry. My fridge has a bit of moisture though.... I'm new to film only done it for little over a year. Is it ok to store my negatives at room temperture? And for how long is that ok? Room temperture various from +18 C to +25 C depending on if its summer or winter.</p>

<p>Short of really long-term storage -- which I don't advise anyhow -- there is absolutely no need to refrigerate B&W film, either unexposed, exposed or developed. If the room temperature is safe for you, it is safe for your film. I've used B&W that's sat at room temperature for five years with no problem whatsoever. If the film isn't perfectly sealed, or if you open the package while it's still cold even if it was sealed, moisture can be a much bigger risk than temperature. <br /><br />Some people like to buy a big batch of film and put it in the refrigerator or freezer for long-term storage, say a couple of years or longer. I don't see any reason to do that unless it's a film that's being discontinued that you won't be able to buy in the future.<br /><br />Color film is more subject to change and is refrigerated more often than B&W, but even then it's fine at room temperature for a year or two unless you're doing commercial work where yuo're buying film in large batches, testing it for precise filtration and then freezing it so it doesn't change. And now that digital rules, very few people are doing that.</p>

<p>Ok. Thanks for the info. I will start storing my films at room temperture from now on. My fridge is one that is custom built into the kitchen by the previous owner and there is a large fan that is always dripping water so I think the moisture in that fridge is very high. </p>

<p>I mostly shoot BW film, but also some slide and colour. Is it ok to store slide film in tempertures between 15-30 C , and colour negatives?</p>

<p>Thanks for helping!</p>

<p>The only time I've seen spots like that were on a couple of rolls of medium format film that were stored in a non-frost free chest freezer. That freezer needed to be defrosted a couple of times a year - eventually it would accumulate so much frost the frost would actually lift the lid and make the accumulation of frost rapidly worse. The moisture spots affected a couple of rolls of 10-year-old Kodak professional color negative film - VPS, if I'm recalling correctly. Not the film's fault. The spots were visible on the paper backing too.</p>

<p>After that I kept my film either in a very dry frost-free fridge/freezer (mostly for my infrared film), or at room temperature. I shoot mostly b&w film so I'm not worried about color shift.</p>

<p>The only concession I've made is that I no longer "push process" film. Pushing is just extended or special development to compensate for underexposing film. Underexposed film needs to be processed promptly after exposure. And older film tends to accumulate slightly higher base fog. Because my exposed film may wait for months to be developed it's better if I avoid underexposure. So I usually shoot ISO 100 films at around EI 64-100, and ISO 400 films at EI 200-800. Better results, less risk of losing shadow detail if I'm unable to develop the film for several months. Most of my silver halide b&w film is out of date but still okay.</p>

<p>However I try to avoid using expired C-41 process films, including C-41 process monochrome films like Ilford XP2 Super and Kodak T400CN. In my experience those films don't fare well when processing is delayed. The last time I used XP2 Super I exposed it at the rated box speed of 400 but forgot to process it for a couple of years - the negatives were very thin and the scans and prints were murky and dull.</p>

<p>"Is it ok to store slide film in tempertures between 15-30 C , and colour negatives?"<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />Back in the day, there were professional films like Vericolor (and Vericolor II and III) that had to be stored at 55F or below until the day you were ready to shoot them. Today, pretty much any film is just fine at room temperature. About the only place I would not leave it is inside a closed car in the summer, because the inside of a car can get to 100F or hotter. In the trunk is cooler, or take it with you.<br /><br />30C (around 86F) is on the warm side but no warmer that what you're going to encounter outside on a summer day. If it's that warm inside your home, you need to get air conditioning. :) You would not have to refrigerate your film, but if I had a choice between maybe 86F upstairs, 80F on the ground floor and 75F in the basement, I would keep the film in the basement. </p>

<p>Ok. Thanks! I took my film out of the fridge today. Hopefully there will be no more issues from now on :)</p>

<p>My house can sometimes get very warm inside in the summer. I live in Norway and the summers are usually not very warm, but the last couple of summers there have been tempertures around 35-37 C and in some rooms in my house been at least 30 C :) I'll find a spot where it's not too bad.<br>

Thanks for all your help!<br>

Not sure if I should throw away the film that was in the fridge.... :( I get so disappointed when I end up with ruined pictures. No sure I wanna take the chance...</p>

<p>If you don't mind sacrificing a roll, just pick one of the same lot and peel it open in the light. Examine the backing paper carefully where it contacts the film. If there's any condensation damage it will be visible - just barely - on both the inside surface of the backing paper and on the back of the film.</p>

<p>Another option would be to save the film for the deliberately flawed retro look. Might be interesting when combined with a technically flawed camera like a Holga, an old Brownie, that sort of thing. It might make an interesting challenge to recreate the look of a decades old photo, without any contemporary hints (no current model cars, etc.).</p>

I had this same issue a couple of years

ago. I don't have it now. The only

change I have made to my processing

is that I now filter the fixer (after

dilution), as well as the final wash water

with its added wetting agent. I'm pretty

sure either the fix or the wetting agent

was growing tiny crystals in the bottle

of concentrate.

 

I hope this helps. The problem was

especially noticeable with Delta 100 for

some reason.

<blockquote>

<p ><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=686984">Jonathan Reynolds</a> , Feb 22, 2015; 12:13 p.m.</p>

 

<p>I had this same issue a couple of years ago. I don't have it now. The only change I have made to my processing is that I now filter the fixer (after dilution), as well as the final wash water with its added wetting agent. I'm pretty sure either the fix or the wetting agent was growing tiny crystals in the bottle of concentrate.<br>

I hope this helps. The problem was especially noticeable with Delta 100 for some reason.</p>

 

</blockquote>

 

<p>That helps a lot! Thanks. Will also start filtering my fixer. I had crystals on the bottle. Some of them could have fallen in to the fixer. Any good suggestions to how I go about filtering? Do I have to buy some special equipment?<br>

I also have some rolls of rollei infrared film. Is it ok to store them at room temperture aswell?<br>

Thanks for all your help!! Hopefully some of the suggestions you gave me will eliminate the problem :)</p>

 

Any help with this will be highly appreciated.

 

I sent a batch of rollei RPX iso 25 to a lab that was recommended to me. (I posted this elsewhere with wrong film name, RPX is the right film). I tried to start a new conversation about white spots but somehow it is not working, which is why I am bringing my problem to a discussion that is similar and recent.

 

What you can see in the sample is the only image I could retrieve (for now) because the lab kept the film to review what happened. These are iPhone pics through a x10 magnifying glass, with the film on a light box of course. I think this can give you a good idea on how this pattern of white spots looks like, although of course in reality they are much more defined and sharp.

 

The one sample where the spots are bigger (sample #1) is because I zoomed in with the iPhone inside of the magnifying glass.

 

I just received a voice message from the lab saying there is nothing wrong with their processing, and I quote "I can tell you very matter of fact that the film is processed correctly, the processing we do is called dip and dunk process, meaning that the film doesn't really touch anything".

 

I have been doing photography for over 15 years, used all formats and most films --always exploring, and particularly fascinated with small grain, low iso film-- and this has never happened to me. And I really do not see any relationship between these white spots and the comment left on my voicemail of their processing, because it is my understanding that these kind of spots occur when times and certain steps are not done right during the processing. Please let me know what do you think, any expertise or insight is more than needed.

 

I think the irregular/uniform pattern is telling.

 

Thank you,

 

Eflux.

 

 

 

 

Can you tell which side of the film these are one? Are they embedded in the emulsion?

Thank you Ed, I am not sure which side they are on. It would be helpful if you tell me the difference (the possible causes of these spots based on which side of the film they are). More than happy to learn. They still have my film.

 

One detail that may or may not be relevant: there was a little light leak on one side of one frame (none of the ones pictured here) and there were clear white spots there as well, gradually disappearing into frame.

Well . . . Condensation, while in the fridge or opening the foil while the film is still cold, is more likely to do damage on the emulsion side. I would consider processing a roll of unexposed film, give a day to warm up before opening, and see if you have this problem on the blank negatives. Can you see these on the film when it comes out of the fix? After the wash? Or, only when it's dry?

The film is still in the lab that processed them. I have never had condensation in any of my films before, always wait a good amount of hours after taking out of the fridge, and take off the foil the last minute before loading it into the back. But there is always a first time I guess. Is this the pattern of condensation?

 

What else, apart of condensation, could this be?

 

The lab claims (they left a voice message) that "I can tell you very matter of fact that the film is processed correctly, the processing we do is called dip and dunk process, meaning that the film doesn't really touch anything".

 

I thought this could be a problem in their processing. Somehow I do not think they get many Rollei RPX iso 25 to develop. I told them to be careful with it and this is what happened.