Over/under processing???

i just finished processing a roll of agfa 100 in D76(1+1 dilution)for 7

minutes,fixed in Kodak Fixer stock for 10 minutes,and scanned at 2400 dpi.The

pic displayed herein is from the above-mentioned negative,and looks like c**p.I

have to say that the last 3 negs came out very much like this one.The solutions

are freshly mixed and stored in airtight small bottles.The film is fresh

too,exp.2007.What am i doing wrong?Is this an under exposure problem,or

over/under development problem?I shot the films at EI 100 and processed

accordingly.I am becoming frustrated,as i have no idea what is going on here,and

any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

Regards<div></div>

This pic is the BEST of what i could get from 4 negatives(see explanations in my initial message above).Still the same problems,btu this looks like somewhat you could print,although looks like something my Kodak just dragged in:-))...anyone ,please???<div></div>

this last one is from the last negative too...same problem,same dev and film type.<div></div>

Just a note that <a href="http://digitaltruth.com/devchart.html">Digital Truth</a> has the suggested developemnt time of 13.5 minutes for AGFA APX 100 in D76 1:1. Sounds like you might have missed the boat by half. I have found this wesite a good starting point and sanity check, as I am myself just starting in this racket.

Don't know if it's really a processing problem at all. Nothing is sharp! When you have camera movement, focus errors, subject movement, or whatever, it messes up the tonal scale and makes everything look like c**p. You need to start at the beginning, when you take the shot, and troubleshoot from there.

Iulian,

 

Evan and Conrad have some great points.

 

Besides your underdevelopment, do you think you might of mixed your developer incorrectly. Perhaps something got contaminated? Sorry to say, but you're right, your neg's do look like c**p.

 

Moonphoto (Rodinal 1:25 or D76 1:1) & Photo Impact (Xtol Stock) when processing my film, I'd say use times, if not, then very close to the stated time by the manufacture.

 

1. You underdeveloped. 2. Your mixture is bad(?) or 3. Your camera has shutter or light meter problem and needs to be calibrated.

Julian,

 

The quality of film is best when coupled with high quality glass. What camera/lens are you using?

 

Also, remember: "expose for shadows, develop for highlilghts". For APX 100 this is looking awfully grainy. This film is capable of beautiful images.

 

For my own work, I use only Zeiss lenses, meter in my head, and process right away. A good starting point for you might be rate the film @ 50, process in D-76 (straight) for 6.5 minutes @ 20deg C.<div></div>

Iulian,

 

Just looked at your forum postings and it raises this question.

 

Iulian, the three photos that you posted in this thread, was the Agfa film that you shot, was it expired?

 

Steve

hi Joe S,

 

your photo is beautiful. what's your scanning technique? any editing

in photoshop? tks!

 

- refinder

hi guys

 

first of all,thanks everyone here for your extremelly helpful input!

 

steve,film in question is not from the agfa expired rolls i have bought a few weeks ago.I use that film for my minox cameras,and not for 35mm work,so i guess is not the film behaving bad,but my dev technique(mixing,dilution ratio,so forth).The camera is a Kodak Retina Ia,meter a clip-on Sekonic,calibrated and checked against a Minolta one,looks like it is spot on.Now,what i do not get is why are these last rolls like c**p,because from the same film batch i have nice results(see pic bellow).What i think is going on here could be:

-these rolls were afected somehow(incorect storage)

-i am doing something wrong when processing(ie contaminating dev and fixer by using an improper technique,and i do think this could be the case.Why?because i just remembered i used only two measured plastic containers for dev and fixing.What i mean here is that i mix my dev in a measured beaker,pour it in the tank,agitate and such,and meantime cleaning the beaker and use it for stop bath!Pour the stop bath(or water),empty tank,pour the fixer in the tank,meanwhile cleaning the beaker and use it for first water bath immediately after the fixing time.Is this possibly contaminating my film?

 

your photo is great,and i second the opinion that the scanning technique is something i would like to hear:-),please do share!

 

again,thanks for the input!

 

kind regards

 

JT<div></div>

Okay, your Kodak + clip on lightmeter reads as the lightmeter on the Minolta. Perhaps the shutter needs to be calibrated on the Kodak camera.

 

How about shooting a roll of Plus-X or FP4+ and go manual by photographing a Kodak Gray Card?

Iulian, a Kodak Retina Ia (circa. 1951 to 1954) How accurate do you expect it to be?

 

I use to work the front desk at a camera repair store (1989 - 1991). The Kodak Retina Ia is a beautiful camera, a real work-horse. Without looking at, I'm 99% sure that the camera needs to be torn down, cleaned, fresh lubrication and calibrated: shutter & lens diaphragm blades.

hi stephen(you'll have t excuse my typo"steve":-))...old as it may be,the Kodak is indeed a real workhorse.I do not discount a future CLA,but for the moment i am just wondering why the photo with cat has came out rather acceptable,and subsequent pictures taken a few weeks later came out like dirt?I tend to set aside the camera fault,it must be mine(the fault).Something i did wrong,terrible wrong and for the life of me,I cannot figure out...oh well,i'll go back to basics:start all over and note each step.Anyways,thank you so much you guys for all your kind and extremelly helpful input.Will try harder and keep posting improvements(fingers crossed:-))

 

Kind regards

While working at a camera store, I saw many mechanical cameras, i.e. Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, etc. etc. on the bench that had an acceptable shutter speed. Or to be more specific, acceptable shutter speeds- three or five trips of the shutter. Then the next trips of the shutter could be anywhere 2 to 5 stops off.

 

As long as the camera did not suffer from an impact damage or water damage, the story was the same over and over. Tear down, clean, lube and adjust. Its just the fact of usage, age, wear & tear.

 

It's just like a car, you've got to change the fluids, clean contacts, vales, hoses and adjust operations back to within tollerance.

If I remember correctly, the 1A is not a range finder like my II but a zone focus camera like my Zeiss Ikon Nettar 2 1/4s. Great photos can be taken with this type of camera but it looks like your focus is off. Might be a dirty lens, might be a loose element? Perhaps your DOF is just too small for what you are looking for.

 

I would start by increasing your development by 50% and see if it brings out that snap you are looking for. Then check your camera out or use another one. Eliminate variables.

 

tim in san jose