What is wrong with my film?

Hi, all. It has been awhile since I have last shot any film. Last week, I went to Fujisan with a Horseman SW617 Pro + Ilford PanF 50.

 

Upon developing the 2 rolls of film I have shot, I discover that the highlight area of the film has white dots that looks like snow flakes and also some banding on the vertical side.

 

Please look at the 3 images:

 

 

 

My question:

1. Is this a film problem? The film is still within its date of use.

2. Is this a development problem? Old fixer, improper loading, etc.

3. Is this a influence by cold air during the time of exposure (-6 degree)?

4. Is it because I didn't cover the cover in dark clothe resulting in banding? (30mins exposure)

 

I am open to any advice and I will have to practice more.

 

Thank you in Advance.

Any possibility the film was X-rayed? The banding is most peculiar, since it appears to be an exposure or density variation, rather than fogging. Was the film commercially processed?

 

The spots are unlike anything I've seen either. They look too large and regular to be particulate contamination of processing solutions. Damp storage of the film causing mould spots?

 

And why use 50 ISO film in conditions that demand a 30 minute (!!!!!) exposure? Tmax-100 would give equally fine grain with far less reciprocity failure.

Edited December 18, 2017 by rodeo_joe|1

Do you have any way to post a full-frame scan(edges and all) or otherwise post a photograph of the film on a light table?

Do you have any way to post a full-frame scan(edges and all) or otherwise post a photograph of the film on a light table?

 

Yes, It's quite large though. Scanned with X5 Immacon

 

I don't think Ben meant full resolution, but showing the unexposed margin of the film.

 

Anyway, I've been thinking about this: Could the banding be a scanning artefact? Might the scanner brightness have changed throughout the scan?

 

In other words, can the bands be seen by eye directly on the negatives?

 

The spots must be present on the negative, since the Flextight scanners don't have a drum to get dirty. From the larger sample image, they certainly look like processing contamination of some sort. Were the films home or professionally processed?

Looks like processing.

 

Tell us more about the chemicals and method you use?

I'd rather see what the film looks like not what positive images made from the film look like. Your question is about the film not the positive images, right?

Please examine the film with a magnifying glass, or better a loupe if you have one. Do you see the banding? If not, the banding is a scan artifact.

Yes, the banding is there on the film. As well as the spot.... I think it is the development problem. I have to talk to the lab. They use hand development.

Any "lab" that's responsible for such sloppy processing isn't really a lab. More like a shed staffed by chimps.

Any "lab" that's responsible for such sloppy processing isn't really a lab. More like a shed staffed by chimps.

They did do a better job with the color slide. I guess they do employ chimps for the BW department. They are refunding me and giving me 10 extra rolls of free dev and scan.

 

What else can they do anyway......

 

 

Interesting how the banding, at least from this image, seems to follow parts of the picture.

 

There are some banding that come from poor development technique. I am not sure yet that is what this is.

 

But spots, stuck to the film, usually are from poor technique.

The black and white images show defects to my eye. The snowflakes can be from dried liquid (chemicals, rinse aid, etc.). The banding looks like agitation marks, or that there was a bend or crease in the film during development. This can happen if the film was loaded onto a reel for processing in a small tank.

What is sometimes called agitation marks might be incomplete fixing. I stopped reusing fixer after similar results and found re-fixing "fixed" the problem.