Developing film

[jonathan_oneill]

Hi I just developed a film and it turned out blank and I cant think what went

wrong. I used a 400iso B&W film of 36 exp and I used a 125ml bottle of Rodinal

developer. so I calculated 12ml for 300ml of water. So after fixer i took it

out and it was blank. Did i used to much developer or did i just leave it in to

long around 6 minuts at 20 - 22 degress

[mostly sports]

Did you have the frame numbers along the edge of the frames?

[frank.schifano]

We hear versions of this a lot around here.

 

There are edge markings on virtually all roll film sold. A couple of house brands might not have them, but by and large they all do. What sort of film did you use? I have some Arista.EDU Ultra films that I bought in bulk 100 ft. rolls that have no markings. Everything else does.

 

Can you see any edge markings on the film? If you can, then you developed an unexposed roll of film. If not, the fixer went in first and cleared all the silver from the film before development.

 

Six minutes in Rodinal 1+25 sounds about right. It would certainly form an image unless the developer is completely dead. I'm assuming that you mixed the developer immediately prior to development? Rodinal keeps very well, years in fact, as a concentrate but has a very short shelf life once diluted.

[SCL]

Was it a chromogenic film which should get c-41 processing?

[chris_waller]

When you say blank, do you mean transparent? As queried above, are there any frame numbers or other wording along the edges? If there are frame numbers then your film has been developed correctly but not exposed. If there are no frame numbers then your developing was at fault. Rodinal is reknowned for its robustness and reliability and in twenty-odd years of using it I have never known it to go off.

 

Your dilution and time sound fine. Longer development gives greater density, not less.

[larrydressler]

What exactly was the film? As said above were there any edge markings? and what color was the blank strip of film you got?

 

Larry

[frank.schifano]

Even a C-41 film would have developed an image in B&W developer. If you run regular B&W through C-41, then you get blank film.

[john_shriver]

Also, usually some of the exposed leader should be on the reel, you normally don't cut all of that off before loading. That should develop jet black.

 

If everything is clear, either you mixed water with water 1+50, or you fixed first.

[jonathan_oneill]

I used a Fujifilm 400 B&W. and yes they are markings on the edges its numbers

[frank.schifano]

Well then, you have your answer. The film was not exposed. Either you loaded the wrong film into the tank, or the camera was improperly loaded.

[christer_almqvist2]

jonathan,

 

don't feel bad about this, it happens once to everybody.

 

if it happens more than once, then feel really bad.

 

chris