Ilfrod HP5+ in D76 problem

[rastislav__virik]

<p>Hello,<br>

I need a little help here. I'm a starting developer and I've recently bought HP5+ and developed it today and the film came out totaly blank. I used kodak D-76 at 20°C, 7,5min @ iso 400, agitation every 30 sec. I did everything as usual when films came out very well but this time I have no clue. May it be overdeveloped or it's a bad film? bacause film states 2004 on sides but I bought it new in Ilford 2+1 pack about a month ago.<br>

Thanks for your opinions.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>If the film is blank then it was not developed at all were there any edge markings? If not well you went fixer first or the camera is dead..... Take a piece of exposed film put it in the developer in daylight and see if it turns black.. if it does not well you fixerd first or well bad developer....</p>

[rastislav__virik]

<p>well, I've put same film, cut from begining before developing and it really turned black, and I am pretty sure that I've used developer first because these bottles are marked. And film edge is blank too. But when film is developed too much it will turn completely white or black? I use older thermometer so I'm wondering if this is not the problem. Or maybe my FA is really dead but I hope it isn't.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Too much BLACK as night in Finland.</p>

 

[James G. Dainis]

"But when film is developed too much it will turn completely white or black?"

 

Neither. The shadow areas (that would appear black on a print) would appear clear on the film. No light struck those areas triggering the silver halides of the film emulsion so there is nothing for the developer to work on, You could keep the film in the developer for an hour and nothing would happen there, Just the highlights and middle areas would get darker and darker on the film.

 

If no light struck the film, it would be completely clear except for the edge markings (film code and frame numbers).

 

If too much light struck the film it would be black except for the edge and markings. .

 

Either the developer was completely exhausted, and your test shows it wasn't, or else you put in the fixer first.

[larrydressler]

<p>James I am dealing more with Lomo folks so I take blank as blank that is why I ask if the film or the prints are black... I always ask about edge markings....</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>2004 is getting old for HP5, but it will work, just maybe a little foggy. If the edge markings are not visible, as in clear transparent film base, either your D76 was dead, contaminated with stop bath or fixer, or you put fixer in first.</p>

<p> </p>

[cj8281]

<p>If the camera is dead there would still be edge markings. If the film is completely blank then something is wrong with the developer. Do you use your D76 straight and reuse it, do you use it straight and reuse it with a replenisher, do you use it straight or at 1:1 one shot? <br>

On your camera, open the back and set your shutter speed to 1/1000 and set your aperture to the smallest aperture, point it at a light and fire the shutter. The aperture should close all the way down and you should see a quick flash of light. If the aperture is not all the way closed then you have a slow or sticky aperture. If you don't see any light at all then you may have a problem with your shutter.</p>

[lachaine]

<p>I don't know what happened, but if you're relatively new at this, do yourself a favour and eliminate the variables that you can. One of them is to not use out-dated film.</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>Even if you bought that "student starter package" of 25 sheets of Ilford paper and two rolls of film new in a store, It has been sitting around for ten years, or someone switched old film for the newer film that was shipped with the paper.</p>

[kris-bochenek]

<p>when developing you must not be distracted, once I was cleaning up after I did some films and a buddy came by and I poured my stop bath to freshly made fixer mixture. Accidents happen, just look twice before you pour stuff to bottles and containers.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Age of the film is not a factor in this whatsoever. I just developed some Kodak Tmax 100 from about 2001. B&W film doesn't go downhill nearly as fast as color, and is still usable, with maybe a little increase in base fog, even a decade after is expiration date.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>If film is clear with no visible edge markings then the film was not developed, but it was fixed. This could be caused by fixer contamination (it takes a lot, though) of developer, getting fix and developer mixed up, accidentally substituting water for developer, or using very badly depleted developer. The reason I say it takes a lot of fixer to contaminate developer is that monobaths (popular in the late 50's and the 60's) are actually a mix of developer and fixer. <br>

So if film is clear then it is not the fault of the camera. Even if the film is outdated by many years the edge markings will still be visible if it is developed and fixed. I once shot and developed a 55 year old roll of Kodak Super XX and though it was badly fogged I could still see an image and the edge markings were present too.</p>

[tony_defilippo1]

<p>The only time I've ended up with completely blank film like this was when I didn't load the camera correctly and never exposed anything... It happened with the first roll I put through a new to me Nikon EM about a year ago, I had one exposure then nothing because the leader dropped off the take up spool. Are you sure you actually exposed anything?</p>

<p>For example when you got to 25, or 37 exposures whatever the roll was were you prevented from winding the camera or would it keep going? I would doubt it is anything to do with the fact that it is expired as your results are perfectly uniform, seems to me that completely clear means as others have stated you were significantly incorrect in your order of using chemicals or that you never exposed the film in the first place.</p>

<p>Best of luck in your next attempt, the process of getting it right is very satisfying when you get there (and I for one am still working at it!)</p>

[James G. Dainis]

Even if the film was never exposed you would still have the film code and frame markings on the edge if developed properly.

[rastislav__virik]

<p>Thanks for all the answers. Just to correct myself film numbers on the edge are there,I thought edge markings are black edges,sorry. I looked at the camera and the shutter unit is working just right so most probably like Tony said I haven't loaded film properly and it is blank for that reason. At least I have clue what went wrong. I will shoot another roll as soon as possible to justify if camera is working as it should. Thank you everyone,determining problem is a huge help so I can avoid these things in the future and minimalize not so cheap film waste. And as someone said, photographer's best friend is a trash can. So I'll keep trying. <strong>Thanks a lot again. I appreciate all your advices.</strong></p>

[larrydressler]

<p>GO TEAM PHOTONET... .... :)</p>

[d_f11]

<p>I don't know if this will help, but I believe D-76 works best with the T-Grain Films - Delta 100, T-Max. We use D-76 in our Darkroom group, and the negatives from these two films among the other users as well, were sharper, more accutance than, say, F4P.</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>One other thing, you wouldn't be the first person where the film leader slipped out of the takeup spool. Always tension the rewind knob when loading a film, and make sure it turns when you advance the film.</p>

<p> </p>

[larrydressler]

<p>I know that Kodak tested it with D-76 then when Xtol was invented went with that... D-76 is always a baseline for any Kodak film...</p>

[cj8281]

<p>Leader popping out of the take up spool, yeah I have done that. Some cameras are easier to load than others too. My Pentax ME Super has these little roller things instead of a slot to put the film into, usually takes me 2 or 3 tries to get it locked in. I cuss it almost every time I load it (or try to). Its a love hate relationship with that one.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>James I am glad i sold my ME Super and that is one of the reasons... If I had given it away i would still be the reason....</p>

[mac_hayes1]

<p>I have a couple of small cans, one each of Acufine and ACU-1, that are at least 30 years old. Does anyone know if they might still be usable? I am still living in the past century, money-wise, so hate to waste film on testing.</p>

<p>I am an old timer (starting in the 1950s) just coming back to film. Latest successes were with HC-110 in the 1990s. I just (Sept 2014) developed two 35mm rolls, in date, in one tank of D-76. According to the data sheets the times were close enough that results should have been usable, if not perfect. The Arista 100 EDU came out fine, the Ilford FP4 was so thin as to appear blank at first, but there was a faint image. I was able to get passable but iffy images from the Ilford on my scanner.</p>

<p>I figured the temperature was a few degrees too cool for the FP4, so a week later tried another two rolls of Ilford, double-checking the temp and giving an extra minute. This time the film was almost completely blank, no edge numbers, but high-lights just barely visible, so I assume the D-76 was shot. But so soon after the Arista success? I am fanatical about not confusing my bottles when pouring chemicals back into storage. The D-76 was admittedly old, but it worked well with Arista, why the failure with Ilford films?</p>