Strange splotches in my developed color negatives... help?

[Ed_Ingold]

The squeegees I've used are like pincers, with 3 soft blades on each side. They're easy to keep clean. You wet and shake off the excess before each use. Chamois is porous, hence can retain dirt and debris.

[thirteenthumbs]

Well I hadn't been having issues with scratching the film using my fingers but I'm still getting strange water/development marks so I'm gonna have to do something different.

With B&W I've had to increase the amount of PhotoFlo per 16 ounce of water to eliminate water spots depending on where I lived at the time.

 

I've read a short rinse, 30 seconds, in photoflo after the stabilizer is safe for color but I've never used it as I do very little color and the ones I did did not have drying marks.

[Ed_Ingold]

I make a one-time rinse solution with distilled water, in the developing tank, and a drop or two of Photoflo. When possible, I do that with the developer (B&W) too. My favorite in the good old days was D-76, diluted 1:1 and discarded after use.

 

Don't soak the film more than a minute in Photoflo. It will attack the emulsion and cause it to crack (reticulation). The same is true of you use warm or hot water for washing. Don't trust ordinary faucets for tempering water. If you don't have a thermostatic mixer, just use cold water.

 

If you use a squeegee, the film will be dry to the touch (dust-free) in a minute or two. When working for a newspaper, I could even print the negatives at that point, in an emergency only (which was frequent). I usually let it dry overnight before cutting and sleeving. That way it stays flat and doesn't stick to the plastic.

[Ray S]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this over the last couple of days. So just to clarify...let me add that when i originally mixed my Unicolor C-41 developer solution, I simply used filtered water (Zero Water Filter system) which effectively uses a carbon filter and softens the water but is definitely not even remotely close to distilled water. In addition to that, I was using the filtered water for the rinse step. It's just a WAG but suspect our municipal water is chocked full of particulates so even after being filtered this may potentially be the source of my problems.

 

I've just received another batch of Uncolor C-41 developer and will remix the solution, this time using distilled water for both the mixture and for future rinsing. I also purchased a film squeegee.

 

I have a fresh roll of film to be developed and will try it all once again this weekend. Hoping for the best and thankful for everyone's responses! Will update with the results!

[scott_murphy5]

Water spots. Use some denatured alcohol on a piece of chamois to remove them. In the future, use some Photo-Flo to prevent this. And make up your Photo-Flo and all other chemistry with distilled water you can get at the supermarket for about 80¢ a gallon. I rinse the film twice in DW after washing and prior to addition of Photo-Flo and have no problems with water spots or dust spots Edited April 29, 2017 by scott_murphy|5

[Ray S]

Hi Scott,

 

Thanks for those insights. I'll definitely try them.

 

I will note that previously I had used filtered tap water so this Sunday I made a 2nd set of developer & used DW for the the developer, blix, & stabilizer as well as for the rinse process when developing. For my latest batch of developed 35mm film the results are much improved. No more weird rings of splotches or even large arcs of white after the colors have been flipped. Now, I'm just getting strange near microscopic white dot's in my scanned & inverted image (which would likely mean black dots in the film). Literally they are tiny & nearly pixel sized.

 

It's just an obvious WAG (wild a_ _ guess) but I'm now thinking it may be undissolved developer that's adhering to the film emulsion and not allowing it to be processed off when developing. Thus resulting in black spots in the negative which means white spots after flipping the image.

[glen_h]

I don't know the specific kit you have, but many developers are meant to be mixed in warmer water, to be sure all dissolves.

[Ray S]

I don't know the specific kit you have, but many developers are meant to be mixed in warmer water, to be sure all dissolves.

Unicolor C41 kit.

 

The manufacturer does recommend using 110f water when I mix the chemistry so I did that. I used a Suse Vide machine to heat a water bath that everything sits in to the correct temp. I'm also using a calibrated thermometer (good friend is a chemist & he calibrates them for me) to ensure the distilled water is at 110f.

 

:)

[Ray S]

So after using distilled water to mix the solution I no longer get the strange water spots but I am still getting annoying tiny, tiny white specks.

 

I'm thinking it's undissolved developer particles that are sticking to the emulsion, not allowing it to develop in that sport causing the emulsion to stay behind resulting in white spots.

 

So perhaps pre-mixed liquid developer is the answer?

 

Can I buy liquid c-41 developer kits instead of powder ones that I have to dissolve in water?

(Note: I'm located in California so our rigorous environmental laws do affect what can be sold here.)

TIA,

Ray

[Wilmarco Imaging]

Ray, liquid Kodak Flexicolor C-41 chemicals are available. Not sure were to point you for a supplier in California. I don't know about kits, but if you read the sticky post, bvy has a list of Kodak CAT numbers that can be purchased and these form a "kit" of sorts. I bought the chemicals listed by bvy and have been using them with good results.

 

South Point Photo Imaging Supplies is in Texas. I use Unique Photo in New Jersey. Pakor is another supplier in Minnesota, and I think B&H in New York is now shipping some of the chemicals. I would imagine there are C-41 labs in California, so the chemicals must be available. Especially with the motion picture industry in SoCal.