Pinholes in sheet film

[Howard Barron]

Thanks for your inputs. Today I developed 12 sheets of 4x5 HP-5 in D-23 with running water between developer and fixer. I have some pinholes, but no as many. I don't believe they are "dust spots" as they are completely clear and sharp edged. I guess I'll just fill them in with retouching and proceed. I am using Kodafix 1:3, which is what is recommended by Kodak. I am open to any further experiences. I haven't used a wetting agent in pre-soak, but will try it next time. A bit of Photo-flo should do the trick, maybe.

I don't get this problem in roll films, only sheet films. I try to keep everything clean when loading the holders. Wouldn't dust cause some change in image density, not just clear spots?

Anyway, Thanks,
Howard Barron

[Ron McElroy]

I don't get this problem in roll films, only sheet films. I try to keep everything clean when loading the holders. Wouldn't dust cause some change in image density, not just clear spots?

Anyway, Thanks,
Howard Barron

Its been my experience that dust spots come in all shapes and can appears as pinholes. I still get them on occasion regardless of my cleaning of holders. Without seeing them I'm just another person guessing on the internet.
FYI I've never used a wetting agent in the presoak.

[Kevin Crisp]

The first time I tried shooting 5X7 I was immediately plagued by what I thought were pinholes. I was using an old Agfa Ansco. I wrote Kodak about it, I sent them the negatives as requested and they told me it was dust that looked like pinholes. The could tell this under a microscope, they said. (I suspect if you use magnification and look at the emulsion side you will see a little crater if these are really pinholes.) I cleaned out the camera and holders much better than I had and the problem went away except for a rare little bit of dust.

I'm not saying this is your problem, I'm just stressing how easy it is to miss the dust issue.

[BradS]

dandruff? It gets on the film sheets while loading holders...

[Kirk Keyes]

Contact Simon Galley (sp?) over on APUG - he's the Ilford contact and I'm certain he would be willing to have your film looked at to find the cause.

[Gene McCluney]

Dust on the negative at the time of exposure can look EXACTLY like pinholes when the negative is developed. Dust clinging to the film at the time of exposure will completely restrict the light at that point, thus leaving a completely clear speck.

I have never had spots that I could absolutely say were "pinholes" on any Large format camera film, except high-contrast litho film. My experience with "holes" or "spots" on large format negatives is that they seem to diminish or vanish when everything about the film holder and camera are kept extra clean, thus one could decude they are dirt specks and not processing pinholes.

[ic-racer]

I have never had spots that I could absolutely say were "pinholes" on any Large format camera film,

Same here. I'm up to about 200 sheets of T-max 100/T-max developer that have gone through the Jobo expert drum and have never seen a negative with a perfectly round clear spot (dust yes...). No prewash, acetic acid stop.