Formulary Rodinal problems!

[ilikedags]

Hi;

I mixed Formulary Paraminophenol Film Developer (Rodinal) from a kit that came with all chemicals in the exact quantity I needed. I developed a roll of film (Ilford PanF 50 120) to test the developer and nothing came out. I later tested with a sheet of 4x5 and got the same results - nothing on the film . I read the instructions again and cannot find that I did anything different. Any suggestions of where I went wrong? Any advise will be very much appreciated!

[davidb]

the film is totally clear?

[Merg Ross]

As above, is the film clear or was the result very, very thin images?

[ilikedags]

In both cases, the film was completely clear.

[Gerry Harrison]

Check your camera you may have a broken shutter spring

[Ash]

Take a piece of film, expose it to the light (leave it out on the side in your kitchen for example) then put some of your Rodinal mix in a container and drop the film in. You'll be doing this in total light to SEE if the film goes black. If it doesn't, it's your mix. If the film goes black, it's you.


Just to let you know, some films take up to half an hour or even an hour to develop in Rodinal.

[CG]

Is there any lettering or numbering on the edge of the film?

I haven't used Ilford PanF 50 120 so I don't know it in particular, but every roll film I have used has numbering down the edge, and the numbering has to develop along with the image, so....

If no numbering , you have complete failure to develop.
If yes numbering , you have had at least some development, but a failure to expose the film.

C

[Darryl Baird]

I suspect it is the developer, I got a couple of those kits and could never get the developer to go into solution properly. Call formulary and discuss this problem. I bought Rodinal and the Foma paraminophenol developer afterwards.

Hi;

I mixed Formulary Paraminophenol Film Developer (Rodinal) from a kit that came with all chemicals in the exact quantity I needed. I developed a roll of film (Ilford PanF 50 120) to test the developer and nothing came out. I later tested with a sheet of 4x5 and got the same results - nothing on the film . I read the instructions again and cannot find that I did anything different. Any suggestions of where I went wrong? Any advise will be very much appreciated!

[ilikedags]

The 120 roll had numbers and no images, developed for 12 minutes at 68F. The 4x5 I developed in a tray with the lights on to see if anything came up, and that was completely clear. I have not shot another roll with the medium format camera, but know from the 4x5 sheet that the developer is to blame...I also had problems getting it to solution as described in the instructions.

I have not contacted Photo Formulary yet, but just bought a new kit of ABC-Pyro to try. If this doesn't work I will stick to pre-mixed solutions for a while!

Thank you all for your suggestions.

[otzi]

Just a wild card but i once had some rolls (35mm, a studio shoot and I had a long standing relationship with this studio.) back from a lab that had just installed new equipment. Considerable difficulty was experienced setting this equipment up. This of course unknown to the customers! My rolls at this time came back extremely thin to totally transparent but with the numbers and ID well developed.

I was very quickly quickly id'ed as the faulty party. All manner of suggestions from the lens not connected properly to the colour of the wall not ideal. The lab manager even can across state in an attempt to fine some thing wrong with me, the studio, the day, anything.

In the end I started to even doubt myself, thou even with testing I could never replicate the problem. So I resigned to a big ? and with a P***d off customer put it behind me.

It was some time latter that I read in some obscure publication that a lab processor would /would give this result if the temperature was wrong. But I don't know too hot or cold.