Marks on my negatives

[kontrafej]

Hi guys!

Can anyone give me some help so I will get rid of my developing marks?

I get the line (to the right on the attached picture) on all my negatives and I can also se some unevenness on even backgrounds.(due to uneven development?)
It is NOT bad paper back drops.

I develop my sheet film 8x10” in tanks using film hangers as in this article.
http://www.tpub.com/content/photogra.../14209_261.htm
I agitate as in the article (next page) as well.
I predevelop the films in water for about two minutes, develop in D-76, after that stop bath and then Kodak F-24 and finally a proper rinse.

I shoot with a sinar p2. Copal shutter. Schneider Symmar-S 300/5.6.
Its the same marks with different f-stops.

Why do I get the line to the right (the bottom of the film hanger) and why do I see a unevenness in my negatives.
Can I do something about it?

Thanks for your replies!!
/Christer

[David de Gruyl]

I may be able to help with unevenness: what is your agitation method? Perhaps increasing the agitation frequency while maintaining the same total agitation (say every 30 sec from 1 minute, halving the amount of time / number of lifts.).

I do not have any idea what that line is, though. I assume this is with different filmholders and different hangers, not with the same one filmholder, anyway.

I ask this because it looks like a line from something dragging on the film from either loading or unloading in the filmholder.

If it were more centered, I would wonder if you packed too many films into a box with a kodak envelop (center seam).

[Robert Hughes]

Do you presoak your film? Do you fill your tank with developer only 3/4 to the top? I had a batch of 4x5's do this a few years back in a partially filled tank. That may be the waterline for your developer when you insert film into the tank, prior to first agitation? Or that you let the film sit "too long" between agitations? How long would be too long ?

Or it may be a manufacturing defect in the film.

Check by tray processing a sheet, and see if the problem remains.

[bob carnie]

Christer
IMO
You are not getting enough agitation within the first 15 seconds of development.
Very critical with grey nuetral backgrounds.

Bob

[Bruce Watson]

Christer
IMO
You are not getting enough agitation within the first 15 seconds of development.
Very critical with grey nuetral backgrounds.

Bob

Yup. Constant agitation from the moment it hits the developer for at least 15 seconds if not 30 is crucial. Film is very sensitive to developer uptake.

[kontrafej]

David, Robert. Bob and Bruce!

Thanks for your wise answers.
The agitation may be the thing! I´ll be a bit more intense the first 30 seconds in the developer.
Maybe that solves the problems with the lines as well. Because they are made during the developing. They are not scratches. And yes, my tanks are full uo to the rim and I do presoak before the developer.
I really like this forum.
Cheers!
/Christer

[ic-racer]

You could load some film in the hangars with the notch toward the developer surface and load some others in the frames with the notch toward the bottom of the tank. Then see where the line shows up.

[kontrafej]

Good idea!
Thanks / Christer

[ClaudioSz]

Christer, have you really high level of developer in the tank? This kind of marks I vave seen when I was developing with less than a half inch of level over the upper part of the hanger.
Hope this helps
Claudio Sz

[ignatiusjk]

I'm guessing the line is coming from the holder. The "line" I don't believe is a developing error.If you notice, the line is straight not crooked which would lead me to think a loading problem.But if you were scratching the neg during loading it would be a dark line not a white line.Check all of your holders closely and try a different film type.