Blank Processing Super Sleuths

[Darko Pozar]

Hi everyone,
Just opened a package of processed film. 4 out of 8 4 x 5 Ektachrome S films and a roll of Fuji RD 100 135/36 are completely blank. There are no edge numbers, no 4 x 5 black edges from the film holders, 35mm roll is cut shorter than a normal strip and only a v v faint cyan image appears under a light source. The lab in question is adamant these are the qualities of expired film. (Film had just expired and always lived in a freezer prior to exposure). What could cause this scenario? Do I need to discard the remaining 29 rolls of film?

[Michael W]

No edge markings mean they were fixed before anything else took place, hence all silver washed away. It's nonsense for them to say that is the characteristic of expired film. Labs would be processing expired film all the time. Most of it comes out fine, particularly if freezer stored as you have described. The worst you'd expect to see is a bit of fogging or perhaps some colour shift, but there should definitely be images and of course the edge markings.

[ic-racer]

Hi everyone,
Just opened a package of processed film. 4 out of 8 4 x 5 Ektachrome S films and a roll of Fuji RD 100 135/36 are completely blank. There are no edge numbers, no 4 x 5 black edges from the film holders,

Exposed to light before, or after you put the sheets in a film holder.

[Darko Pozar]

Hi, film was loaded and unloaded in the darkroom.

[Darko Pozar]

35mm was in its original film canister

[5063]

I've never experienced it myself, but I once heard that thawing frozen film improperly may cause the emulsion to separate from the base.

[Sevo]

Positively not expired film. Either they were exposed to light, or all and any colour development was omitted (e.g. by fixing first, skipping the CD step, using the primary developer twice, or leaving out the bag with the coupler component when mixing the developer).

[Darko Pozar]

Film was moved from freezer to fridge for a week then at room temp for several hours.

[Kirk Gittings]

Labs.....used to work at a couple. A standard practice (not common though) if you screwed up someones film was to buy a new roll of same and do something weird to it that was untraceable to the lab (like run it unexposed) and blame the problem on the shooter......just saying.

[David Lobato]

"are completely blank" Are they all black or all clear? Either way I suspect a lab error. Your 35mm handling was obviously different from the sheet film handling. That says something happened after it left your possession.

[Liquid Artist]

I worked at a lab too, and can tell. You that it's a lab problem.

I was going to say Error, but to me an error is something that happens to 1 roll, and the technician corrects the problem with the rest.

The one I worked at changed their chemistry twice in 2 years. They only changed it the second time because some critical parts were plugged solid.
To say the least, there was a huge quality difference from before to after, and I only processed my own film after.

[Sevo]

"are completely blank" Are they all black or all clear?

All black would mean they missed the primary development...

[Darko Pozar]

All black would mean they missed the primary development...

My film came back completely clear.

[dsphotog]

Could it be your E6 film, was processed in C41 by mistake?

[Darko Pozar]

Could it be your E6 film, was processed in C41 by mistake?

Films were despatched and marked in individual packets. The four other 4x5 transparencies from the same E6 processing box were processed correctly. My understanding is that if the film in question was processed in C41, I would have had cross processed images...which wouldn't disturb me in as much.

[Michael W]

Films were despatched and marked in individual packets. The four other 4x5 transparencies from the same E6 processing box were processed correctly. My understanding is that if the film in question was processed in C41, I would have had cross processed images...which wouldn't disturb me in as much.
That's right - it would have processed as a neg rather than a positive but there would still be a usable image, albeit with colour shift.

[Old-N-Feeble]

Long ago, back when I was in my late teens, I caught a fellow worker lying to a customer about his processed film. He said the film came out blank and must not have been loaded correctly. However, I could see that it was fixed first because there were no numbers on the edges. I said nothing at that moment but confronted my coworker after the customer was gone. He said he was afraid of being fired so he lied. I told him he would have been better off being honest and telling the lab owner what happened so he would not be caught off-guard if the customer figured it out. I told him he would be instantly fired if he was caught lying. I told him if I ever again caught him lying that I'd have no other choice but to say something. I said nothing to the owner which put me at risk too. AFAIK, the customer never discovered the truth.

I always resented my coworker for putting me in that precarious dilemma. I hate lies and deceit and that idiot unwittingly drew me into his.:mad: