Problem with stains on negatives

[Jbuck]

Im having this problem (see on the picture) now since a while and cant get rid of it.
it don't always happen.

i use a CPA2 with LIFT and the Jobo drums with Reels 2500

I used to use Rodinal 1+25
but now i use XTOL 1:1

Im loading the film with the emulsion side in.
I use prewash
i use only destiled water.

what could the cause of this stains be
176677176678

thanks alot for your help guys!

[jim_jm]

Does the stain on the negative have any color to it? I occasionally have a similar thing happen with Arista EDU Ultra, developed in tubes either with D76 or HC110.

In my case it's due to the non-emulsion side touching the inside of the tube, and the anti-halation layer doesn't fully clear in spots. The stains show up blue in the negs after fixing, but several minutes in Hypo-clear gets rid of them

[Fred L]

almost looks like drying marks and they look very similar. do you know how the sheets were oriented on the reel ? if you did six sheets, do any others show this artifact ?

[Jbuck]

almost looks like drying marks and they look very similar. do you know how the sheets were oriented on the reel ? if you did six sheets, do any others show this artifact ?

This time i did only 2 sheets, and dont remember the orientation:(

[Yansfotos1]

What volume developer did you use? And did you put in the two v-shaped clips to hold the film in place? These serve to even out the flow pattern, looks to me that the artifacts could be due to uneven development...

[Jbuck]

What volume developer did you use? And did you put in the two v-shaped clips to hold the film in place? These serve to even out the flow pattern, looks to me that the artifacts could be due to uneven development...

It was 300 mil of chemistry.. should i add 400?

[Pere Casals]

a) Prewash, specially if it's short, can lead to uneven development, see page 3, http://largeformatfilm.com/FP4-plus.pdf, as it removes in emulsion surfactants that can be important. If you prewash add water just before rotation starts and wash time enough.

b) Fix again with fresh fixer, and wash. Your posted image is monochrome, but if stain is in the emulsion side and it's slightly brown then your fixing was poor.

[Jbuck]

thanks, i try this.

btw. if i decide to make tests.. is it somehow relevant if i develop 2 sheets or 4 or 6 in the drum per test?
since i would like to do the tests with 1 or 2 sheets per test-development in the jobo. so i waist less film.

[jp]

Just fix and rewash it in a tray just for testing. If it clears up, you have a fixing issue and maybe need more fixer. If it's still there, it's probably something else such as developing options.

[koraks]

Unless you're using a developer at its point of depletion (which you're not doing), it doesn't matter. So go ahead and do one sheet at a time.

Btw, I use a 2500 tank and the accompanying reel without any clips or extras and I get even development if I use the jobo at its low speed setting (something like 30-40rpm I think). But I never use xtol, so my experience is only marginally relevant to your situation. This doesn't look like and fixer issue to me btw, but it doesn't hurt to try fresh fixer.

[Pere Casals]

btw. if i decide to make tests.. is it somehow relevant if i develop 2 sheets or 4 or 6 in the drum per test?


With Xtol you have to use at least 25ml of stock developer per 4x5 sheet, in order to not exhaust developer during processing, so with 6 sheets this is 150ml stock, so at least 300ml of 1:1 dilution.

Of course the amount of developer has to be able to wash well the film...

If you use less that the recommended developer volume this may led to underdevelopment in case of very exposed negatives, unexposed negatives don't exhaust much developer. as developer action is only used for building some fog.

[Jbuck]

thanks a lot, i will try all of this!

[Jbuck]

Unless you're using a developer at its point of depletion (which you're not doing), it doesn't matter. So go ahead and do one sheet at a time.

Btw, I use a 2500 tank and the accompanying reel without any clips or extras and I get even development if I use the jobo at its low speed setting (something like 30-40rpm I think). But I never use xtol, so my experience is only marginally relevant to your situation. This doesn't look like and fixer issue to me btw, but it doesn't hurt to try fresh fixer.

what developer u use if i can ask? what time and what ratio?

[Pere Casals]

just let me add that xtol is perhaps the best overall BW developer in the kodak range, one may want a particular effect from other developers, but xtol it's an excellent performer and also is a very low toxicity one, based in ascorbic acid (vitamin C related) and a bit of phenidone. I use it as my regular developer.

It has some 1/3 stop advantage in the shadows (vs D-76), and perhaps some say that it has to be used with some care to not blow extreme highlights.

176705

[koraks]

what developer u use if i can ask? what time and what ratio?
Usually pyrocat hd or lately 510 pyro. Pyrocat hd in 1+100 at about 10 minutes for fomapan 100 (this gives firmly high contrast) or 510 pyro at 1+150 at the same time for about the same contrast. For this film, somewhere around 7-8 minutes would also yield good negs for variable contrast paper.
But really, this is just what I do; the combinations of film and developer, dilition and time that will yield good results are almost infinite.