Need help identifying what went wrong here:

[pepeguitarra]

Hi, I got some different anomalies on my negatives and I would like to find out what went wrong. I must clarify that NOT all the negatives (6) went wrong, just half of it. Not good. Here are the negatives scanned on a Epson V800.:


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7825/39918097203_62dfba438d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23PqFze)Chamonix45f2-3013 (https://flic.kr/p/23PqFze) by Palenquero Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/palenquero/), on Flickr


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/46157964594_df24e44ba0_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2djPCKL)Chamonix45f2-3018 (https://flic.kr/p/2djPCKL) by Palenquero Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/palenquero/), on Flickr

[Neal Chaves]

Looks like roll film that didn't go on the reel correctly and stuck together in one place (bottom) and was not adequately spaced for good development (top).

[Graham Patterson]

Tank (inversion or rotary), or tray? The first is uneven development, probably due to uneven immersion. The mark on the second one suggests the film was in contact with the tray or other film for most of the development process.

[ic-racer]

Is there some other way to show the negatives. Looks like the all-important edges of the film are cut off and the image is inverted black for white.

[pepeguitarra]

The film is 4x5 FP4+. The development was in JOBO tank for six film sheets with recommendations of minimum and maximum level of developer, I filled the tank (max level of development). I continuously rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise by hand on a four wheel home made device (like I have even doing it for couple of years now). This is happening lately.

Do you think there may be a leak from the film holder? The landscape was in the same film holder with another landscape shot that came out with the same problem (I just posted one), that is why I suspect of the film holder, but I am not sure. Could the "hole" in the fountain shot be cause by contacting the film emulsion side with the finger tip, or something else?

I used Perceptol and developed for 15 minutes.


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/39918673263_d6a55fe271_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23PtCPi)20190126_081930 (https://flic.kr/p/23PtCPi) by Palenquero Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/palenquero/), on Flickr


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7855/46883483611_f9edab982f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2eqW7hk)20190126_081941 (https://flic.kr/p/2eqW7hk) by Palenquero Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/palenquero/), on Flickr

This is the tank I have been using since the beginning:

http://www.jobo-usa.com/jobo-analog-products/tank-system-2500

[Chauncey Walden]

Is the tank a 2509 or a 2509N (with the end locks that go on after you load the film)? Do you do a presoak? And, do you introduce the developer while the tank is rolling?

[pepeguitarra]

My hands are the Jobo machine, I am the one rolling the tank. There is only room for 6 4x5 sheets, no adjustable for anything else. I most of the time do not presoak, I choose development times over 5 min. I cannot introduce the developer while rolling the tank. I take 15 secs to pour the developer in. Keep waiting.

[pepeguitarra]

Anyone?

[Mick Fagan]

I have been using the exact same tank and reel system for decades, then I upgraded to the later 2509n reel with the black paddles that help to ensure the film sheets stay in place, thereby not allowing them to, either come in contact with each other, or to slide around a bit and upset the agitation of the solutions.

I have had similar film errors when doing some original testing of that tank using six sheets, once I switched to four sheets at a time, I never had errors like that again.

I have done six sheets at a time using the 2509n with the black paddles, but that was a rare occurrence, I prefer four sheets at a time. Two sheets on the inner slots and two sheets on the outer slots. This ensures there is a large gap between all of the sheets.

Unless you are using the black paddles to ensure the sheets of film cannot move around, it may be that that you are inadvertently moving the sheets when you pour the chemicals in; once moved to a new position, my experience, is that the sheets stay in that position. But that is only conjecture on my part, I haven’t used a clear see through developing tank to test that theory.

Filling the tank the way you do should be alright, I have used that method myself and hand rolled the tank on a four wheel roller base as well. I have never used a pre-soak on any type of process, whether that be C41, E6 or B&W. I don’t think whether or not you do a pre-soak is the issue here.

Mick.

[djdister]

Neal already gave the exact causes for the problems. In the fountain shot, the blob you see was neither developed or fixed because it made contact and stuck to another sheet of film during the entire processing cycle. In the shot of the stream you have inadequate coverage and circulation of developer during some but not all of the processing cycle, causing streaking and uneven development. You do not have a light leak from film holder - that would look entirely different.

[pepeguitarra]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/25534-REG/Jobo_J2509N_4x5_Sheet_Film_Reel.html

This is the reel I have, except that I only have two of the clips (or paddles?). In fact, there is room for only two of those. Now, I have been developing that way for 2 years. Why now? That is why I am trying to find out if anyone went through this and why!

[Huub]

Two paddles is what you need, the other set is voor 9x12. I don't know why it went wrong this time, but sometimes those things just happen. You might load again with a few spare sheets of film and then check in the light to see if everything is loaded correctly. You also can consider trying a pre-rinse to avoid the uneven development that is shown in the first sheet.

[David Schaller]

I use that system, like you, by hand. I use it exactly the same way as an inversion tank for roll film, rather than trying to roll it. I agree with others that developing four sheets at a time is a safer bet. I always use the wings, and check to make sure everything is situated correctly before I put the reel in the tank. Lastly, I do a presoak with continuous agitation for two minutes. This is mostly with Pyrocat HD.

[pepeguitarra]

Thanks everyone. I understand one problem is the crowdness of the system, which caused me to have one sheet touched with something. I was suspecting that the slides with the landscape were a light leak, but I am almost convinced that it was an expired developer Rodinal (Adox Rodinal), which is only 5 years old, but it does look disgusting. Today, I started using a new bottle and got no problem. In fact, the negs looks great. I will post once they dry.

[paulbarden]

Neal already gave the exact causes for the problems. In the fountain shot, the blob you see was neither developed or fixed because it made contact and stuck to another sheet of film during the entire processing cycle.

This is correct.