Gradients on short edge of 4x5 Negs

[dbla]

So I'm back, STILL experiencing overdevelopment along the 4" edge of my film. Previous suggestions have been to reduce my agitation (I'm done to one single inversion in the 10s/min interval) and to redact the use of Photo Flo on the reels. I'm no longer doing that at all...

I've used Rodinal, D76, HC110 and this is still occurring.

I am STILL seeing bright edges on short side of my negs and I am beginning to think that it's my MOD 54 reel? Has anyone else experienced this? Looking at the reel itself I can see how it may inhibit flow of chemistry along the top and bottom edges.

https://i.ibb.co/dcDTtJs/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-8-42-13-PM.png

https://i.ibb.co/0FXMK9D/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-5-30-07-PM.png

On the following image you see it along the 5" edges as well, I can only think to attribute this to the fact that you stack 3 negs on each side of the reel itself.

https://i.ibb.co/30XMX1y/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-5-27-11-PM.png

[dbla]

The one other idea I have is... I am DSLR scanning using a Pixl-Latr holder.... I don't see a pronounced overdevelopment on the film itself, but there's a chance I just can't see this slight gradient. Could it be the holder perhaps?

[ggruber]

So I'm back, STILL experiencing overdevelopment along the 4" edge of my film. Previous suggestions have been to reduce my agitation (I'm done to one single inversion in the 10s/min interval) and to redact the use of Photo Flo on the reels. I'm no longer doing that at all...

I've used Rodinal, D76, HC110 and this is still occurring.

I am STILL seeing bright edges on short side of my negs and I am beginning to think that it's my MOD 54 reel? Has anyone else experienced this? Looking at the reel itself I can see how it may inhibit flow of chemistry along the top and bottom edges.

https://i.ibb.co/dcDTtJs/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-8-42-13-PM.png

https://i.ibb.co/0FXMK9D/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-5-30-07-PM.png

On the following image you see it along the 5" edges as well, I can only think to attribute this to the fact that you stack 3 negs on each side of the reel itself.

https://i.ibb.co/30XMX1y/Screen-Shot-2021-09-12-at-5-27-11-PM.png

mid to high values will over develop in tray developing. There are two ways to prevent this. One, is to put your negs in a water bath prior to the developer. This will permit them to swell first, causing the developer to be deposited evenly when you place them in that tray.

This is not over agitation, it is actually under agitation that is causing this. If you are shooting large format, I'd suggest switching to tubes. agitation is constant and even. I've been using tubes for nearly 40 years now and my development is even.

With reels, you must use a water pre-bath, and then 10 seconds (6 inversions) the first minute, followed by 4-5 inversions each subsequent minute.

Photo-Flo has absolutely nothing to do with development if you are properly cleaning your reels when you are done.

[dbla]

mid to high values will over develop in tray developing. There are two ways to prevent this. One, is to put your negs in a water bath prior to the developer. This will permit them to swell first, causing the developer to be deposited evenly when you place them in that tray.

This is not over agitation, it is actually under agitation that is causing this. If you are shooting large format, I'd suggest switching to tubes. agitation is constant and even. I've been using tubes for nearly 40 years now and my development is even.

With reels, you must use a water pre-bath, and then 10 seconds (6 inversions) the first minute, followed by 4-5 inversions each subsequent minute.

Photo-Flo has absolutely nothing to do with development if you are properly cleaning your reels when you are done.

Okay so that is interesting. When you say, "10 seconds (6 inversions) the first minute, followed by 4-5 inversions each subsequent minute." You're talking about rest from agitation for only a brief time per minute, do you adjust your development time at all?

Previous to this I processed with a Jobo (that I no longer have) and never ran into these issues... I am tempted to try a rotary base for my Patterson tank.

Thanks!

[esearing]

Contact print of the negative will tell you if it is on the negative or not. It could also be the brightness of your Pixl-Latr holder light source is not even. You can check that with a spot meter - center vs edges.

[djdister]

Are the thin gray borders around the images ones that you added digitally? If so, they are not helpful here. It would be helpful to show a scan of the entire negative, all of the rebate to include the film edges and notch code, in order to diagnose processing effects.

[otto.f]

Did you rule out that it has nothing to do with development, but with exposure? I agree with dbla that the issue is not very pronounced. To my eyes it seems to be at one side only, not both short sides.

[Jim Noel]

Do you use a reel to develop film? Has it ever been in Photo-Flo? If the answer to these questions is "Yes", that is your problem. Keep the reels out of PF.

[Neal Chaves]

Many of these variables could be eliminated by doing tray development in total darkness. I began by developing my 4X5 negatives that way in 1975 and 8X10s in 1985. Never have I felt the need for drum processing. I have a good home-based lab now, but I managed to tray develop many negatives in the bath tub of a blacked out bathroom.

[koraks]

I am STILL seeing bright edges on short side of my negs and I am beginning to think that it's my MOD 54 reel?
Nope; all I got was flow marks along the long edges of the sheet with the MOD54 due to the clamps that hold the film in place.
I've sold the MOD54 some time ago because I didn't use it anymore after getting a Jobo. Currently I also don't use the Jobo anymore for B&W sheet film; I just do it in trays. They always come out perfect this way.

I would put my money on your issue being related to digitizing. I second the advice to contact print your negatives if you want to make sure the defect is in the negative.

[Alan Klein]

The whites on the girl seem to be very bright too. Have you taken that into consideration? Exposure? Also, without knowing how you edited the scans (too much white slider, etc.?), it may be throwing off your concerns.