Mottled Emulsion on Efke PL25ORT

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

In my many years of using the cheapest, often expired films, I have never run into this.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cWx0HmxjmbE/Tq3kxbbUXII/AAAAAAAAAvg/1VNSP8DW330/s800/MottledMina.jpg

This is a 3x4 Efke PL25ORT negative which shows what I believe to be coating failure. Is it? If you look closely the mottled appearance is actually multiple pinholes. For what it is worth, the negative was developed in Xtol 1:1 with no stop bath and an alkaline fixer.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CrHpg2jPl_U/Tq3nd4E5DmI/AAAAAAAAAvs/rPSsmkrUkIg/s800/MottledMinaCROP.jpg

I have contacted Freestyle and have no doubt that they will refund or replace, but I am mostly just curious if anyone else has seen similar damage.

[John Henry]

Is this "fresh dated" film? I've had something similar from some long expire French B&W film. The film was lightly fogged and mottled looking like fungus on a coated lens. Poor storage was likely the cause for the film I had. JohnW

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

It expires 6/2013, so it is pretty fresh.

[John Henry]

It expires 6/2013, so it is pretty fresh.

I'd say fresh enough! I wonder if the stock somehow got moisture in/on it before it was packed and then began to "grow" after it was sealed.? I don't know, but it sure looks like that French stuff I had that was expire in the years, not months. We should be hearing or at least Freestyle should be hearing some other folks with this problem. John

[Doremus Scudder]

Looks to me like what happens when the developer was just freshly mixed and the powder had not yet dissolved completely, causing areas of higher density where the granules contacted the negative. Have you tried other films of this batch with a well-seasoned developer?

Doremus Scudder

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Thanks for the suggestion. I also wondered if the developer was the cause, so I tried it with a batch of Efke 100 film right afterward, and did not see any mottling with that film. I went back and tried the Efke 25 again after that and saw the same effect. The picture I posted was from the second round.

[Drew Wiley]

Looking at your actual shot, did you use stop bath or warm wash water? Acid stop bath needs to be very weak, and wash temp mild or the emulsion can lift. It's a lot more sensitive than other films in this respect.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

This was sometime back, but I used a water stop (first tap and then distilled) at the same temperature as the developer. I should also note that I tried multiple developers (D76 and then Pyrocat) with the same effect. In any case, Efke is no longer making film...

[Drew Wiley]

I had some issues like that with some 8X10 Arista (Foma) 200 - not mottling everywere, but just enough to casue some headaches. I shot the stuff because that day I was working in extreme lighting -
bright snow and clouds along with deep black volcanic rock on the peaks, so it was an ideal choice
sensitometrically. I knew the film was dicey, so doubled the shot (kinda tough when you allow yourself
two filmholders on a steep all-day climb) - and both had zits. Got away with a 16x20 print after a lot of spotting, but wouldn't want to do it again. Bargain film is part of my past, not my future!

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Bargain film is part of my past, not my future!

Amen!