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.