Hello from Bucharest Romania, and need help troubleshooting a problem negative

[costin.teodorovici]

Hi to everybody,

I just registered on this forum and this is my first post. I noticed that all Google searches on LF topics somehow pointed here, and that is how I found LFPF.

I am an amateur photographer located in Bucharest Romania. When I was in highschool about 20 years ago, my uncle introduced me to film photography and dark rook processing - loved it, but did not have the time to pursue it then. I took on photography again about two years ago. Presently I shoot mainly digital (sony a99 and Sony/Minolta lenses) but I do also film using my collection of old Minoltas on 35mm, as well as a Mamiya camera for medium format.

I very recently got into LF - my first camera was only delivered two days ago - it is a 4x5 Plaubel Peco Junior with a Rodenstock Sironar 180/5.6 lens in a Copal 1 Shutter. As the lens was purchased separately, I had to 3d print a lens board since the one the camera came with was in a Copal #3 shutter. I also unexpectedly won an ebay auction for an Graflex Crown Graphic with a Kodak Ektar 127/4.7 lens, which is pending delivery.

And here is my first problem - not sure if there is a more appropriate venue to post this, but I will gladly move it if necessary:

So far I have shot a total of 4 frames - two portraits of my kids using a flash, and two attemts at landscapes. All on Foma 100 sheets - not planning to switch to anything more expensive before I get enough exercise on this. I developed the two portraits in Fomadon R09 using stand development (I know it is not recommended for LF, but it is the one i know...). They are both quite ok - exposure seems right, there is almost no visible grain, and both are sufficiently sharp.

Today I took the camera outside and shot a field, then came home and developed also in Fomadon R09, but this now for the first time I tried a more standard process - 4 minutes in a 1:25 dilution in tray, shaking 10s each 30s. And what I got is the attached monstruosity. I have no idea where I have failed and I was wondering if you could help me trace back the problem. I would dare and say it may be the lens board which seem not to be completely light tight?



Thanks a lot!

[John Kasaian]

Welcome aboard!

[jack2015]

All the film made by problems, analysis of error will be faster!

[David Lobato]

Welcome Costin. The photo looks like there are light leaks around the film holder. Check to see if the film holder seats in the back firmly when you insert it. There is a groove where a rib on the film holder seats into during insertion.

[Oren Grad]

Welcome!

There may be a combination of problems here; to me, the apparent mottling suggests a problem in development. In any case, I've moved it to our film section where more people are likely to see your question.

[koraks]

If your other 4 sheets came out fine and the only thing you've changed is development, then I'd look in that direction for the cause of the problem. A quick glance suggests at least two issues: a light leak and uneven development. Are you sure your darkroom is absolutely 100% dark? Did you develop the previous sheets in the same tray, using essentially the same setup?

[David Lobato]

It could be that one sheet did not get enough agitation. And not enough wetting in the developer around the edges.

[costin.teodorovici]

Thanks guys for the warm welcome.

I have a total of 4 sheets. The two that came out fine were taken indoors and were developed in a light tight tank using Fomadon R09 at 1/100 dilution for one hour - a process I've used a lot for smaller formats. The other two that came out bad were shot in broad daylight and were developed in a metallic tray (kitchen type, not specifically for photographic use) also in Fomadon R09 at 1/25 dilution for 4 minutes as per the tech sheet - 30s initial agitation followed by 10s of agitation each 30s.

Things I may suspect:

- Bad developer? I used the last of a bottle I started some 3 months ago (but the same bottle I used for the OK ones);
- slides superposed? I developed 2 sheets at once and at some point they may have overlapped for a few seconds;
- dark room was one of the bathrooms - it has no windows and I used a towel to seal the gap between door and floor. What the only light that came in was through the key hole, but not straight. I even took my watch off;
- spring back too soft?

Non-related: I tried to access my profile page after logging in, but I got a message saying I do not have access - hence the momentary use of Tapatalk.


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[Jim C.]

Welcome Costin,

There are definite light leaks in your film holder since there are heavy fogged areas on the left and right.
The mottling can be as others said dark room and processing related. I've last time I did tray processing was decades
ago in school, so I can't troubleshoot.
The lens board, which you had 3D printed, could also be causing the mottling, most of the plastics they use can be
translucent and since it's built in layers you might have porosity/ thickness issue to contend with.
Have you checked the lens board ?
A LED flashlight held in direct contact with the lens board would tell you immediately even in room light.

[costin.teodorovici]

Thanks Jim. The lens board is definitely not translucent, I checked - I had it printed at a lab and asked them to use the most dense plastic available. I'll try some more in more controlled and consistent conditions and see what comes. The beauty in LF is that there are so many thing that can go wrong, that a good shot is truly a huge satisfaction impossible to get on digital.


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