Banding in Negative

**dbla** · 25-Jul-2021, 09:18

Hey all,

Curious if you can help me figure out this density banding I am seeing on the top and bottom of my negatives. These are processed in a MOD54 holder with a Patterson drum... Rodinal 1:50. Normal agitation (continuous for 1 min, then 10s every min till done). Scanned in with a pixl-latr holder and my DSLR. In-date HP5+...

I am using a new-to-me camera with older wooden style film holders, but these don't look like light leaks to me necessarily -- I would have thought a leak would be a more pronounced effect?

Thanks!!

**Jim Noel** · 25-Jul-2021, 09:49

Has your Mod 54 ever had Photo Flo in it? If so, it has a tendency to stay in grooves and intensifies the development along the edges of te film. The cure is a good scrubbing witha stiff brush and soap. Then throw away the photoFlo or take film out after washing and finish in a tra.

**dbla** · 25-Jul-2021, 09:59

Originally Posted by Jim Noel

Has your Mod 54 ever had Photo Flo in it? If so, it has a tendency to stay in grooves and intensifies the development along the edges of te film. The cure is a good scrubbing witha stiff brush and soap. Then throw away the photoFlo or take film out after washing and finish in a tra.

That could be it, I have used photo flo with it.

I'll give that a shot.

**koraks** · 25-Jul-2021, 10:32

Can you confirm the additional density is present in the negative? Does it extend towards the edge of the film, across the rebate?

**Mark Sawyer** · 25-Jul-2021, 10:49

Increased development along the edges is often an artifact of uneven agitation. I'd guess you're getting more aggressive agitation, hence increased development, along those edges.

**dbla** · 26-Jul-2021, 08:54

Originally Posted by koraks

Can you confirm the additional density is present in the negative? Does it extend towards the edge of the film, across the rebate?

Yep it's there on the negative!

Originally Posted by Mark Sawyer

Increased development along the edges is often an artifact of uneven agitation. I'd guess you're getting more aggressive agitation, hence increased development, along those edges.

This is what I suspect as well. A local friend of mine suggested roughly the same. I was getting 2-4 inversions in during the 10s/every min window... He suggested shooting for one slow inversion.