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Thread: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

  1. #1
    mandoman7's Avatar
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    Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    I've been trying out a recently purchased box of Foma 100 4x5 from Freestyle and have been getting these small specks; white on the print, black on the neg). It seems to happen most strongly in the black areas. I've attached a sample of the last test shot, which I finished with a careful wash in distilled water. In a prior run, I happened to have Delta 100 in the same developing tank with the foma and no spots showed up on those negs, so I'm thinking its associated with the Foma film only and not my procedures. Using PMK in a Jobo 3010. Is it me, or a bad batch of film?

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    John Youngblood
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  2. #2
    Big Negs Rock!
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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    It looks like dirt. Have you looked at both sides of the neg obliquely to see if there is anything debris on the neg?
    Mark Woods

    Large Format B&W
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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    How old is your fixer?

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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Woods View Post
    It looks like dirt. Have you looked at both sides of the neg obliquely to see if there is anything debris on the neg?
    Yes it does look like dirt, but the Delta 100 negs from the same batch didn't have any spots. And when I did another test run with a careful wash in distilled water as the final step, the specs were still there on this batch of Foma. My fixer is not exhausted, and several water baths are used between dev & fixer rather than stop bath. I've developed sheet film since the 80's with many different methods and have never gotten this particular result. I think I'll try some different chemistry tomorrow and see what happens.
    John Youngblood
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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    This is just a thought, so please disregard if I'm off base. I've had this kind of problem before. My fixer was old-- still working/ clearing film, but old, with a lot of silt in the bottom of the jug. So, my first roll would be ok, because I poured off the top, while the silt was settled on the bottom, but processing the first roll stirred up the silt, which was then deposited on the next roll I processed, exactly like your results. This might not explain your results, but it is one explanation for results like yours.

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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    I developed about 200 foma 100 negatives (4x5 and 8x10) and only had a few pinholes in a couple of 8x10 sheets from the same box. I've had dirty specks on 4x5 Efke 100 once and I assumed that the cause was the alkaline fixer associated to a very hard tap water
    Filippo

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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    I appreciate the input but am still perplexed. I've run additional tests with a sheet of delta in the same processing run with the same result; small dot pattern on the Foma, none on the Delta. This morning I took a sheet and just fixed it without shooting or developing, and it still came out with this very small dot pattern. In this example I've scanned it to emphasize the dots, the film appears blank to the naked eye. I've done darkroom work for 30 years and have had my share of dirty negatives, but this appears to be more even a pattern than you'd find from dust spots.

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    John Youngblood
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  8. #8

    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    I had the exact same problem with Foma 100 and earlier with Efke 100 using both Xtol and Pyrocat. I never resolved the problem with either film. For what it is worth, I haven't seen these spots in Foma 200, but I have switched back to Ilford to be sure.

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    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    Finally some corroboration. Thank you, Jason. I've tested this batch of Foma with PMK and Pyrocat so far and have some D76 I might try. But I'm certainly not going to be using this film for anything important. I have a new box of Foma arriving today (ordered before I realized this problem). If I get this pattern on a test from that box, it would be returned if such a thing is possible. I'm stocking up on my old standby Ilford, however, and cancelling this little exploration. Its only a few bucks more for better quality control, apparently.
    Last edited by mandoman7; 16-Jul-2012 at 14:52.
    John Youngblood
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  10. #10

    Re: Foma 100 Problem: developer or ?

    Freestyle has a great return policy, send what you have left back to them for a full refund and buy some Ilford.

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