Film errors after developing

[Taiga]

After I got my film back after developing, four of the frames turned out either completely black or completely white. What kind of error is this and I don't want to make this mistake again if it's on my part.

 

[oneeyedpainter]

After I got my film back after developing, four of the frames turned out either completely black or completely white. What kind of error is this and I don't want to make this mistake again if it's on my part.
View attachment 427363View attachment 427364

is there any "good" shot in that roll? the two strips you have shown in the OP would point towards shutter failure plus light leakage...

OneEyedPainter

 

[Taiga]

is there any "good" shot in that roll? the two strips you have shown in the OP would point towards shutter failure plus light leakage...

OneEyedPainter

Yeah i had 4 good ones and 4 bad ones. It was shot on a kodak popular brownie from 90 years ago so i would probably expect some problems.

 

[oneeyedpainter]

Yeah i had 4 good ones and 4 bad ones. It was shot on a kodak popular brownie from 90 years ago so i would probably expect some problems.

you do seem to have minor light leaks in the "good" frames as well (look at the black halo in the inter-frame space) so that is probably one of the culprits of the dense and irregular neg areas close to the border throughout the roll. The leaks seems to be more pronounced around the inter-frame space, which would indicate that the leak is probably close to the top or the bottom of the camera back (???). Their relative density might just be due to the amount of time or external light conditions between consecutive shots.

If the bottom strip in the initial post contains the first two frames, the burning could also be due to defective film packaging/protective paper, or to inaccurate handling while loading the roll, or to a combination of those three factors.

For the blank frames, I would put my bet on the shutter having not fired at all, short of a massive and improbable underexposure. There seem to be no exposed silver and no detail at all in there. If you know that the subject was not a moon-lit night landscape, then that looks like totally unexposed film.

I have never used a Brownie, and I do not know if film loading and shutter cocking are mechanically synchronised. That would provide another potential explanation for the blank frames: the film might have been erroneously wound forward before any exposure had been attempted (???).

Nothing else comes to my mind, sorry! I would start checking the back for light leaks, and the shutter for correct functioning.

 

[mshchem]

Set the Brownie on a shelf

You could try loading it in dim interior light, then wrap the joints with black electrical tape. Shoot it outdoors and keep the camera shaded.
The film is light struck either before, during, or after it was in the camera.

 

[koraks]

inaccurate handling while loading the roll

That would be my bet. I suspect when @Taiga handled the film when it went into or out of the camera, the roll partially unfurled, fogging the end.

The blank fires would indeed be either very, very gross underexposure or (more likely) failure of the shutter to trip.

 

[oneeyedpainter]

Another thing that sprung to my mind regarding possible fogging causes: most cassette cameras had a small aperture on the back to aid film advancement. You look through the aperture and wind until you see the next number on the back of the paper. Those apertures had a red piece of glass on them, which was enough protection for the orthochromatic films of that era. Those are no good with panchromatic emulsions, and must be taped in and handled with extreme care.

Sorry @Taiga if this is moot or it does not apply to your case.

 

[koraks]

Those little windows work fine with modern film and backing paper. Besides, if this were the issue, we'd see it along the entire roll and the problem would be centered around the position of that window. The pattern is quite different.

 

[Don_ih]

I suspect when @Taiga handled the film when it went into or out of the camera, the roll partially unfurled, fogging the end.

Or possibly mishandling by the lab. The totally black strip with the sticker on the end looks like it was exposed directly to room light.

 

[Taiga]

Or possibly mishandling by the lab. The totally black strip with the sticker on the end looks like it was exposed directly to room light.

This could be the case since i loaded and removed the film at night with only a red light.

 

[Taiga]

Thanks for the info all of you, i'll follow the tips you mentioned.

 

[Don_ih]

i loaded and removed the film at night with only a red light

A red light would also fog the film, assuming it's panchromatic.

 

[Taiga]

A red light would also fog the film, assuming it's panchromatic.

I see, that's what happened then since i used shanghai gp3 620

 

[Pieter12]

Picking nits, here. Those issues happened before developing, in the camera most probably. Problems occurring after developing would be stains, curling, scratches and such.