Wicklow Head

selmslie said:

Fixer is probably not your problem. You can keep the ratio at 1:25 and cut the total volume. Rodinal has enough in it to go well over 1:100. Your agitation is more gentle than mine. I also agitate for the entire first minute.

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Thanks selmslie. I have decided I will take the negs to my favourite shop here in Dublin. The lady in the shop is a fabuolous printer / developer and she knows everything about the issues arising out of development. I am sure it's not the quantity of developer in the tank, as 500ml is enough to cover the roll but there is still a minimum of space of air left for agitation; I am sure it's not a light leak in my changing bag. Nor is it a light leak in the camera. So I MUST find out what the issue is....

Vincent Brady (TEX) said:

Have you checked your prints, it could be something that happens when you are enlarging?

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No, I don't think so, Vincent. I have checked the negs again and yes, there is a VERY think almost invisible darker side to the left of each neg.... really almost invisible but it's there. Could it simply be a crappy neg? It's not the first time that Tri-X fails me.... Never happened with Acros.

What kind of tank do you use, M? Your film rolls look exactly like they would when the developer isn't covering the entire area of the film, but possibly only during a portion of the developing cycle. Is it possible that you're using a Paterson tank, and that the reel slides up the center column during development and does not return to the bottom of the tank? That has happened to me, and it looked exactly like your film. Tri-X has never presented developing issues for me. Every time it has been me that screwed up.

Thomas Bertilsson said:

What kind of tank do you use, M? Your film rolls look exactly like they would when the developer isn't covering the entire area of the film, but possibly only during a portion of the developing cycle. Is it possible that you're using a Paterson tank, and that the reel slides up the center column during development and does not return to the bottom of the tank? That has happened to me, and it looked exactly like your film. Tri-X has never presented developing issues for me. Every time it has been me that screwed up.

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Hi Thomas, I really hope it's just the tank and not a light leak. I have never experienced light leaks before, but by googleing I have noticed they look completely different from these darker bands... they look like fire entering the camera, bright and streaky... That said, I have been experiencing development problems for a while. I always happen to notice tiny little pink dots on the border of the negatives, very close to the sprogs. Some people say it's the fixer which is no longer fresh, but honestly I opened the fixer bottle in April, and I use 500ml for 4 dev sessions (one roll at a time)... I am wondering if I should always use fixer on a one-shot basis, that is one roll and change with fresh fixer... and I am not sure I should keep the bottle in the dark, like most people do. Mine is sitting on the floor in my studio For the tank....yes I use a Paterson 4 (two 35mm rolls or 1 120)... and to be honest I only have the issue with the 120, never with the 35mm. I use the standard proportions of developer (500ml) and yes, I tap the tank each minute by the minute to "avoid" bubbles.... I could actually send you a frame where you can see the blotches at the side of the neg?

Did this occur on all images on the roll or just this one?

dmdair said:

Did this occur on all images on the roll or just this one?

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Hi dmdair, the strange thing is that the darker band is barely visible on the strip. But it's there, and I would say more or less all along the strip, except for two or three frames.