Confused

[Markok765]

I developed 2 rolls that I shot with a Nikon SB 600/Nikon F5. It seems to be well exposed [there is shadow detail], but it just seems to have less contrast than other rolls I've shot with this combo. Is this normal? It is because of different lighting situations? It's: Tri-x and t-max dev. Fresh fix.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Mark, it could be a couple of factors

1) As you point out it might be a low contrast subject

2) Your Dev might be dying

A good clue to either (1) or (2) - what do the film edge markings look like?

In correctly developed film they should be dark grey.

If they are - then all is well and it was your subject that was of low contrast

If the markings are rather thin compared to your other "good" negatives then your Dev is on the way out - and needs to be frisbee’d

The film edge markings are very carefully exposed to give consistent density - to help us determine what the heck has gone wrong this time (well - that’s how I look at it)

Good luck

Martin

 

[Markok765]

It's medium grey, like 18%, like a centerweighted meter is set to expose for. Does this mean I need to extend my dev times? The dev is pretty new [a month or so]

 

[Martin Aislabie]

My edge markings end up a little darker than that

How do they compare to the edge strips of the other films you have satisfactorily developed?

Martin

 

[Markok765]

My edge markings end up a little darker than that

How do they compare to the edge strips of the other films you have satisfactorily developed?

Martin

They are a bit lighter than the other films. I think I'll change my dev time to 14 min or so.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Sounds like a decent plan.

Good luck

Martin

 

[fschifano]

The film edge markings are very carefully exposed to give consistent density - to help us determine what the heck has gone wrong this time (well - that’s how I look at it).

Not necessarily. The density of edge markings can vary a lot. I've seen variations in rebate marking density with a number of different films. Right now, I have some Tri-X in factory loaded cassettes and some that I've loaded from 100 ft. long rolls. The factory loads have very dark rebate markings, while the rebate markings on bulk loaded cassettes are very faint. The reel holding the bulk loaded film was on the bottom of the tank, so it cannot be that it was not completely submerged. Same thing with some TMX and TMY that I've been burning through. Otherwise the films behave identically.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

It cirtainly varies one film type to another

I have never seen variation in a particular film/speed/developer/agitation

However, I have no experience of Bulk Loaded film

Martin

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Nikon SB 600/Nikon F5. It seems to be well exposed [there is shadow detail], but it just seems to have less contrast

That's normal with on-camera flash and black and white. Straight-on flash is deadly. It is best to bounce. For the ultimate in the grey-on-grey effect try black and white in a point and shoot with flash. The problem is less if there is distance separation between the subject and the background.

As mentioned, slight over development is often used with b&w flash photography.

 

[Markok765]

That's normal with on-camera flash and black and white. Straight-on flash is deadly. It is best to bounce. For the ultimate in the grey-on-grey effect try black and white in a point and shoot with flash. The problem is less if there is distance separation between the subject and the background.

As mentioned, slight over development is often used with b&w flash photography.

I always bounce. I got the photos printed, and they are perfect, even with the underdev'd film.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I always bounce. I got the photos printed, and they are perfect, even with the underdev'd film.

Are you sure you corrected for exposure correctly? Were you using a TTL or a manual mode? Bouncing eats away the intensity of the light, so your photo might just be underexposed.

If the prints were made on a minilab machine, all kinds of (digital) corrections coould have been applied to salvage the photo.

 

[Markok765]

Are you sure you corrected for exposure correctly? Were you using a TTL or a manual mode? Bouncing eats away the intensity of the light, so your photo might just be underexposed.

If the prints were made on a minilab machine, all kinds of (digital) corrections coould have been applied to salvage the photo.

I was using BL TTL. It it like TTl but also balances the background lighting. My flash was not firing at full power, so I believe the photos were well exposed. I'll just need to extend developing times a bit more.