Dark circles on image (semi-transparent on the negative)

[Lemur]

I can see them on the negative, and it is not dirt stuck to the film. It seems to be something about the process.

It never happened to me in the first rolls I processed. I came back to processing with the same batch of D-76, after a year and a half hiatus. So I saw these circles on the image I am posting, but then I saw again a roll I processed some days ago (also after the hiatus), and I can see some circles on certain images, but because they are more subtle I didn't notice them before. The image I am posting is the one where there are more circles and they are more noticeable.

So, in this thread https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/how-to-know-if-mixed-d-76-has-expired.163862/ , when I concluded that the processing was successful, now I could say that yes, the images are well developed, but there are these circles which shouldn’t be there and which weren’t present on the negatives processed with fresher chemicals.

What are they? Is the problem the developer or the fixer? Or the stop bath or something else?

Also, in the roll of the image I’m posting, there are some marks in the borders of the film. Look at one of them in the third image.

I think I saw them on a previous roll, processed with fresher chemicals. But they are more numerous in this roll. Probably they have nothing to do with the circles… but what are they?

 

[Born2Late]

It looks like air bells to me. Try using a pre soak and rap the developing tank on the counter top good and hard after pouring the developer in.

 

[drpsilver]

09 Mar 2019

Lemur:

I agree with Born2Laate. These look like air bells. Air bells are caused by bubbles of air that form on the film surface, usually early in the development process. A good rap on the counter top after each agitation sequence should take care of this problem. It should be noted that there is an increased likelihood of air bells with film/developer combinations that froth, or create a foam during agitation. I like the image.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[winger]

I agree with air bells and the solution of rapping the tank after agitations.
The marks on the third picture are likely from the fixer being blocked from the film by the reel. It happens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Air bell. I thump my steel tanks on a block of linoleum block used for engraving.

https://www.michaels.com/default/10...VmB-tBh3sJAvXEAQYAyABEgIhTvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Lemur]

Thank you.

Yes, air bells. It makes sense.

So probably it has nothing to do with the fact of my D76 being too old…

I agitate the first 30 seconds of the first minute and then 5 every 30 seconds. I think this is the most standard (though some people do it 10 seconds every minute). Anyway, I always rap after the agitations, two times. What I have never done is to agitate immediately after pouring, but I pour, I agitate 30 seconds, and then rap.

I could rap also in between the pouring and the first agitation. I know the first minute is crucial. Do you think that the lack of rapping after the pouring could cause these bubbles to appear and create these marks?

Or maybe am I not rapping hard enough?

I also need to watch more attentively if there are bubbles before pouring. I think not, but who knows, I am only worried about the temperature. But the developer is always quiet for several minutes (at least 30 minutes but usually more) because it is submerged in cold water waiting to reach the 20ºC.

 

[Lemur]

The marks on the third picture are likely from the fixer being blocked from the film by the reel. It happens.

Oh… really? Could make sense. I have seen those marks a few times, but as you know they are quite harmless, because they are in the border, out of the image.