Help for dusty negatives!

Hello all! I just developed my first roll of Acros 100 (120 format) and the overall images don't look too bad. The issue I'm having is that I'm finding a LOT of dust on the images. I may as well have developed these in a lumber yard! I rinsed out the tank before developing and I also included a Photoflow rinse at the end of the development process. I'm doing my best to be diligent about being careful, but I'm sure I could benefit from the collective group's experience. Has anyone else had this issue? Any tips or tricks I might try? I've thought about taking a microfiber cloth to the negatives, but I'm a bit leery of doing that. Any help, critique, etc. would be appreciated. I must say, I'm really enjoying the process and the challenges!

You can remove the dust using compressed air or a milty zerostat. My question is how is the dust getting on them in the first place? I assume you're hanging them up to dry- is there air being blown on them from an overhead vent or as an intentional way to dry them? I would look there to start. If you're cutting your negatives to put them in a plastic negative holder, rest the cut negatives on their side rather than face down.

Use compressed air but hold it at a distance from the film to keep from getting residue deposited.

If you're using a changing bag it could also be getting on the negatives when you put it on the developing spool. Before I scan my negatives I give it a gentle wipe on both sides with an Ilford Antistaticum Anti-Static Cloth.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/24592-REG/Ilford_1203547_Antistaticum_Anti_Static_Cloth.html

How does the dust show up? Is it blank spots on the film, or particles on the film after processing? If it's blank spots, then it is dust on the film before it was exposed, so clean the inside of your camera. If it's after processing, then you can either blow it off, or use a soft brush or Ilfords anti static cloth.

If the particles have fallen on the film while it was drying, then you have to rewet the film, let it soak a few min to soften the emulsion a bit, and then you can very carefully wipe the film with your fingers to get rid of the particles. Tip the film at an angle to see the reflection of a room light when it's wet and anything on the film surface will show up. Then hang to dry in a dust free place. Using photo-flo will help the water shed faster and dry quicker.

I'm assuming from your post that the dust is embedded in the film. There are elaborate film drying cabinets to dry film dust-free, but they're really expensive. You could also build one, but what I've done for nearly 40 years is hang my film in the shower or a closed off part of the bathroom that doesn't have air blowing around, especially when the heat/ac is running. I might still see a bit of dust occasionally, but totally tolerable. If I can hang the film shortly after a shower, even better because the humidity from the shower will pull dust out of the air.

Once the film is completely dry, store in proper film sleeves. Use an anti-static brush and blower, as already suggested, just prior to printing (darkroom) or scanning.

Have fun!

I'm wondering if anyone here has tried using a Zerostat Anti-static gun on film. They are used on vinyl records but they say they can be used on film. "The Zerostat antistatic gun was discovered to have great applicability for use in photographic darkrooms to remove dust from film and negatives." I have one for my records, I'll have to give it a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Milty-Zerost...qid=1513887650&sr=8-1&keywords=milty+zerostat

BAC1967 said:

I'm wondering if anyone here has tried using a Zerostat Anti-static gun on film. They are used on vinyl records but they say they can be used on film. "The Zerostat antistatic gun was discovered to have great applicability for use in photographic darkrooms to remove dust from film and negatives." I have one for my records, I'll have to give it a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Milty-Zerost...qid=1513887650&sr=8-1&keywords=milty+zerostat

Click to expand...

There's a video of Tim Rudman printing where he uses one on his negs. It's on my "luxury item" shopping list...

Or you could always tie a bare copper wire to you sink's drain pipe (assuming they're metal) or cold water pipe (again, assuming it's metal) connect the other end of the wire to a soft bristle brush (like a true sable hair brush) with a metal ferrule. That would ground it and remove any charge. Or, if your darkroom timer, or enlarger (and the outlet it's plugged into) are grounded, connect the wire going from the brush's ferrule to the metal chassis on the timer/enlarger (preferably a bare metal part, like around a screw). Either method should work much better than a antistatic gun because you're making direct contact with the negative using a grounded connection to neutralize the static buildup rather than relying on an AC source to neutralize a static charge via transmission through air. Don't brush too hard, because you don't want to damage the negative. You could probably even avoid the image area with it and just brush the edges. Use a blower bulb to get rid of the dust.

That's a much cheaper DIY route than going with a Zerostat gun. Those things run off a piezo electric element which is only good for about 1,000-1,500 trigger pulls. And to me, they're too expensive to only last that long.

Ces1um said:

You can remove the dust using compressed air or a milty zerostat. My question is how is the dust getting on them in the first place? I assume you're hanging them up to dry- is there air being blown on them from an overhead vent or as an intentional way to dry them? I would look there to start. If you're cutting your negatives to put them in a plastic negative holder, rest the cut negatives on their side rather than face down.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this suggestion. I do have a can of air, but that doesn't seem to work. The idea of resting the film on edge is interesting. I'll give it a go!

Ces1um said:

You can remove the dust using compressed air or a milty zerostat. My question is how is the dust getting on them in the first place? I assume you're hanging them up to dry- is there air being blown on them from an overhead vent or as an intentional way to dry them? I would look there to start. If you're cutting your negatives to put them in a plastic negative holder, rest the cut negatives on their side rather than face down.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for this! As a matter of fact, I did hang the negatives in a bathroom almost directly below an overhead vent! What an idiot I am!!

I'll go to plan B to see if I can't figure this out. I'm also going to invest in the anti-static cloth that others have suggested.

I sincerely appreciate the helpful insights from this group for a newbie to developing!

10 or 12 frames of medium format.?
Seems like it would be easier to just give them a quick rinse and rehang to dry........in a different location.?

AA-Photojunkie said:

Thanks so much for this! As a matter of fact, I did hang the negatives in a bathroom almost directly below an overhead vent! What an idiot I am!!

I'll go to plan B to see if I can't figure this out. I'm also going to invest in the anti-static cloth that others have suggested.

I sincerely appreciate the helpful insights from this group for a newbie to developing!

Click to expand...

You are learning.

CMoore said:

10 or 12 frames of medium format.?
Seems like it would be easier to just give them a quick rinse and rehang to dry........in a different location.?

Click to expand...

Just what I was going to suggest!

Terry S