Help with some strange, sporadic fogging.

Stuart Richardson · Nov 21, 2016

Hello all,
I was hoping to count on your experience here. I am getting some inconsistent but persistent fogging. Most films are completely unaffected, even within the same batch and taken under the same shooting conditions. I have had the problems with different films (Tmax and Acros), so I know it is not a bad batch. I think different lenses have been used, but I am not certain. I often use a 110mm Super Symmar XL, so it is possible that all these used that lens. But there are certainly other shots (most) that are unaffected. Films from the same processing run might be both affected and unaffected, so I don't think it is light from a bad tank or darkroom leak. I have had the fogging with both my studio camera and my field camera, so I know it is not from the camera (though I used the 110 on both cameras, but on different lens boards). It also seems to happen at all light levels and seems relatively balanced to the main exposure.

What do you think? It seems to me that it must be a bad holder or a lens problem. It does not look like a typical light leak though, since it covers all the film in a defocused sort of way. Any guesses?

ic-racer · Nov 21, 2016

Do you store your film in a refrigerator or freezer?

Stuart Richardson · Nov 21, 2016

A refrigerator, but all this had been sitting in holders for a while before being shot....I live in Iceland, so heat is not much of an issue!

Doremus Scudder · Nov 21, 2016

The film looks as if it has been unevenly exposed all over. Does the mottling go out into the unexposed film rebate? If not, then I expect you may have a problem with holders/darkslides. If so, then look at your developing tank, changing bag, etc. It may also be underfixing (if the dense areas are opaque grey on the negative).
A picture of the entire negative (not reversed) would be really helpful.

Doremus

Stuart Richardson · Nov 21, 2016

Hello Doremus,
I am sorry for the delay. The mottling tends to stick to inside the film area, but in one image it seems to extend slightly further...more like there is a slight double exposure and the film has moved, however. It could of course, be the light leak reaching further into the holder. The others mostly seem ok. I am posting two examples.

I run a lab here in Reykjavik and shoot 120 myself, and I go through lots of rolls of 120 with no issues, so I don't think the light leak is in the lab, or nor do I think it is condensation etc, as most of the sheets are completely fine, even ones that are loaded at the same time, processed in the same batch and from the same scene. One photo will be fine, and the next damaged. At this point, I am pretty convinced it is a holder, or improper loading (perhaps the film is not seated correctly, though I try to check!). The rest of it seems to rule itself out.

Ai Print · Nov 21, 2016

Uh-oh....would these be Toyo film holders by chance?

Stuart Richardson · Nov 21, 2016

For reference, I am processing with a Jobo CPP-2 using Xtol 1+1 for 9 minutes 15 seconds, I use stop, a two bath fixer, hypo clearing agent, photo flo and a jobo mistral dryer.
The photos are taken largely on the Ebony SV45Ti with the 110mm Super Symmar XL lens in an Ebony board with its standard copal shutter. The holders are primarily Toyo and a Grafmatic. I have four toyo holders that I mostly use, but I borrowed three more from my school (which I initially thought might be the issue because they were more worn, but I ruled them out, as the problem continued). I will check and see if any from the Grafmatic are fogged. If not, that leaves me with 4 possible culprits and 8 possible sides that might be the challenge. Any particular way to check without burning all that film and processing time?

Stuart Richardson · Nov 21, 2016

Yes, they are Toyo!

Ai Print · Nov 21, 2016

Stuart Richardson said:
Yes, they are Toyo!

OK, I thought the pattern looked familiar, you more than likely have the same not-so-opaque dark slide issues that several have had with some Toyo holders, please read This Thread.

At the very end it says they are replacing problem dark slides with new aluminum ones, you will likely need replacements. I'm nearly 100% positive that this is the issue you are having.

Stuart Richardson · Nov 22, 2016

Ah, thank you so much for the help. Yes, two of the holders are brand new (well, from September) from Toyo, so that is surely what the issue is. It looks exactly the same. I will get in touch with them!
Thank you.
Stuart

Doremus Scudder · Nov 23, 2016

Ai Print said:
OK, I thought the pattern looked familiar, you more than likely have the same not-so-opaque dark slide issues that several have had with some Toyo holders, please read This Thread.

At the very end it says they are replacing problem dark slides with new aluminum ones, you will likely need replacements. I'm nearly 100% positive that this is the issue you are having.

I suspected this too. It seems fairly certain that this is your issue. Too bad; Toyo holders are otherwise very nice.

Doremus

Stuart Richardson · Nov 23, 2016

Yes, I confirmed that this is what it was...I have a strong flashlight and it shone right through the dark slides! Only on the new ones though, not the older holders. MAC is replacing them right away.

Help with some strange, sporadic fogging.

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