Help with strange white blotches on every roll of delta 100

thomasbruce · Apr 1, 2014

Hi
I have a problem with ONLY my Delta 100 rolls of film. I started with film last summer so I'm new at this, but I think I got the basics working pretty well.

There are some strange white blotches on every roll of Delta 100 I develop. I have no problem with Delta 400, HP5+, Tmax100, Tmax400. I develop at 20°C - 68°F regulated with a heater. I use HC110 (B), water stop bath and Ilford rapid fixer. I have fresh chemicals. HC110 diluted 1+31 and rapid fixer 1+4. I develop Delta 100 for 6 minutes and fix for 7 minutes and wash between 5-10 minutes. I use a drop of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 in water for 30sec before I hang to dry. The negatives look good until I scan them and this is what it looks like (I have darkened the image to better see the blotches):

IMG: Dead Link Removed

100% CROP: Dead Link Removed

I store my film in the fridge in a box with silica bags, but before I had these 15 rolls of Delta 100 only in it's packaging without the box and silica for a month or so. Also Delta 400 and HP5+ but they seem to not have been affected by it if the problem is with moist or something. I really love the Delta films and I have been sad and disappointed with 7 rolls I've used of the 15 I have. Is it something I'm doing wrong? I tried searching for answers but could not find any.

I hope someone can help me!!

Thanks for your help!

Thomas

snapguy · Apr 1, 2014

Nixon

Well, I have been doing b&w darkroom work since Nixon was Vice President but this is a bit of a puzzle. In the first photo it looks like it could be that the negs are under-fixed. In the second pic it looks more like negs squished against glass when scanned. (If you have a scanner where the neg touches the glass.) Good luck.

thomasbruce · Apr 1, 2014

Thanks for helping!

I have tried fixing between 5-10 minutes and with fresh fixer with no difference. Ended on 7min to be safe with all my negatives. I do use a ANR glass insert with holders from betterscanning.com but I is only on delta 100 film not the other films I mentioned. I can also see it on the negatives with a loupe. Black blotches. A bit hard to see but they are there...

cliveh · Apr 1, 2014

Incomplete fixation may be the cause and I would suggest 12 minutes fix for this type of film.

karl · Apr 1, 2014

Looks like a moisture issue to me. I've seen this with Pan F+ as well. I never store my Ilford film in the fridge or freezer as a result.

Chris Lange · Apr 1, 2014

thomasbruce said:
Hi
I have a problem with ONLY my Delta 100 rolls of film. I started with film last summer so I'm new at this, but I think I got the basics working pretty well.

There are some strange white blotches on every roll of Delta 100 I develop. I have no problem with Delta 400, HP5+, Tmax100, Tmax400. I develop at 20°C - 68°F regulated with a heater. I use HC110 (B), water stop bath and Ilford rapid fixer. I have fresh chemicals. HC110 diluted 1+31 and rapid fixer 1+4. I develop Delta 100 for 6 minutes and fix for 7 minutes and wash between 5-10 minutes. I use a drop of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 in water for 30sec before I hang to dry. The negatives look good until I scan them and this is what it looks like (I have darkened the image to better see the blotches):

IMG: Dead Link Removed

100% CROP: Dead Link Removed

I store my film in the fridge in a box with silica bags, but before I had these 15 rolls of Delta 100 only in it's packaging without the box and silica for a month or so. Also Delta 400 and HP5+ but they seem to not have been affected by it if the problem is with moist or something. I really love the Delta films and I have been sad and disappointed with 7 rolls I've used of the 15 I have. Is it something I'm doing wrong? I tried searching for answers but could not find any.

I hope someone can help me!!

Thanks for your help!

Thomas

I have gotten similar marks to these -only- when using very, very expired black and white films, namely with 1980s vintage (paper-wrapped) PXP that was stored in a basement, and with Ilford XP2 (not Super)...I had always assumed it was chemical contamination from prolonged contact with the backing paper in humid conditions.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 1, 2014

Chris beat me to it.

What is the expiration date of your film?

I've also had this happen with expired Agfa APX film, where marks from the backing paper somehow chemically affected the emulsion before processing.

Have the film rolls been stored outside of their metallic plastic wrappers? I could see this also being a condensation issue.

That's all I've got.

Chris Lange said:
I have gotten similar marks to these -only- when using very, very expired black and white films, namely with 1980s vintage (paper-wrapped) PXP that was stored in a basement, and with Ilford XP2 (not Super)...I had always assumed it was chemical contamination from prolonged contact with the backing paper in humid conditions.

thomasbruce · Apr 1, 2014

The rolls expire in 2015 so they are fresh. I have stored them in their original packaging unopened. I ordered the rolls online. I think the guy who sells them lives in Thailand or something. He sells them pretty cheap compared to where I live in Norway. Super expensive here $16-17 a roll.... Maybe I was just unlucky with the rolls I ordered when they where shipped from a warm country to a cold one and somehow moisture got into the packaging? I got worried I was doing something wrong since it was happening on every roll I developed.

Sirius Glass · Apr 1, 2014

snapguy said:
Well, I have been doing b&w darkroom work since Nixon was Vice President but ...

So now we know who the young'un is.

gone · Apr 1, 2014

I think there's only one thing to do. Buy a fresh roll of the same film and see what happens. If it turns out OK......

Kevin Harding · Apr 1, 2014

cliveh said:
Incomplete fixation may be the cause and I would suggest 12 minutes fix for this type of film.

I've never had to fix Delta 100 for 12 minutes with fresh chemicals. 3, tops, with a pretty regular fixer diluted 1+4. I don't think incomplete fixation is the issue here, though I'm damned if I know what it is.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 1, 2014

momus said:
I think there's only one thing to do. Buy a fresh roll of the same film and see what happens. If it turns out OK......

My thoughts exactly.

Bite the bullet and buy a fresh roll locally to compare. I'd be surprised if fresh Ilford film behaved like this.

Simon R Galley · Apr 2, 2014

Dear Thomas Bruce,

I do not think its moisture...its looks like mottle...or it could be a type of reticulation ( unlikely )

Has it been literally frozen ?

Now this 'pattern' can be caused ( or exascerbated ) in processing :

If the expirey is 2015 the film is at least 2 years old, but regardless its 'in date'

Nothing 'odd' in your processing I do not think

I need to know the batch number off the film

I have already checked and we have no QC's outstanding on any film batch of any type.

The best thing to do is to send the film to our Technical Service at Mobberley and they will check it out for you.

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

karl · Apr 2, 2014

I think the moisture / humidity causes the mottling. Which may be a kind of fogging. There is a long history of discussions of this problem on various photo boards over the last 10 years. It seems to be most problematic with Pan F+ 120, but other people have reported similar problems with various other roll films and occasionally sheet films. Personally I've only encountered it with a batch of out of date Pan F. All the other various Ilford roll and sheet film I've used over the years have never exhibited this problem. But, as a precaution I never store my Ilford films in the fridge or freezer.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 2, 2014

karl said:
I think the moisture / humidity causes the mottling. Which may be a kind of fogging. There is a long history of discussions of this problem on various photo boards over the last 10 years. It seems to be most problematic with Pan F+ 120, but other people have reported similar problems with various other roll films and occasionally sheet films. Personally I've only encountered it with a batch of out of date Pan F. All the other various Ilford roll and sheet film I've used over the years have never exhibited this problem. But, as a precaution I never store my Ilford films in the fridge or freezer.

The rolls I have had similar occurrences on were Agfa APX 25 and Ilford Pan-F+. They were both outdated, and had not been stored well. They came from a humid and hot environment.

I have never seen the need for storing film in a freezer, but I can see why others would want to, especially those who buy large amounts of film at once. But I also don't freeze any film. It's all kept in room temperature, and never an issue, even after expiration date.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2014

Bad film or poor storage (moisture/ freeze thaw etc.)

thomasbruce · Apr 5, 2014

Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I will try to keep my film as moist free as possible and I will buy a fresh roll from a local store and see if problem persists

I'll keep you informed

Help with strange white blotches on every roll of delta 100

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