Ilford FP4+ 4x5 Sheet Film - Emulsion Damage

[JDW22]

Yesterday I processed four recently exposed FP4+ 4x5 negatives. The image below shows what appears to be the loss or lack of any emulsion across the bottom of one of the four negatives. I've never seen this before and the other three negatives came out fine. I immediately concluded that this was my fault, but I can't imagine what I could have done to make this occur?

All four negatives came from the same box of FP4+ 4x5 sheet film. The film is not expired - July 2020. The four sheets of film were all developed simultaneously in Ilford DDX using Ilford's recommended development times and methods. I used the Stearman SP-445 to develop all my 4x5 sheet film and I have never experienced a problem like this before.

This is a conundrum that I can't explain. Has anyone seen this before? Did Ilford have a bad batch of 4x5 FP4+? If this is my fault, please explain so I can learn and avoid in the future.

Your thoughts or suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.

 

[cmacd123]

is the damaged part shinny or dull. Which side was up in the tank? was the emulsion side in or out of the holder in the tank.

My first thought is that the developer did not see that side but the fixer did. If the area is shiny on the emulsion side then it might mean the emulsion was actually missing.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Looks like it could be a film defect or bad processing. In the case of bad film, it might show up on several sheets and could be seen in relief due to the change in thickness. Processing would not affect the thickness and so would look different.

Can you elaborate?

PE

 

[JDW22]

is the damaged part shinny or dull. Which side was up in the tank? was the emulsion side in or out of the holder in the tank.

My first thought is that the developer did not see that side but the fixer did. If the area is shiny on the emulsion side then it might mean the emulsion was actually missing.

The emulsion side was facing away from the SP-445 film holder frame. The emulsion side appears shiny.

 

[JDW22]

Looks like it could be a film defect or bad processing. In the case of bad film, it might show up on several sheets and could be seen in relief due to the change in thickness. Processing would not affect the thickness and so would look different.

Can you elaborate?

PE

As noted in my reply to cmacd123, the emulsion side of the film is shiny clean in this area. Not that I am an expert, but it looks like there never was any emulsion on this part of the negative. Of course, I could be wrong about that. All four sheets were developed at the exact same time in the same take in the same way. Three are great and this one has a problem.

 

[MattKing]

If the emulsion side was stuck to the holder frame in the SP-445 holder during development, the emulsion wouldn't develop.
If, subsequently, the emulsion released from the frame, the fixer would then clear it away, leaving this result.

 

[JDW22]

If the emulsion side was stuck to the holder frame in the SP-445 holder during development, the emulsion wouldn't develop.
If, subsequently, the emulsion released from the frame, the fixer would then clear it away, leaving this result.

Thanks Matt for your reply. The more I think about this situation, the more I think it is operator error (me). If I missed a couple of the bottom retaining tabs on the SP-445 negative holder it could easily have stuck to the inside of the SP-445 tank and suffered the problem just as you describe. I just need to slow down and be more careful when loading my exposed film into the SP-445.