I'm stumped with this problem....

[glbeas]

From what I can see, you were developing a single reel in a tall tank, right? Have you checked to see if the reels is locking to the filler tube well enough that it doesnt ride up to the top of the tank during agitation and stay there a while? Thats the simplest explanation of poor development with good developer. When I used Paterson tanks ages ago I would usually slip a few empty reels on top to anchor the bottom reel to avoid this problem. If you were depending on a plastic clip to do this, it may have developed a crack or got sprung open a bit causing it to lose grip.

 

[schrollphoto]

Thanks to everyone for your input! At the moment, I have ruled out camera malfunction due to the fact that every roll since the disaster roll has been perfectly exposed and spaced. It has to be in my process somewhere. As was suggested, we all make mistakes! I have contacted Ilford and hope to hear from them soon. Right now, I am switching back to D76 where I was in the 1990's. I will do my testing today and see where my EI and developing time is and keep shooting! I will keep everyone posted.
Again, thanks to all who have responded. I have always been a follower of this forum but have never asked for help. I usually learn from everyone else's mistakes, now it was my turn! Thanks.

 

[removed account4]

not enough dektol/ansco130
seriously ditch the boutique developers
and mix either of those 2 1:10 10 mins
you'll get the best negatives ever.
( yes i do this myself im not an armchair advocate )

 

[esearing]

Pyrocat sudden death and the tell tale pink tone. I have experienced it too many times. Sometimes you can get less dramatic results by shaking/remixing and it seems to come back to life. If it got below 60 degrees in storage, warming it seems to fix the issue temporarily. But I got burned too many times and switched from HD to Pyrocat M (Metol).
Just because you bought it recently doesn't mean the components were mixed recently either. I had one that was 4 years old when I bought it and got barely 6 months out of it after opening. I don't think its an FP4 issues as I have had it happen in middle of a batch of 4x5s from the same box.

I'm tempted to try Jnantz's recipe for Ansco 130. I love it as a paper developer.

One other test you can try and see if your Pyrocat HD is the problem. Bleach a junk negative, and mix 5:5:100 pyrocat and redevelop the negative. If it comes back, your solution is ok. It may take a while but you can do this in room light. You can also do the same with a print but will get a color shift to brown if it works at all.

 

[Bill Burk]

Haa, just do pyrocat with inspection and drop it in D-76 if the inspection fails! That way you might never have to use D-76 except in an emergency.

It seems a shame to switch to standard developer when you “really want” edge effects, stain effect and other special qualities of pyro.

You could just bring the D-76 up to temperature and leave it sealed. Don’t open it until you need to.

 

[esearing]

I'm tempted to try Jnantz's recipe for Ansco 130. I love it as a paper developer.

I tried it and it works well with HP5. I would need to refine it some since I only do 1 sheet at a time but good tool to have in the bag.

 

[schrollphoto]

Finally getting back with my findings. I contacted Ilford and sent samples along with a detailed description of my process. Their response was a very detailed answer and explanation of a possible random contamination problem that was possibly the result of my PyroCat HD reaching its end of life. They explained the susceptibility of minute contamination in developer in that state was high. Although I had just opened the set two months before it seemed possible. I had noticed the solution A was cloudy this time and had never been in previous sets over the years of using it, always in glycol. With that information, I contacted Photographer's Formulary (my source) with all of the same samples and explanation. Again, they were very helpful and agreed with Ilford's determination. Without asking, they sent me a new set of PyroCat! I immediately notice that the solution A was clear not cloudy. I have since developed both sheets (in a tray) and 120 rolls (in the same single roll Paterson tank and reel) without a recurrence of the problem. My process remained unchanged and I feel confident in going forward and concentrating on "chasing the light" with my friend for years...FP4+.

 

[David Lyga]

Forevermore, no exceptions, never deviate, never disqualify, never cease and desist: You must ALWAYS do a tiny clip test with the same working solution you will be using for your important film. Some of you have a real problem getting a scissors and clipping a tiny piece of film and exposing it in your camera and doing what I have directed. Case closed. Period.

I am terrified of these strange developers like XTOL and Pyro:

They die ....
without even saying good-bye.

(MQ gives ample notice.) - David Lyga

 

[schrollphoto]

Absolutely!!!

 

[Kino]

A 36 exposure 35mm roll of the same filmstock, shot on a well exposed target and kept in the refrigerator, would give you control targets to test your Pyro before you process that unrepeatable roll.

Cheap insurance...

 

[RalphLambrecht]

This is going to be long, so please hang in there.
First of all, I've been developing film since 1972. I have never been stumped by a problem until now.
Details:
FP4+ (120) in PyroCat HD 2:2:100 (mixed in distilled water from liquid concentrate at time of development)
Water stop
TF-4 fixer
Water wash
I have been following this routine for 7 years now (20-30 rolls of 120 a year and 50-75 sheets of 4x5). I have never had a problem and love the results. 90% of my 120 goes through my Pentx67ii (purchased from the original owner 10 years ago).
The scenario:
I recently returned for a trip to Colorado and had 11 rolls and 18 sheets to develop. On the last roll I developed it by itself in a Paterson tank with the normal 500ml of working solution. All previous rolls were fine. This one came out nearly blank! I could barely see an image and none of the edge markings were visible. I immediately blamed myself for mixing the developer wrong or contamination. Thankfully, I don't do this professionally!
Fast forward to this morning. I had shot a roll last night of a tremendous cloud formation near sunset and was anxious to see the results. Since my last fiasco I had been paying very close attention to my process and had done several rolls without a problem since then. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a blank or nearly blank roll of film!! (attached). I was dumbfounded. After venting for a while, I decided I had to figure out the problem, I had to recreate it. The developer concentrates were the same I have been using for the last two months. The fixer was the same gallon.
I have never had a problem with Ilford film in years and years of using it. I checked the emulsion batch numbers and I had two different ones both expiring in 2022. So, I loaded each different batch number in the same camera and exposed all 10 frames of each, then put them in a double tank, used all the same concentrates to mix working solutions, same sequence of everything and they both came out fine! Then, just for giggles, I loaded another roll of exposed film on the exact same reel and tank and tried it again. Came out fine!
Now I'm playing Russian Roulette with the next roll I've loaded. I do have D-76, ID-11, and HC-110 on hand and I'm thinking of trying them. I sent a similar email to Ilford moments ago but, not sure what or when they will get back to me.
Any ideas??
Tim
www.schrollphoto.com
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this happened to me once.In the end, I determined ,I had used the fixer prior to the developer; I was embarrassed but it never happened again.