kodaks Sweet Odour

Stephen Frizza · Mar 11, 2008

ok maybe I've been in the darkroom a little too long but theres something that happens when i develop Kodak HIE film in a Paterson tank which has always happened and I'm not sure what it is. (apart from possibly bad for my health)
When I process Kodak HIE weather it be in ID-11, D-76, D-19, Rodinal....etc
if im developing a few of the films in a tank and i pop the lid and pour out the developer a sweet smell is also released. has anyone else noticed this sweet odor? I really like it HAHAHAHA.

~Steve
The Lighthouse Lab

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 11, 2008

Hi Steve,
never with HIE, but when I develop the Arista.EDU 400 film, the one that's the same as Foma 400, it stinks of something no other film smells like. And that's after the pre-soak. I wish I could like how that smells...
It's the only film I've noticed an odor from.

- Thomas

eclarke · Mar 11, 2008

How about the natural fragrance of Tri X sheet film??..EC

Photo Engineer · Mar 11, 2008

The surfactant "Saponin" has a mild fruit or watermelon odor to it. That is the only chemical I can remember with any sort of odor that is used in film. It is used at such low concentration that I doubt if you could smell it. There is also a solvent used for the dye, but again the level is so low, you could not smell it and it would have evaporated during coating.

The 120 rolls contain a chemical in the paper backing that has a sweet smell. You can smell it at Kodak Park as a slight odor in the background, near several buildings. Or you used to, anyhow.

PE

Michael W · Mar 11, 2008

Sounds like Steve's in the right business.

Stephen Frizza · Mar 11, 2008

Hi Ron, the smell is defiantly there as you describe it is fruity! um you say its there in such a small amount, I'm curious if you are processing a large ammount you would smell it yes?
Damn i wish I could invite you all over its not in my imagination its really there.

Photo Engineer · Mar 11, 2008

Well, ethyl acetate is used as one solvent, and it has an odor of bananas, but it too would have evaporated during coating. I really don't know what you are smelling, but I believe you.

PE

dpurdy · Mar 11, 2008

I have noticed that sometimes getting photo chemicals on my hands brings out a smell of something I ate. Especially onions and garlic. If you had a bunch of that for dinner last night and then process sheet film, when you put your hands in the fix it smells strongly of garlic and onions. Yes I washed my hands.

Photo Engineer · Mar 11, 2008

Selenium has an odor of garlic. Have you been hitting the toner too much?

PE

Stephen Frizza · Mar 11, 2008

hahahaha yes selenium does. I tell you the most noxious smell I've come across in the darkroom occurs from mixing hot Ra-4 developer with hot Ra-4 bleach fix.
What an upsetting experience that is!

Photo Engineer · Mar 11, 2008

Well, I've never noticed a bad odor by mixing those chemicals together and there is nothing particularly unusual about either one or both combined. You basically get some ammonia odor.

PE

Stephen Frizza · Mar 11, 2008

When I first built my lab and tanked up my Ra-4 processor for the first time the developer and bleach mixed under the baths in the catchment with no wash water to drain it away. the smell was horrid
I always assumed those chemicals when u mixed them made such a smell. maybe it was something else happening because the machine had been moth balled for so long before I reinstated it?

Mark Antony · Mar 11, 2008

When I ran a Sitte dip and dunk I processed thousands of films each one does indeed have a different smell.
The one I remember best is 120 Agfa Portrait 160 which had a strong smell of pear drops, (which were a kind of boiled sweet from my childhood).
Mark

Photo Engineer · Mar 11, 2008

Stephen Frizza said:
When I first built my lab and tanked up my Ra-4 processor for the first time the developer and bleach mixed under the baths in the catchment with no wash water to drain it away. the smell was horrid
I always assumed those chemicals when u mixed them made such a smell. maybe it was something else happening because the machine had been moth balled for so long before I reinstated it?

Maybe the trap was dry in the drain and you were exuding sewer odors from the drain.

PE

Stephen Frizza · Mar 11, 2008

Im enviro.

Photo Engineer said:
Maybe the trap was dry in the drain and you were exuding sewer odors from the drain.

PE

Nope Im a good boy. I set my lab up so nothing can go directly into the drain. even wash water. Everything goes to silver recovery or filtration.
I wanted to make sure I did the right thing by the environment.

~steve

Neanderman · Mar 11, 2008

eclarke said:
How about the natural fragrance of Tri X sheet film??..EC

The smell I never got tired of was when I opened a fresh 100 foot roll of EPN to reload our digital film recorder. It smelled like...pictures!

Ed

jmal · Mar 12, 2008

Recently, without changing anything at all in my processing, I started to experience a nice fragrance coming from my stainless tank and reels. Don't ask, but it smells like opium. Go figure.

Jmal

IloveTLRs · Mar 12, 2008

I just like the smell of Kodak film in general. Super Gold 400 can be nice.

Stephen Frizza · Mar 12, 2008

jmal said:
Recently, without changing anything at all in my processing, I started to experience a nice fragrance coming from my stainless tank and reels. Don't ask, but it smells like opium. Go figure.

Jmal

My god your working in more than a photolab hehehehe. now im curious how do you know what opium smell like hehehe...

Michael W · Mar 12, 2008

I do like the aroma of fresh film when I first open the container.
I know a guy who is a major record collector of 1960s 45s & he has said that he often enjoys sniffing his rare vinyl.

Photo Engineer · Mar 12, 2008

jmal said:
Recently, without changing anything at all in my processing, I started to experience a nice fragrance coming from my stainless tank and reels. Don't ask, but it smells like opium. Go figure.

Jmal

Was the film made in Afghanistan?

PE

jmal · Mar 13, 2008

I have no idea where it was made. Is Kodak outsourcing? Perhaps I got someone's special shipment of Tri-x It's only with 35mm that I smell it. My 120 has no detectable scent.

jlehmus · Mar 13, 2008

Classicpan (Forte) in 35 mm definitely has a distinctive smell to it when fresh, but the smell might be from the plastic containers and not the emulsion.

kodaks Sweet Odour

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