milky substance on film

[sodarum]

Hi,

I've had this happen a couple of times while processing E6 film. When I hang the film to dry I see a kind of milky fog on the base, either uniform or in stains. But the thing is that when the film dries for a couple of hours (longer that it takes me to get the film dry when this doesn't happen) and the milky substance disappears. Before it dries it's kind of sticky, not much but enough so that I can't slide my finger over film. In other words there's friction. Like I said the whole thing goes away.
I should say that the film was expired. But I've developed many rolls of expired E6 film without this happening. It doesn't seem to affect the image much once it dries, so it's not a problem, but I'd like to know what it is and what causes it. By the way, can really old film mess up your chemicals?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Since this occurs on the base side of the film wipe that side only with a photo grade sponge wetted with distilled water. Do this when hanging the film up to dry. The residue is most likely from the wetting agent in the stabilizing bath.

 

[lxdude]

Are you drinking milk while processing film?

 

[sodarum]

I'm not sure if it's on the base side or not. I had one D-min frame (which I exposed on purpose to see how the base is going to behave on this expired roll) on the last roll, and it was milky, but then it cleared up. I normally leave the stab to dry without any problems. The only thing in common that I can remember that these instances have in which this happened is that I used my fingers to wipe some stab from the film. I'm not sure if this is connected with the issue or not, but normally I don't do that, I just hang it to dry and it dries quickly without any milkiness.

 

[sodarum]

Are you drinking milk while processing film?

Beer actually, and I drink it from the processing tank between baths. No I don't.

 

[pentaxuser]

I am sure I have read somewhere that this is perfectly normal for slide film and has nothing to do with film age or processing or even milk .

In one of my several books I am sure there is a short explanation but it would take me some time to find the right book.

pentaxuser

 

[sodarum]

The milkiness (blacks are gray) is normal for the first 15 minutes of drying, but that's another milkiness. Perhaps I should have used a different word to describe this. What I'm talking about are kind of sticky stains of yellow-white material all over the film, especially visible on transparent parts of the film.

 

[pentaxuser]

The milkiness (blacks are gray) is normal for the first 15 minutes of drying, but that's another milkiness. Perhaps I should have used a different word to describe this. What I'm talking about are kind of sticky stains of yellow-white material all over the film, especially visible on transparent parts of the film.

However these sticky yellow-white stains cease to be sticky and disappear after drying based on your original post. Have I got this right? I am not clear whether the film remains slightly affected or not. If it does remain slightly affected how does this manifest itself on the slide under a loupe and lightbox or projected onto a screen?

It might help if you can scan a finished frame exhibiting the effect you mention once it dries

pentaxuser