Negatives affected by humidity

[Oskar Jørgensen]

Hi there!

So, i went around Poland with my Yashica loaded with Rera Pan 127 film. Came back, developed some myself and some went to the lab. In both cases, on the majority of the negatives, i found white spots all over. Went to the lab and talked with my friend and super professional guy. Nothing wrong in the developing on his part. Nothing wrong with the camera either. He calls his equally nerdy friend and we all three look at the negatives. They def think it must have been the temperature affecting the film and when i tell them that the first one and a half week the country was flooded and the following one and a half week was hot and dry as hell, they are just about sure.

I never saw this problem when hoboing around with 135 film. The 127 film is more sensitive they say? I was told to next time fill my photo bag with little rice bags that suck out the moist… eh, well i can do that i guess

Anyone ever traveled through **** with delicate film and had the same problem? How to make sure you keep it fresh and protected? Sealed plastic bag and rice bags? Or do you have to travel around with a cooling bag?

As i am posting this, i read that it might not be fungus but "humidity making the backing paper interact with the emulsion, causing mottling". In any case, how to be safe when you're out and about?

Hope someone can help and that the post is not out of place

 

[railwayman3]

Going by examples shown in other threads here and elsewhere, it does look like an interaction of some kind with the backing paper. However, I would not normally expect an issue arising during the three weeks of your stay in Poland.....most films are fairly tolerant of a few days of heat or humidity, certainly as typical in Europe. Personally, I have never found it necessary to take any special precautions, just usual common sense of keeping film dry and out of heat.
I notice, though, that you were using ReraPan 127, which I believe is manufactured (or maybe just cut and re-packed?) by a smaller company in Japan. I've no experience of this film, but might there have been manufacturing issues of some kind ? (And not forgetting Kodak and Ilford's problems with backing papers in recent years, particularly if this 127 film is using similar backing paper?),

 

[pentaxuser]

You'd need an expert in weather to either confirm or deny what I am about to say but I seriously doubt in flooding for a week and a half then hot and dry for the other week and a half can actually alter the humidity enough to have any effect. Countries with low or high humidity have those conditions because of more permanent kinds of weather.

pentaxuser

 

[msage]

Was the film fresh?

 

[Oskar Jørgensen]

Yea the film was fresh. Well, the more info i find around tells me that it is a manufacturing problem. interaction with the backing paper. Quite a few examples with people having the exact same white dots problem, in the case of both Rera Pan 100 iso and the newer 400 iso. But isn't it super weird then, that they keep selling it with a 100 procent garanti? You can buy them several places and it doesn't say anything about a 50 procent chance of having your shots ruined by what looks like a fungus. Jesus. well, thanks anyway you guys, guess i'll just have to write them sellers and ask what the fuck is up

 

[BAC1967]

When I’m shooting in very humid tropical environments I try not to take the camera from a very cool air conditioned place out into the humidity. It’s amazing how much condensation can form on the lens, that tells me the same can be happening in the camera and on the film. If you were to wind moistened film on to where the emulsion is in contact with the backing paper I can see where this would cause problems including stuff sticking to the emulsion from the backing paper.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yea the film was fresh. Well, the more info i find around tells me that it is a manufacturing problem. interaction with the backing paper. Quite a few examples with people having the exact same white dots problem, in the case of both Rera Pan 100 iso and the newer 400 iso. But isn't it super weird then, that they keep selling it with a 100 procent garanti? You can buy them several places and it doesn't say anything about a 50 procent chance of having your shots ruined by what looks like a fungus. Jesus. well, thanks anyway you guys, guess i'll just have to write them sellers and ask what the fuck is up

In the past over my sixty years experience, I found that it is never worth it to buy off brand films. Therefore I stick to major brands such as Kodak, Ilford, Agfa, Fuji, and back in the day Ansco. If your photographs are any good, do not save money on film.