Negatives almost see through

Hi,

Im an amateur photographer and just got my hands on a JOBO CP-E2. I wanted to ask one or two questions as i have just developed negatives which have almost no image on them.

Film Type: Ilford 3200 @ 800 ( pull )
Developer : Ilfosol 3 14:1 22 degrees
digital truth time : 13 minutes so I reduced by 12% given constant ( slower speed ) agitation.
The air temp was 22 so i let the temps in the bath / mixed chemicals settle at that and reduced a little more than what I read ( ie the min 10%)

I used a small drum which said " rotary 140 mls " so I mixed up to 140 at the above ratio. I am wondering given there was appx 10 mls of developing solution if in fact this was too little developer even if the ratio was correct.

If i understood the instructions correctly there was no need to " fill " the jobo to capacity but use the lower amount ie 140.. but clearly something has gone wrong somewhere so it could be that I am in fact supposed to fill the little tank.

I really have a dangerous amount of knowledge ( ie little ) but believe when the negs are see through that the film is under developed but as I type that Im wondering if somebody reading will laugh even though it was a disaster i still feel kinda proud that i bought the bits and gave it a go, way more fun than my digital stuff..Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.

Hi

don't happen to have a scanner or some digital camera to snap the neg so we can get a look?

I have never used that film, developer or tank but the thin negatives could be from under exposure, under development or overly diluting the developer. Maybe you thought you did something but actually did something else. I think filling a developing tank is the way to go don't skimp on chemicals it is never worth it especially if you photographed something you cannot repeat. I would also be more inclined to use HP5 or Delta 400 at 800 instead of Ilford 3200 at 800. One stop under exposed on either of those probably would not present you a problem either scanning or printing.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Thanks. I will try and scan the negative this evening.. I was specifically experimenting with this roll. I do not doubt your experience in saying to push delta or tri-x but i suspect the problem is somehow the development as you say .. if thin means that im left with mostly base or negative . To me a properly developed negative has grain detail covering the shadows and highlight wheras I suspect this negative has the barest amount of highlight information only. I suppose I was glad to only have to use 10mls of developer in the tank but more than that I thought I was following the instruction but perhaps 140mls at 14:1 doesnt contain enough developer to be effective ( ie is there a critical mass of developer required? This does mean that when the tank is lying on its side rotating that only 50% of the film surface is submerged in the solution.. is the process for B/W very different to color ( where I have no experience but I assumed that only having half the negative submerged at a time ( but rotating ) was part and parcel of developing using this system.
Can i glean from your post that thin negatives are the result of underexposure or under development? Does anybody have experience using the rotary tank ( small / jobo 1510 for 1x35mm ) , Jeffreyg from what you say I should in fact be looking to fill that tank and then reduce the times by 15%.

My Jobo 1510 tank says 160 ml for 1 roll 35mm for rotation. I always go a bit on the generous side, but there's no point in filling the tank more than half full, as it lies on its side and rotates. You can experiment with water and no film to see how much that is.
Otherwise, when things go wrong, go back to basics - standard ASA and development, shoot a test roll with frames under- and over-exposed in steps to several stops. Read the developer directions again three times - be sure you are diluting a stock solution, not a working solution. Also dev may be old or messed up - use fresh chems. Also try a different dev if you have one.
Ben

Thank you for the post ( also ) Ben. I am going to cut up a test roll in the changing bag and do some test strips. I think i had the developer ratio rightly measured and suspect something is wrong there.. ie the developer is dead ( ilfosol 3 open about 2 months ) or that the time doesnt need to be cut because its a half tub of soup being agitated and not a full one.. when half filling the tub how do you manage the times or is that like asking how long a piece of string is ?

Same thing happened to me on my first few rolls.

I have found, as many others, that Delta 3200 posted times almost everywhere are way, way short of what's really required. Try developing for the time recommended for the next higher speed, and if that doesn't help then develop for twice the recommended time for the speed you're using. For example, if you expose at 800, develop for the time listed for 1600 instead of 800. If they're still too thin, crank it up again.

Everyone I have every known found 3200 to be a good film, but requiring enough development that you think to yourself "this can't be right." But it is.

Yippeee I have my first pair of skins They are not see through, they dont even show a VPL