oops - i overdeveloped. how do I fix my negs?

[Saganich]

I did this awhile back: http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/Negative Reduction.htm Worked well.

 

[M Carter]

Farmer's reducer? In my experience, you'll just destroy your shadows without touching those dense highlights, and you'll be stuck with the results. Farmer's is going to hit the lightest tones first, before it gets near bringing the dense regions down.

I'd do a test with ferri/bromide bleach and diluted film or paper developer. Bleach all the way back to blank film and try redeveloping on a throwaway neg. Start with very dilute developer (I find dektol/liquidol to be good for this myself) and get a feel for how the neg responds, dial in a good dilution. You can stick the neg in a water bath, up the dilution of the dev tray in small increments, develop the neg further, and dial it in.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

So I overdeveloped a single roll of ilford hp5 plus. Lesson learned: 74 is too warm

so how do I fix 'er up? I've got just the basic chemicals, and not a whole world of cash but I could maybe spare the expense for some special fix it solution.

i'm not super attached to this roll, but there might be a shot or two worth saving on it. The problem is I'm between dark rooms (gettin my own soon) and my negative scanner simply does not compute the overexposure. I've tried various settings.

I can tell I'd be able to save them if I was printing, which I eventually will, but for now I can't even get a contact sheet out of this roll and damn it I wanna see what's on there!

This would be a great roll for me to 'learn' on since it's not too significant.

How do I fix it?

fix normally and consider a proportional reducer to save the negative. There are several formulae on the web but, I can't recommend one off hand. Ian or PE may have a recommendation.Also, Tim Rudman's toning book may have some advise. good news is: r4educing is easier than fixing underexposure.

 

[darkroommike]

Print on Multigrade, use a low contrast filter.

 

[Jbreef]

Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and have read the entries in this thread about bleaching and redeveloping overdeveloped b&w film. I found some exposed film dating back to 1950's Kodak Super XX and unfortunately overdeveloped the film ( can't see a gap between frames ). The film was developed in HC110 and fixed with Ilford Rapid fixer. As I've never had any experience with bleaching and redeveloping film so I was hoping that someone could provide a step by step process. I read that the bleaching step should provide a clear film base look and then redevelop in a very dilute developer solution. Also, it was mentioned that the film needs to be re-exposed to bright light again. Actually hoping there was a sort of cookbook approach that I could follow with a test roll before involving these overdeveloped negs. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Can't see a gap between frames? The film was likely fogged, not overdeveloped. Bleach redevelop won't get rid of the overall fog, just bleach it and then redevelop it to a lesser degree if you develop the negative to a lower degree of contrast than the original. That might help a bit, but might not. Do you have any image contrast whatsoever, i.e., can you see subjects in the film. If so, and assuming the fog is to great to try to print, you might want to try a cutting reducer. Check "The Darkroom Cookbook" for formulas and the proper dilutions for your needs.

Doremus

 

[Luis-F-S]

Gee, and I would have junked the film and started over; chucked the experience to the learning curve!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Gee, and I would have junked the film and started over; chucked the experience to the learning curve!

not a bad choice.

 

[Jbreef]

Can't see a gap between frames? The film was likely fogged, not overdeveloped. Bleach redevelop won't get rid of the overall fog, just bleach it and then redevelop it to a lesser degree if you develop the negative to a lower degree of contrast than the original. That might help a bit, but might not. Do you have any image contrast whatsoever, i.e., can you see subjects in the film. If so, and assuming the fog is to great to try to print, you might want to try a cutting reducer. Check "The Darkroom Cookbook" for formulas and the proper dilutions for your needs.

Doremus

Thanks for the advice. I can see some contrast in the highlights. I was trying to see if I could increase the highlights and provide more contrast. This film was exposed some 60 years ago and I was curious as to what the subject is.

 

[Jbreef]

Gee, and I would have junked the film and started over; chucked the experience to the learning curve!

I guess that would be good advice if I was just trying to use old film, however, these images were made 60 years ago and I wanted to see what the subject is. BTW if you don't have a useful comment why waste the time leaving one.

 

[Luis-F-S]

As useful as trying to print messed up film. You could have developed a piece of the film and made adjustments based on the results.

 

[darkroommike]

I guess that would be good advice if I was just trying to use old film, however, these images were made 60 years ago and I wanted to see what the subject is. BTW if you don't have a useful comment why waste the time leaving one.

That was additional content after your original post. I thought his advice was spot for what you originally posted, now, I don't know. If you can get, any kind of print from the negatives, as is, do that, and then fix the prints digitally. I would not muck around with these now apparently precious negatives. No reducers, nothing, nada, fix it digitally. Forgive my use of the D-word.

 

[Craig75]

As Doremus said - it's fogged with age. See if you can get a print out of it before doing anything else. Expect long print times and low contrast grainy images - so turn contrast up on the enlarger and open up the lens and then see where you are.

 

[Wallendo]

For old fogged film, it may be worthwhile to scan the images (yes, I know this is the analog only forum). This can accomplish two things: 1) you may find usable images of familial, nostalgic, or historical significance, and 2) It will give you an idea of whether are not any images are present which are worthy of photochemical restoration. If you identify a frame or two of importance, you can develop small segments of the remaining film with various techniques until you find one that will work on your valued images. You may just find the roll full of pictures of your great-grandfather's cat, however.

I have had some success scanning fogged negatives both with an Epson V600 and a Pulstek film scanner. None of these are of technical high quality and generally suffer from high grain (digital noise), but are perfectly acceptable as historical images. I have saved all the negatives, and if I ever find the time, hope to optically print a few with the hope of getting better results.

Whatever one does, I would recommend making the highest quality print or scan of the negatives that you can prior to any photochemical (destructive) manipulation