Over-development on one side of the 35mm negatives, why?

[newtorf]

Hi films gurus,

I ran into a problem of development and would like to know your opinion. I often got negatives (35mm) with the edge on one side appearing to be over-developed - meaning brighter and often blocked highlight. I diluted 15ml HC-110 syrup into H dilution and developed 4 rolls of 35mm films in a stainless steel tank. Temperature was 20 C, and development time was based on recommended time. I did 30 seconds initial inversions, followed by 2 inversions per 2 minutes.

Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Are you using an SLR with a focal plane shutter?

 

[newtorf]

FYI, the camera used was a Leica M4.

 

[momus]

Probably shutter capping then.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Sorry, not just SLR, but focal plane shutter.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Probably shutter capping then.

+1

 

[kintatsu]

If it was uniform across all the shots on a roll, it's likely there wasn't enough chemicals to fully fill the tank. It's happened to me.

If it's random on the shots, and you were using a flash, it's likely the shutter speed was too fast for the flash, leaving a dark band at the bottom or top of the frame, matching the shutter travel. If your exposure with the flash was too much, that would explain the blocked highlights, and the thin half-ish of the frame. According the manual, the sync speed for the M4 is 1/50 for electronic flash. Any faster than that, and you'll get dark bands, for that sync speed, I would imagine 1/125 or faster would eat up slightly more than half the frame with the dark banding.

 

[newtorf]

no flash is used.

the brightness appears more in the middle of the frame on the edge.

If it was uniform across all the shots on a roll, it's likely there wasn't enough chemicals to fully fill the tank. It's happened to me.

If it's random on the shots, and you were using a flash, it's likely the shutter speed was too fast for the flash, leaving a dark band at the bottom or top of the frame, matching the shutter travel. If your exposure with the flash was too much, that would explain the blocked highlights, and the thin half-ish of the frame. According the manual, the sync speed for the M4 is 1/50 for electronic flash. Any faster than that, and you'll get dark bands, for that sync speed, I would imagine 1/125 or faster would eat up slightly more than half the frame with the dark banding.

 

[pentaxuser]

View attachment 78518 View attachment 78519
I ran into a problem of development and would like to know your opinion. I often got negatives (35mm) with the edge on one side appearing to be over-developed -

Thanks,
Jimmy

You ran into a problem. Can we take it that there was a period when this problem didn't exist? If so has anything changed? You say "often" Can you think of what may have been different in those circumstances? I don't think that your processing regime in terms of times, agitation etc has anything to do with the problem. I had difficulty seeing the problem with the first of the two scans you have shown.

What I think you can conclude is that the problem isn't random, nor an "Act of God" as they say in the get-out clauses of an insurance policy. There is a correlation between what you do or what the camera does at the camera stage or what you do at the processing stage but to get to what that might be may require more answers.


pentaxuser

 

[erikg]

The shutter travels horizontally on an M4, any shutter bounce or capping issue would show on the short side of the image. Is this on every roll? I'd look at agitation and how long it takes to fill the tank, is the tank getting filled quickly and without interruption?

 

[bdial]

This is affecting only one of the four rolls, or all of them? If just one, do you know if it was on the bottom, top or in the middle?
When you mix the developer do you thoroughly stir it before putting it the tank?
Finally, are you pouring in through the lid, or pre-filling the tank? For doing four rolls, the pour time may be excessive and it may work better to pre-fill the tank then drop the reels in in the dark.

 

[newtorf]

This did not happen on all rolls. I always filled the tank quickly without any interruption. And if it was caused by filling, why would the edge show over-developed? I thought it should be under-developed for the reel on the top because it is the last to be soaped and it is possible that the developer did not soap it entirely.

The shutter travels horizontally on an M4, any shutter bounce or capping issue would show on the short side of the image. Is this on every roll? I'd look at agitation and how long it takes to fill the tank, is the tank getting filled quickly and without interruption?

 

[newtorf]

I am not sure whether it is only one roll or more than one rolls. I looked back and realized that it started to happen long time ago when I was using a two-roll stainless steel tank. I have no idea now whether the roll is on top or bottom. But as I pointed out in another reply, it should only cause under-development instead of over-development.

HC-110 is liquid concentration. I always mixed it and stir thoroughly.

I never did pre-filling.

This is affecting only one of the four rolls, or all of them? If just one, do you know if it was on the bottom, top or in the middle?
When you mix the developer do you thoroughly stir it before putting it the tank?
Finally, are you pouring in through the lid, or pre-filling the tank? For doing four rolls, the pour time may be excessive and it may work better to pre-fill the tank then drop the reels in in the dark.

 

[kintatsu]

no flash is used.

the brightness appears more in the middle of the frame on the edge.

I was unable to see the images when I originally replied. Based on those, I'm at a loss. Sorry to waste your time!

 

[Mark Fisher]

Looking at the climbing gym photo, it looks like it may be a light leak. I would guess that it is in the tank looking at the horizontal basketball hoop shot......it it were in the camera, it would need to be toward the top of the camera which doesn't seem likely on a Leica.

 

[MattKing]

Can you show us the strips of negatives themselves?

 

[Xmas]

the negative strip is what we need to see but if the problem is on either short edge and is limited to the normal frame it is most probably the shutter.
the repair person needs to see a negative strip
You may snap a ribbon if it is a shutter problem and you don't have it serviced a repair at greater expense.