photoflo accident

[djkloss]

I can't believe this! I just measured my rodinal in the same beaker that I measured my photo flo in! It looked really BAD and so I thought it was from the marbles. Then I realized what I did. So is my whole roll kaput? Is it going to be dead in the developer? I remembered about this thread (waterbath vs stopbath) and the problems with photoflo. I was planning on a 1 hour stand development. I suppose it's too late to save it? Boy do I feel stupid!

 

[Amund]

FWIW, I use quite a lot of photo-flo in the tray of developer processing sheet film with no ill effects... Your roll might come out fine.

 

[Monophoto]

I can't believe this! I just measured my rodinal in the same beaker that I measured my photo flo in! ... So is my whole roll kaput? Is it going to be dead in the developer?

Many years ago, there were those who recommended adding a small amount of photoflo to film developer. The logic was that photoflo relaxes the surface tension of water, and therefore adding it to developer will help minimize the risk of "air bells", bubbles of air that get trapped on the surface of the film and cause uneven development.

More recently, people have come to understand that proper agitation, perhaps combined with a presoak, will do an adequate job of preventing air bells, so you don't hear about adding photoflo to developer any more.

So I would not be excessively concerned. But I would also make a point of not contaminating developer again - contaminating developer is a sign of poor discipline, and the next time that lack of discipline could have more serious consequences.

 

[htmlguru4242]

We had some PhotoFlo accidentally mixed with the Dektol in the darkroom back at high school; there was no ill effect; I don't think that your film'll be a problem either.

Though it's not reccomended that you make a practice out of this

 

[djkloss]

Thanks all,
I was afraid they were going to come out 'bullet proof'!

 

[Ray Heath]

hey dj,
i don't get it, if you've processed the film you know the result, if you haven't used the developer don't, what's the problem?

 

[reellis67]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that there is something in PhotoFlo that can accelerate development, but I have not tested it or looked into further to see if this is indeed a valid statement. I just wanted to pass it along, just in case.

- Randy

 

[djkloss]

hey dj,
i don't get it, if you've processed the film you know the result, if you haven't used the developer don't, what's the problem?

No problem

 

[Photo Engineer]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that there is something in PhotoFlo that can accelerate development, but I have not tested it or looked into further to see if this is indeed a valid statement. I just wanted to pass it along, just in case.

- Randy

I posted this in another thread.

It is true, but only accelerates development with some emulsions, not all. I have done some tests on this. All films have surfactants in them for coating purposes, and some use a photo-flo type ingredient to accelerate development.

PE