Pinholes in 4x5 negs

[FM2N]

Hello,
I have found that when developing my 4x5 Arista EDu Ultra 100 I almost always have pinholes in the negatives. This does not happen when I use their 200 speed film or when I use Efke 25. What is happening? I find that the Arista 100 in a very thin film compared to the 200 and the Efke, could this be the problem.
I use a Unicolor drum with D-76 1:1 and a water stop bath before fixing. I develope all my film following the same steps and this happens again and again with the Arista 100. Should I stop being cheap and by the actual Fomapan? Will this stop the problem? Is there something I could use to spot the negatives? Red Opaque has been mentioned but where to get it?
Please help???
Arthur,NYC

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If you want the spotting dye for negatives, it is called Red Crocein, and Kodak (yes, Kodak!) still makes it. B&H carries it.

 

[FM2N]

Thanks Scott.
Hi it's arthur from the central park shoot. I was talking with your friend in Central park last weekend about this problem and he seemed to believe that it was a bad batch of film. Any thoughts on this?
Arthur, NYC

 

[Photo Engineer]

Pinholes as a film defect is usually caused by air bubbles in the melted emulsion just before application onto the support. This can happen if you omit or improperly carry out some steps prior to starting the coating operation.

The only way to determine if this is a true coating defect is to look for a true crater in the coating. Processing pinholes are smooth as all of the emulsion is coated, but air bubbles in processing cause a lack of development. When coating, actual emulsion is missing from the film and it can be seen just like a moon crater with an edge and a depressed center.

Sometimes, they look like small comets with a tail on one end, the trailing end, away from the direction of the moving web of wet film.

A very soft film can get something like if you use a carbonate developer and a stop bath. This is rare with todays films. It will not happen with Kodak, Ilford or Fuji film, and if it does happen it looks more like fish scales or blisters, not a true pinhole. If you look closely, you will see a crater, but you will also see the ragged surface of the burst blister stuck to the emulsion next to the crater. These are obvious before drying as you see the blisters almost like minute measles on the surface of the film. They are little wet pimples that deflate or burst during drying.

PE

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'd investigate what PhotoEngineer suggests. The best way to narrow down the problem is careful direct examination of the film itself. If you have an 8x or 10x loupe, I'd take a good look at those pinholes with it.

 

[FM2N]

Thanks,
As i noticed the pinholes i lightly moved my finger along the area and felt raised sharp edges to the pinholes. I assume that these would be craters.
Also, could you please give me a link to B&H photo for the red crocein I can not seem to find it.
Thanks

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I can't find it on their website. They at least used to have it - call and ask. I ordered mine about a year and a half ago - Kodak may not make it anymore. Who knows...

 

[Photo Engineer]

I believe that the Photographers Formulary carries this retouching dye.

PE

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Kodak discontinued the Crocein Scarlet. B&H no longer stocks it.
I get pinholes if my stop bath is mixed too strongly, and even if it's mixed normally on some films. I'm using a uniroller as well and have been shooting the Foma 100 film. I use my stop at about 1/2 strength, if not weaker.
Just something to try..

 

[Photo Engineer]

With a pre-wet and good agitation, you should see no pinholes. In modern films, pinholes with Kodak, Fuji and Ilford are virtually impossible to form.

PE

 

[dmax]

Arthur,
I use quite a bit of the 4x5 Arista Edu Ultra myself, and I have occassionally run into the same problem with pinholes. I also process with a Unicolor drum, and with a Combi Plan tank. The pinholes are as PE suggests: small craters in the emulsion. I get them in a few sheets in every box of 25. Not bad enough or frequent enough for me to completely abandon buying the 4x5 sheets. It's a different matter altogether when it comes to the Arista Edu Ultra 8x10 sheet film. In one instance, the first 8 sheets of 8x10 Arista Edu Ultra that I processed (they come 25 in a box) had clusters of the comets that PE describes. In other words, manufacturing defects. Needless to say, the remainder of box went back to Freestyle.

 

[FM2N]

Thank you all for your help. I will try a longer prewash and keep my fingers crossed. Of the 8 negs. that I developed I only noticed it on 3 of them so I will keep track of how often it happens. I will also try spoting the negs and see how that helps
Arthur, NYC

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I haven't tried it yet, but for spotting b/w negs, you could try using those SpotPens - they work great on prints. I don't know how well their ink would adhere to the film base, and I don't know how well they'd block light, but if you don't already have a set, they're terrific for spotting prints. Take a look at them over at B&H the next time you get a chance.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Guys;

If the emulsion is actually missing, the spot pens (being water based) would probably be repelled from the film surface. The reverse side of Kodak sheet films generally has a gelatin surface for retouching. If this is so on your film, that would be the way to go about it with this type of defect.

PE