Problem with 120 Acros

[thefizz]

Does anyone have any idea why I have these dark spots all over my roll of 120 Acros?

It was taken out of my fridge the night before shooting, stored in a cool room and then shot next day. Developed in fresh Studional, fresh fixer with final rince in clean filtered water. Was developed with a roll of Delta in 135 which looks fine, so confident it isn't a processing problem.

 

[lamerko]

Maybe moisture got in and the paper shed particles on the film...

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It could be from the backing paper, but I'm more familiar whitish marks rather than black when this problem arises. Kodak and Ilford have had issues in the recent past...

 

[Sharktooth]

Almost certainly a backing paper issue, as lamerko noted. How old is your Acros film? The risk for this is greater with age.

 

[thefizz]

Almost certainly a backing paper issue, as lamerko noted. How old is your Acros film? The risk for this is greater with age.

Expiry Nov. 2021

 

[Sirius Glass]

Almost certainly a backing paper issue, as lamerko noted. How old is your Acros film? The risk for this is greater with age.

I agree. Probably nothing that you did incorrectly. Contact the film manufacturer and ask for a replacement roll.

 

[Kino]

A big factor is if you unseal the foil pouch before refrigerating the roll.

Once I break the foil seal, I do not return it to the refrigerator and am sure to process it within 48 hours.

 

[thefizz]

No break in the foil. I have processed other rolls from the same batch which were fine, so I'll take this one on the chin and hope the rest are ok.

 

[Sharktooth]

Expiry Nov. 2021

That's surprising for a roll that's not that old. The effect is pretty severe. Maybe we shouldn't be that surprised, since it seems to be a universal problem. Backing paper seems so simple, but there are so many problems it creates, and a lot of the knowledge and supply base disappeared with the dramatic decline in film use around the year 2000. What wouldn't surprise me is that backing paper probably now costs as much as the film.

Do you see the effect in the rebate area, and the space between frames? Is it the same throughout the roll? I would expect other rolls you purchased and stored at the same time to also have this problem, but fortunately this doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[GLS]

Is this Acros II?

As far as I know the last batch of the original Acros 120 is dated 2019. I've not had any similar problem with rolls of the original, but perhaps the backing paper on the II version is different.

 

[K-G]

It is definitely the same mottling problem that Ilford had a few years ago but solved later on. They were open with the problem and communicated to their customers and replaced affected films. Fuji Neopan Acros II has had the same problem, but from Fuji there has not been a single notice. Perhaps they have also solved the problem, it is made in UK probably by Harman , but I don't know. I have abandoned Fuji completely after it happened to me about two years ago and I never heard from them when I ( and Fotoimpex ) complained. I enclose a link to a thread where much of this is covered.

Karl-Gustaf

Spots on Negatives (Fuji Acros, PyrocatHD, TF4) - Please Help

Just developed 4 roles of Fuji Acros II and am seeing white spots across all frames. I did two batches of two films and all four films have the problem. Any advice on what could be the problem? I will try a different developer and fresh fixer, but am still curious on what your thoughts are on...

www.photrio.com

 

[John Wiegerink]

I agree completely with K-G and never had a roll of the original Acros do this. I had the same thing on a couple of rolls of Across II from a pro-pack of near the same vintage. They sat for almost a year in one of my camera bags (foil wrapped). The three rolls I used right after I received the 5 rolls were fine. Yup, backing paper problem for sure. I had the same thing happen on a few rolls of HP5+ 120 also.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I've had no issues with either version.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I've had no issues with either version.

Drew, I have never had a problem with HP5+ until I ran into a couple of rolls a few of years back. I'm starting to think that maybe some batches got stuck in a nice warm shipping container, since this would have been around Covid-19 time if I remember right. The reason for the mottling on the newer Acros II does have me puzzled a little. The HP5+ was loaded in my Pentax 67 at sat unused for a spell, but at a cool room temperature. Pretty much the same storage condition for the Fuji, but the Fuji was still in its foil pouch. I haven't used any Fuji Acros since, but have used a bit of HP5+ and no more issues with that.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I wouldn't rule out condensation, but don't really know. As far as backing paper issues, yes, it was reported in relation to several Kodak and Ilford roll films for awhile briefly. But I never got a single example of that, so don't know exactly what it would look like.