Puzzle about problem of very dark negatives on parts of rolls.

Hello all,
I have a puzzle that I am trying to work out: I developed two rolls of film together in one tank, using Black White and green developer from Flic Films, according to their instructions, except that my developer solution was a few degrees higher than the recommended 68 degrees. Strangely, the first 9-10 or so frames of each roll look good, but after that, everything thing looks either way overexposed or overdeveloped, or both. Many of the shots from both rolls were outdoors on extremely cold days (less than 20 degrees farenheit), except the initial frames of both of the rolls. I am wondering if what looks like overexposed or overdeveloped film is due to the temperature of the camera, and a slowing down of shutter speed at the time of exposure, or is due to the temperature of the developer, and is due to overexposure.

The cameras that I took these on are both older cameras: a Kodak Retina 1a, and a Fed 2d. The film is Kentmere 400, 35mm. I developed in the JOBO 1520 tank.

I would upload iphone images of the negative sheets, but the files are too large, and there seems to be a prohibition against using digital content in this discussion area.

If the first frames from each camera are ok and the rest not I'd think at those temperatures the grease in the shutter/aperture blades was gradually stiffening after taking the camera out of the warm bag. I think maybe the problem with posting a photo may be you haven't made enough posts before and not anything else?

250swb said:

If the first frames from each camera are ok and the rest not I'd think at those temperatures the grease in the shutter/aperture blades was gradually stiffening after taking the camera out of the warm bag. I think maybe the problem with posting a photo may be you haven't made enough posts before and not anything else?

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Thank you for the reply! You helped me with two puzzles!

250swb said:

I think maybe the problem with posting a photo may be you haven't made enough posts before and not anything else?

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Nope, there's no permissions issue.

Premier said:

I would upload iphone images of the negative sheets, but the files are too large, and there seems to be a prohibition against using digital content in this discussion area.

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Resize the images and they'll upload OK. Also, there's absolutely no problem showing a digital photo of negatives or prints to illustrate a problem, or to just share the results you got. No worries.

I agree with @250swb that the cold may have affected grease and/or gunk in esp. the shutter, resulting in much longer exposures than intended.

If you manage to get some pictures up, I'm sure people here will be able to diagnose the problem quite well.

One thing is certain - it's not a development problem.

Thanks for the instructions on posting images!

It works!

You have a light leak and most likely a stuck shutter. The dense frames with no muck around the sprocket holes are likely a shutter problem; the other option is an aperture failure which remains stuck wide-open during exposure, but on a rangefinder camera like yours that's pretty unlikely as the aperture is manually operated and doesn't matter if it's slow or a little difficult to move (as long as it moves).

The first part on the first roll shows light leak issues around the sprocket holes. These usually occur on the take-up spool side of the camera; a common cause is degraded foam around the camera back causing light to seep in along the seams.

Basically, your camera needs service.

These old Retina cameras can be tricky. You set an EV number on the lens. When you rotate the shutter dial it also changes the aperture. Are you sure you have the right combination of shutter speed and aperture?

Simplest explanation is you used same EV for both interior and exterior photos. The dark frames are quite overexposed, but neat.

You can try firing both cameras at blank walls with the back open at various speeds. My Kiev 4 performs very well in the cold but that's a metal shutter camera. I've used it as low as 10F and not noticed an exposure change. Your Fed is rubberized cloth. It's normal for older cameras that haven't been serviced to have a slower shutter, I think my Kiev 4 is 0.5-1 stops slow at the higher speeds. Your Fed might be 1-3 stops slow. If you have a "known good" camera you can compare them with the back open.

Hi, thanks

koraks said:

It works!

You have a light leak and most likely a stuck shutter. The dense frames with no muck around the sprocket holes are likely a shutter problem; the other option is an aperture failure which remains stuck wide-open during exposure, but on a rangefinder camera like yours that's pretty unlikely as the aperture is manually operated and doesn't matter if it's slow or a little difficult to move (as long as it moves).

The first part on the first roll shows light leak issues around the sprocket holes. These usually occur on the take-up spool side of the camera; a common cause is degraded foam around the camera back causing light to seep in along the seams.

Basically, your camera needs service.

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Hi Koraks,
Thanks for the reply. I do have a light leak, but it is at the cartridge, which I had bulk-loaded and then noticed that the rubber seal had fallen out of the cartridge.
I think you are right, additionally about the Retina needing servicing, but I am suspecting temperature to play a role also. I have another roll shot from the Retina that did not have anything such issues, and several shot from the Fed without this issue.
I appreciate your and everyone else's replies, in any case! Thanks!

The cassette light leak is indeed a good explanation; good catch! Hopefully you'll be able to track down the possible issues with the shutters on your cameras.

Posting your image of the negatives sets a good example for others needing help.

Next step in figuring it out (assuming you had the camera set for the correct exposure based on a light meter) is to test the shutter with a shutter tester.