What happened to my negatives?

[ymc226]

I use 1000cc Paterson tanks, loading 2 reels in each tank (adjusted to fit 120 film). I loaded 2 rolls per reel for a total of 4 rolls/tank.

The negatives were taken either with a Hasselblad 205FCC or 203FE and a combination of 9 different film backs. These were taken indoors using strobes, using the lenses in their C mode (leaf shutter) with the camera body set to C as well.

Out of 60 rolls, about 14 were completely blank except for the rebate indicating the film information and shot number. There was no real pattern where it was the top or bottom or inner or outer roll that suffered from this.

A few were as pictured below, either blank on one end or only partially developed with a sharp margin between a recognizable image and completely clear.

In the same session, I also developed 135 film (3 reels/tank) without any issues at all.

Most of the rolls were well developed (I used Xtol, replenished, with 80cc Xtol/roll used in replenishing). I've done this many times before and used either the Hasselblads or Fuji 6x9 and never had this kind of failure before. Any ideas?

 

[sly]

Looks like a problem with a camera to me. Are you switching backs between the cameras? Maybe one has a functioning shutter and the other has a problem.

 

[ymc226]

Looking at the negatives more closely, I realized that the "messed up" ones were all taken using the 205FCC and the 180 CFE lens. Both were set to the "C" mode. Does anyone with experience using a 200 series Hasselblad recognize if this is a leaf shutter problem or a problem with the camera body such as the focal plane shutter failure to "deactivate" when the camera is set to use the leaf shutter?

 

[edp]

If you got edge markings, you can't blame the developing.

 

[ymc226]

I was wondering, if there is a leaf shutter failure (lens problem) would the problem show up as it did with the image vertically cut off? OTOH, if it was an issue with the focal plane shutter (camera problem) not getting out of the way or only partially so, would it show up like it has?

 

[Bill Burk]

Were you bracketing shutter speeds? Looks like focal plane curtain / sync speed issues at different shutter speeds.

Like you were counting on the full speed sync of leaf shutters but accidentally had focal plane shutter active.

 

[ymc226]

Were you bracketing shutter speeds? Looks like focal plane curtain / sync speed issues at different shutter speeds.

Like you were counting on the full speed sync of leaf shutters but accidentally had focal plane shutter active.

I was bracketing but changing aperture and keeping the sync speed the same using the leaf shutter (I likely used the fastest speed 1/500) with flash as my daughter was moving around quickly when I used the wider lens so I didn't bother to change the settings.

I checked all three 200 series Hasselblads (two 203FEs and one 205FCC) I have and they all work this way:

1) With the film back off exposing the black cloth focal plane shutter and with the camera set to "C" indicating the leaf shutter is active, I trip the shutter set at 1 second. The focal plane shutter opens as does the leaf shutter. I have to keep the button depressed longer than the selected shutter speed or the FP shutter closes before the leaf shutter which closes at the set value. The FP shutter is always closed even if "C" is selected; it doesn't open or "deactivate" with setting the camera body to C.

2) With the back still off, when I look into and through the lens, and trip the leaf shutter, the FP shutter still has to open simultaneously letting me see whatever is in the background. As I do this, decrementally going to faster speeds, even at 1/500, I can still see the background pop up briefly, which to me indicates that the FP shutter got "out of the way" for light to reach the film.

3) All functions seem to work regarding the camera body in question so I cannot explain how it happened the day there was film loaded in the camera.

 

[Bill Burk]

... I have to keep the button depressed longer than the selected shutter speed or the FP shutter closes before the leaf shutter which closes at the set value...

What would happen if you were to trip the shutter and let go too soon. With the FP shutter closing at random, it might catch the flash at random times like you were getting. Maybe you were listening to the clicks and thought the picture was taken already, so you let go too soon.

 

[ymc226]

What would happen if you were to trip the shutter and let go too soon. With the FP shutter closing at random, it might catch the flash at random times like you were getting. Maybe you were listening to the clicks and thought the picture was taken already, so you let go too soon.

You might be correct. Being the shutter speed was set at 1/500 though for both cameras, and pressing the release similarly between the two, I wonder why it only happened on one of the cameras.

I also find it hard to explain why some rolls are completely blank. The FP shutter would have to completely fail to open for the entire roll.

 

[snederhiser]

Hello;
Looks to be a issue of the focal plane shutter not allowing the leaf shutter to expose properly. Do not have a hassy so no solution? Good luck, Steven.

 

[ic-racer]

Make sure the focal plane shutter is open all the way during exposure.