XP2 Film Ruined - what's the cause?

runswithsizzers · Mar 16, 2025

Ballinderry-Michael said:
Given that the television aerial and the branches and twigs in the image in post 22 are not affected by the marks, the cause of those marks is not foreign matter on the negatives. The negatives should go back to the processor for an explanation, as the OP won't find the answer here on Photrio.

Good point.

@DavidClapp can you tell us what we are looking at in post #1 and post #22? Are your photo examples scans of negatives which have been converted to positive? Or are they scans of paper prints?

Sharktooth · Mar 16, 2025

Ballinderry-Michael said:
Given that the television aerial and the branches and twigs in the image in post 22 are not affected by the marks, the cause of those marks is not foreign matter on the negatives. The negatives should go back to the processor for an explanation, as the OP won't find the answer here on Photrio.

That's a great catch! It's likely that lamerko was correct in his first post that there is residual silver that wasn't bleached and fixed out.

pentaxuser · Mar 16, 2025

Sharktooth said:
That's a great catch! It's likely that lamerko was correct in his first post that there is residual silver that wasn't bleached and fixed out.

As this was a lab processed film what in the processing might have caused what appears to be a temporary "glitch" in the processing that only affected frames 33-36?

The only thing I can think of is that the lab might have spotted the fault once this film had finished processing. It then corrected its bleach and fix steps which resulted in the OP's next film being OK

However this is pure speculation on my part and seems to rely on the fault occurring on exactly the 33rd frame of the last film before the Lab spotted it and rectified it

The problem I have is that I have no idea if lab's do one film at a time and examine the film each time or even if it is possible for the bleach and or fix to go wrong on precisely one frame such that all previous frames are OK then suddenly none are OK?

pentaxuser

Ballinderry-Michael · Mar 16, 2025

pentaxuser said:
As this was a lab processed film what in the processing might have caused what appears to be a temporary "glitch" in the processing that only affected frames 33-36?

The only thing I can think of is that the lab might have spotted the fault once this film had finished processing. It then corrected its bleach and fix steps which resulted in the OP's next film being OK

However this is pure speculation on my part and seems to rely on the fault occurring on exactly the 33rd frame of the last film before the Lab spotted it and rectified it

The problem I have is that I have no idea if lab's do one film at a time and examine the film each time or even if it is possible for the bleach and or fix to go wrong on precisely one frame such that all previous frames are OK then suddenly none are OK?

pentaxuser

33/36, not 33-36.

foc · Mar 16, 2025

Since it is a lab processed film and XP2 is C41, then I assume is was batch processed with other colour C41 films. If it was a processing problem the the other films would also have been affected.

Consult the lab.

A good lab will admit any mistake and offer a resolution. How a complaint is handled will show the measure of the lab.

pentaxuser · Mar 16, 2025

Ballinderry-Michael said:
33/36, not 33-36.

Ah, sorry misread the notation. So do I take it that 33/36 means that 33 out of 36 frames were affected? That and given what foc has said, suggests that the problem lies with the lab and for all anyone here knows, the problem may have affected a lot of customers films

Aperture UK describes itself as being an old and established company but its Trust Pilot rating is not what I'd expect to see for such a company

pentaxuser

Harry Callahan · Mar 16, 2025

Ballinderry-Michael said:
Given that the television aerial and the branches and twigs in the image in post 22 are not affected by the marks, the cause of those marks is not foreign matter on the negatives. The negatives should go back to the processor for an explanation, as the OP won't find the answer here on Photrio.

They are affected. Some examples:

You have to zoom in to see it, but there is affection - even on the television aerial, though it`s not that obvious. The affected part of the antenna is brighter.

This does remind me of the Fomapan Koraks posted, where the opposite effect is visible - lower density spots on the neg, here it seems to be higher density spots.

mshchem · Mar 17, 2025

Probably some Remjet floating around from some maverick movie film

koraks · Mar 17, 2025

mshchem said:
Probably some Remjet floating around from some maverick movie film

I'm sure that was a joke, but I'll point out for those who might mistake it for a probable cause - it isn't. Dissolved remjet is very fine particulate matter and it won't settle in this distinct chunks on the film.

The retained silver hypothesis I find a little puzzling since I don't see how an incomplete bleach or fix step would leave such clearly defined patches. I'd still like to see some close-up photos of the film, especially the emulsion side, seen at an angle and at fairly high magnification. The presence or absence of a visible artifact on the film surface is an important diagnostic in this case.

pentaxuser · Mar 17, 2025

mshchem said:
Probably some Remjet floating around from some maverick movie film

Maverick movie film! In that case it must involve James Garner

pentaxuser

MattKing · Mar 17, 2025

pentaxuser said:
Maverick movie film! In that case it must involve James Garner

pentaxuser

Actually, Top Gun would be more likely. After all, it does seem prevalent in the skies!

mshchem · Mar 17, 2025

MattKing said:
Actually, Top Gun would be more likely. After all, it does seem prevalent in the skies!

Well played sir!

XP2 Film Ruined - what's the cause?

runswithsizzers

Sharktooth

pentaxuser

Ballinderry-Michael

foc

pentaxuser

Harry Callahan

mshchem

koraks

Moderator

pentaxuser

MattKing

Moderator

mshchem

XP2 Film Ruined - what's the cause?

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency