XP2 Film Ruined - what's the cause?

[DavidClapp]

Hi there - what do you think caused this? I have three rolls of XP2 in 35mm, the first one has come out with all these weird marks on 33/36 shots. Its all on the same side of the film.

Is it processing or condensation? I am thinking about binning the other two...

 

[lamerko]

Maybe insufficient bleaching/fixing and scanning with IR cleaning option enabled...

 

[runswithsizzers]

Its all on the same side of the film.

Can you describe what "it" is? Or better yet, try to take a close up photo of the affected negative against a back light.

How was the film processed?

 

[retina_restoration]

Who developed the film? You, or a lab? Was the film past its expiration date?

 

[koraks]

what do you think caused this? I have three rolls of XP2 in 35mm

Hard to tell. Could you post some close-up photos of both sides of an affected negatives, preferably at an angle so the surface of the film is clearly visible?

 

[250swb]

It's easy to tell it's not processing or dust assuming it's a professional job. But with it being only on 'the same side of the film' can only mean the emulsion side, so maybe bad storage and the emulsion has stuck to the substrate.

 

[ic-racer]

I think there was a recent thread on how to post images of negatives for troubleshooting.

 

[MattKing]

That looks like a double exposure to me.

 

[MattKing]

I think there was a recent thread on how to post images of negatives for troubleshooting.

Yep.
https://www.photrio.com/forum/resou...nsparencies-for-troubleshooting-purposes.461/

 

[pentaxuser]

That looks like a double exposure to me.

I take it you are talking of the OP's picture, if so what makes you think that?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

I take it you are talking of the OP's picture, if so what makes you think that?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Top right corner - looks like foliage to me:

 

[koraks]

Top right corner - looks like foliage to me:

I don't recognize it as such, to be honest. I see no recognizable pattern to the defect at all.

maybe bad storage and the emulsion has stuck to the substrate.

This kind of damage I would associate with missing patches of emulsion, and also additional water damage.

I really think it's just crud sticking to the emulsion-side of the film. But I'd like to see some pics of the film. A possible factor would be severe particulate contamination in one of the processing stages. But that's a bit of a wild guess.

 

[Ian Grant]

The suggestion of incomplete Bleach fix seems quite likely. I have seen it once with XP1, also there's an example photo showing a similar effect on a colour negative in a darkroom book.

Ian

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

That looks like a double exposure to me.

Not on "33/36" frames, it isn't.

 

[ic-racer]

Its all on the same side of the film.

Again, hard to interpret that without picture of the negatives. What is "it," etc.

 

[pentaxuser]

Top right corner - looks like foliage to me:
View attachment 393699

Thanks Do you mean looks like as in " Has a foliage like look "? At that height in the picture it can't be foliage surely?

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

To me, it looks like a roll of film that first went through the camera to take some pictures in a forested area - deciduous trees I think - was rewound, and then exposed again.
Not that I've ever done something like that myself of course .
It really does look like a ghost image to me.

 

[Don_ih]

To me, it looks like a roll of film that first went through the camera to take some pictures in a forested area - deciduous trees I think - was rewound, and then exposed again.

I can see how it looks like that, but I think it's a coincidence.

I am thinking about binning the other two.

I'd be reluctant using either for anything important.

 

[Kino]

How old is the film? Was it stored in a damp environment?

I have seen color negative spotting from film stored unsealed in a refrigerator that was just like this after processing.

 

[DavidClapp]

Can you describe what "it" is? Or better yet, try to take a close up photo of the affected negative against a back light.

How was the film processed?

Its a C41 processing of XP2. I handed this to Aperture UK in London. Another film I did at the same time came out perfectly fine.

 

[DavidClapp]

Ok thanks for all the responses. Here's a crop of the top right.

1. Its not foliage / double exposure or anything like that. It was a brand new film, dated Sept 2026 expiry.
2. This pattern is all over the top part of each picture, consistent until I got to three frames in towards the end.

Thanks for the link on the 'how to show negatives' - I will send some pics of the negs on a light box, but you won't see anything as the marks are too small.

 

[DavidClapp]

Here's the top left corner.

 

[koraks]

I will send some pics of the negs on a light box, but you won't see anything as the marks are too small.

See if you can make some close ups. You could try and hold a loupe to the lens of your phone's camera. This works remarkably well, assuming you have some kind of loupe or magnifier.

 

[runswithsizzers]

@DavidClapp -- Can you describe what you are seeing on the affected side of the negatives, preferably using some kind of magnifying glass?

Is it the the emulsion side that is affected, or the shiny base side?

I assume it looks something like dark smudges - are they grey/black or some hue or tint (color)?

If you lightly drag your fingernail lightly across the affected side of the film can you feel the edges of the marks? If so, are they raised or lowered?

Can you try to wipe off the marks using a soft dry cloth? Does a cloth dampened in water or alcohol dissolve them?

Have you been able to contact the lab that processed the negatives to hear what they have to say?

Edited to add: In case it is some kind of factory defect, Ilford (Harman Technology) should be notified to see if they have any other complaints with this batch of Ilford XP2. Harman's technical support staff are usually very helpful. They will probably want some numbers from the film box.

Thank you

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

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.