think black lines on b+w negative

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Jon Downes - 23 Jan 2006 20:39 GMT

Hi,
I am new to developing B+W negatives and am having minor problems. I am
developing HP5 plus in a spiral tank with ilfosol. I am getting good range
of density and the majority of negatives are good.
I am however seeing a few very thin black lines on the negatives,
predominently on the film at the outer spiral. These are not scratches from
the squeegee as they are not in the direction of the length of the film.
I hope you can give me ideas as to what is the cause.
Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Jon

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David Nebenzahl - 23 Jan 2006 20:56 GMT

Jon Downes spake thus:

> I am new to developing B+W negatives and am having minor problems. I
> am developing HP5 plus in a spiral tank with ilfosol. I am getting
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> cause.
> Thanks for your help.

Light leak from your camera? Hard to tell from your description; any
chance you can post some pictures (scans of prints)? It would help to
see what they look like: are they sharp and distinct, or soft and fuzzy?
Regularly spaced?

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nathantw - 24 Jan 2006 20:58 GMT

How are you agitating the film? Does the film touch the outer wall of
your developing can? If you're doing inversion agitation then perhaps
this is scratching your film.

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David Nebenzahl - 25 Jan 2006 02:24 GMT

nathantw spake thus:

> How are you agitating the film? Does the film touch the outer wall of
> your developing can? If you're doing inversion agitation then perhaps
> this is scratching your film.

No, unlikely.

Of all the ideas so far, static electricity seems the most plausible.

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nathantw - 25 Jan 2006 20:50 GMT

But then they should look like little lightning bolts, won't it?

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John - 27 Jan 2006 02:10 GMT

>But then they should look like little lightning bolts, won't it?

Depends on a lot of factors. In looking at the end of the image, it
has that lightning-type look to it. Right before the curl, you see
faint lines projecting outward.

==
John - Photographer & Webmaster
www.puresilver.org - www.xs750.net

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seog - 25 Jan 2006 16:26 GMT

> Hi,
> I am new to developing B+W negatives and am having minor problems. I am
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I hope you can give me ideas as to what is the cause.
> Thanks for your help.

Get a 10x loupe and see if there's something embedded in the emulsion. Might
have been some lint in the tank. Static is the other possibility.

Natural Light Black and White Photography
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze76ane/
-George-

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John - 25 Jan 2006 17:24 GMT

>Get a 10x loupe and see if there's something embedded in the emulsion. Might
>have been some lint in the tank. Static is the other possibility.

Believe me, it's static. I used to shoot a lot of Tech Pan which could
generate a significant amount of static during re-wind. I has one
entire roll ruined when the shooting in DC. Can you imagine the emount
of static that it would take to flash an image onto a EI25 film ? St.
Elmoe's Fire !

==
John - Photographer & Webmaster
www.puresilver.org - www.xs750.net

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