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  #1  
Old 2nd August 2019, 11:42 AM
marty marty is offline
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Default Mottling on 120 Delta 400

Hi, everybody. I've encountered the annoying problem on a roll I shoot in the last weeks. It was a while since I shot and processed 120, anyway the "best before" date of the film is oct '19. I tend to exclude a processing issue since the small format Delta 400 I processed in the last months had no issues. I suspect some interaction between the emulsion and backing paper. My storage methods are the same I've ever used since ages with no problems, a box in cupboard in fresh room.In the past I've even shot slighty expired Delta with no issues at all. The problem is obvious in a couple of frames with uniform areas, sky and still water. If it's there in the other frames, where there are little or no uniform areas, is unnoticeable. Unfortunately I trashed the backing paper as soon I developed the film so I could not look there for clues. Is this maybe an issue similar to one which affected the Tmax not long ago? Or is there something I might have overlooked on my part? I have another roll of the same batch I intend to expose as soon as I have a chance to see what happens. I don't know if this is relevant but the last weeks here have been quite hot and humid.

Cheers,M.
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Old 2nd August 2019, 12:59 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Heat and humidity can damage film, but it would at least be protected from humidity whilst in its original sealed package. Again, in the camera it should be protected, but that’s not always the case, depending on how well sealed the camera is. It might help if you are able to attach an image of the negative to show the problem.
Alex


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Old 2nd August 2019, 03:29 PM
marty marty is offline
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Thanks for your reply, Alex. You can see the issue in the attachment, the white spots all around the sky area. This is a straight (except for the inversion and light sharpen) scan of the negative, the appearance on the print is pretty much the same. The film had been kept sealed in its original package until I loaded in the camera. So this would exclude the storage, probably. The camera is a Bronica Etrsi. The film stayed then maybe an hour in a wooden box inside a cupboard while I prepared the stuff for the development. So looks like it's a climate related problem somehow.

M.
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Old 2nd August 2019, 05:15 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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i am sorry to say its the film ,you only seem to have this trouble with 120 film its the backing paper ,I have had this problem before it is usually to do with how the film was stored .
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Old 2nd August 2019, 05:30 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Thanks for the picture, Marty. It shows very clearly the problem. I haven’t experienced this myself, but it looks like reticulation. I mention that because the effect seems quite evenly distributed over the frame. This occurs when the emulsion experiences sharp changes in temperature during processing. It’s not very common with modern film, but I believe it’s still possible. I had thought the backing paper problem gave a more random, blotchy appearance, but I may be wrong.
Alex.


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Old 2nd August 2019, 05:37 PM
marty marty is offline
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Hello, Paul, Thank you for replying. The storage hypothesys makes definitely sense.

M,
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Old 2nd August 2019, 05:50 PM
marty marty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
Thanks for the picture, Marty. It shows very clearly the problem. I haven’t experienced this myself, but it looks like reticulation. I mention that because the effect seems quite evenly distributed over the frame. This occurs when the emulsion experiences sharp changes in temperature during processing. It’s not very common with modern film, but I believe it’s still possible. I had thought the backing paper problem gave a more random, blotchy appearance, but I may be wrong.
Alex.


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Alex, that didn't crossed my mind, As the room temperature at the time of processing was 24°C I cooled down the chemicals at my usual 20°C along with the loaded tank in a water bath with ice packs. A thermal shock looks possible even though I 'd expected the reticulation to show up at some extent on every frame.
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Old 2nd August 2019, 05:59 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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My sympathies, Marty. Unfortunately we may never get to the source of the problem but I suspect that it has little or nothing to do with your processing or your storage and has everything to do with storage from when it left Ilford to when it arrived with you.

Have you had problems before with film bought from this same source. A forensic examination of the storage conditions might well get you closer to a cause but conducting such an examination may be impossible.

It is worth highlighting it to your seller, if the seller is a film business and to Ilford as well. Both need to know in case there is something that needs looking at

Mike
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Old 3rd August 2019, 07:18 AM
marty marty is offline
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Hi and thank you for stopping by, Mike. I never had a problem with this seller. I get almost all the films and materials from them since ever. Serious and competent staff. I'll expose the roll I have left and see what happens.

M.
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Old 3rd August 2019, 07:33 AM
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photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
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Looks to me like a wetting agent contamination. Always shows it's self in the sky and in other areas if you look for it.
There is a thread here that talks about it. Also a post on my blog on how I found it.
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