What am I doing wrong?

apple429 · Aug 23, 2014

Hello everyone,

I am new to film photography and developing, so I have just been shooting a roll of 35mm every other week and developing it until I can get good at developing. I keep on getting this "fog" on the bottom of my negatives, I have two different film cameras (Nikon FM, and Pentax Spotmatic SP II) and with both cameras I get the same results, so that makes me think thats it's something I am doing in the developing process. Here are the chemicals I use:
Kodak D-76 Developer (I have tried both stock and 1:1)
Eco-Pro Stop Bath
Kodak Fixer
Kodak Hypo-Clearing Agent

My theory is that I have a light leak in my developing tank (Paterson)...

Here are some pictures of both the negatives and the colors inverted... I wasn't sure what you would need, please let me know if you need anything else.
Thanks for your help in advance!
~Taylor~

The_Traveler · Aug 23, 2014

Is it always at the top near the seal of the tank?
The defects look like swirl marks near the sprocket holes.

apple429 · Aug 23, 2014

The_Traveler said:
Is it always at the top near the seal of the tank?
The defects look like swirl marks near the sprocket holes.

Yes, I believe it is always at the top, how do I prevent this from happening?

The_Traveler · Aug 23, 2014

are you filling to the top and agitating as directed?
it's hard to commit that this is a light leak because of the 'swirl' look but try loading in the dark and then covering the top seal with duct tape and put the tank in a black plastic bag or a film changing bag if you have one.
do the rest of the developing process in very low or, preferably, no light until you've fixed it.

smithdan · Aug 23, 2014

If the film isn't sitting in the tracks in the reels, or is somehow forced so it is touching the reel or itself, then the chemistry doesn't come in contact with the film or get agitation evenly. My last roll bound in the reel at about frame 25 and had to be cut. remainder loaded smoothly in a second reel and didn't show the residual emulsion left along the edges. My reels are getting old and refuse to take 36 lengths sometimes.

Load a length of film, processed or scrap in the light and see if it slides along smoothly and doesn't hop out of the tracks and touch itself anywhere.

apple429 · Aug 23, 2014

The_Traveler said:
are you filling to the top and agitating as directed?
it's hard to commit that this is a light leak because of the 'swirl' look but try loading in the dark and then covering the top seal with duct tape and put the tank in a black plastic bag or a film changing bag if you have one.
do the rest of the developing process in very low or, preferably, no light until you've fixed it.

I was filling in the amount that the instructions on the tank said.. I just put some blank reels in the tank and filled up the amount that I had been pouring in, and it was barely at the top of the reel... so it makes sense that I am getting those "swirl" marks... I never thought about that! Thank You! I might develop some film tonight, so I will be sure to let you know how it goes!!

Smithdan- I will be sure to load some reels with scrap film and make sure nothing touches, definitely something to think about!

timor · Aug 23, 2014

apple429 said:
I was filling in the amount that the instructions on the tank said.. I just put some blank reels in the tank and filled up the amount that I had been pouring in, and it was barely at the top of the reel... so it makes sense that I am getting those "swirl" marks... I never thought about that! Thank You! I might develop some film tonight, so I will be sure to let you know how it goes!!

Smithdan- I will be sure to load some reels with scrap film and make sure nothing touches, definitely something to think about!

Before you shoot any other roll take a piece of black electrical tape and after you load film into your camera seal the top and bottom edge of the door. Just to eliminate one more possibility. Both of you cameras may have light leaks. I have 5 minoltas and they all leak light. It's just the age, every seal eventually will leak. Then, what model of Patterson do you have ? System 4 new or old ? Old:
http://home.planet.nl/~kockpit/cm1003906.jpg
new supersystem 4:
Paterson Super System 4 <br>Universaltank inkl. 2 Spiralen
But if they are not cracked they won't leak light.

apple429 · Aug 23, 2014

Timor-
I have the new super system 4. I will also try putting tape on the bottom of my camera and see if that helps!

Derrel · Aug 23, 2014

Looks like a light leak in the camera's back to me; light is coming in through the sprocket holes, and the "white" on the positives is caused by where light is coming in and making the negatives blacker...the light is coming in through the sprocket holes on the takeup spool it seems.

apple429 · Aug 24, 2014

Hey guys.. I was not able to shoot any film this weekend, so I will hopefully shoot some tomorrow at work and develop tomorrow afternoon... I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

timor · Aug 24, 2014

apple429 said:
Hey guys.. I was not able to shoot any film this weekend, so I will hopefully shoot some tomorrow at work and develop tomorrow afternoon... I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

We, hopefully, will be still here. Take your time.

gsgary · Aug 25, 2014

I'm going for not enough developer mix in the tank, after agitation do you tap the tank on worktop to release bubbles ?

gsgary · Aug 25, 2014

It could also be over agitation

apple429 · Aug 25, 2014

Hey guys! I got some great news!!!
I just finished developing two rolls of film and they both turned out beautifully! I shot one roll of film the same way I normally would, and another with tape sealed around the film door. I developed both in the same tank with more developing mix than I normally would. When I pulled the film off the reels they looked perfect! They are drying right now so I will post some pictures tomorrow!

Thank you all for your help!