# Developing Disaster



## oriecat (Mar 24, 2004)

:cry:  I just developed two rolls from our weekend away this past w/e and I've got nothing.  My roll of Delta 3200 that I shot with the Holga, I can almost see two of the pics, and not much else.  My HP5 400 is totally clear I think.  I am so confused.  I usually roll my film in the closet, but I thought I would try rolling in the darkroom.  It didn't seem to have any light (altho there are a couple glow in the dark things, such as my photo thermometer, do those count as light?).  But if I exposed the light while rolling, wouldn't it be all black instead of all clear?  I can't think clearly right now because I'm very upset, so maybe I'm thinking backwards.  But the film is totally clear, as tho it wasn't exposed, right?  Could my developer be bad?  I dated it when I mixed it and I thought it should be good until 4/08.

This blows.  :cry:  I can still see some of the shots in my head.  They were gonna be gorgeous.   :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:



Edit - ok brain functioning returning... even the film leader isn't black (not even close), so it obviously isn't an exposure issue.  I can't think of what else it could be other than the dev.  Live and learn, I guess.  No more batches.   This could explain why my last roll was so thin perhaps.  I thought it was just a light meter issue since it was my first roll with my new old camera...  but then a couple of the negs came out fine, so still confused... grrrr....


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## TheProf (Mar 24, 2004)

Hey 
It coulod also be that your cameras shutter in not opening?  Check it. 
Also Shooting Holga is always a pain Under expo is always a prob but I would have thought with 3200 it would be ok .  Have you shot with this cam before they are all diffrent some are good and some just blow.  

are you from Oregon?  I use to live there, tough lighting!  But beautiful!!!


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## TheProf (Mar 24, 2004)

Just had a thought if your film leader was clear you might have Fixed first?


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## ksmattfish (Mar 24, 2004)

TheProf said:
			
		

> Hey
> It coulod also be that your cameras shutter in not opening?
> 
> Just had a thought if your film leader was clear you might have Fixed first?
> ...


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## oriecat (Mar 24, 2004)

The film leader isn't clear, it is darker than the rest of the film, just not even close to black.  I didn't fix first, on the holga roll I do have some image and on the 35mm roll I checked it after the stop and I watched it fix.  I'm using Ilfosol.



> Also Shooting Holga is always a pain Under expo is always a prob but I would have thought with 3200 it would be ok



Yeah that was my thought as well.  Since it is usually underexposed, I figured shooting with 3200 in the daytime might get me overexposed a stop or two.  This is my 5th(?) roll on this holga?  I just checked the roll again since it's dry and put it on the light table and I actually can see each image on it, it's just barely there.  I had to wash the 35m roll again, so I will check it when I get home from work to see if I have anything at all.  I haven't had trouble with my shutter before, but who knows... and I've got another roll of film in it now so it's hard for me to tell.  I think  I will just knock that roll out today so I can test it tonight...


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## ksmattfish (Mar 24, 2004)

The shutters crapped out on both my Holgas after one roll of film each, so that could definately be it.  They still click, but if you look though the lens you can tell that nothing is moving.


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## oriecat (Mar 24, 2004)

Well I've got faint images on the holga roll.  It's the roll from my Nikon that appeared to be nothing.  Unfortunately!  It'd be a lot cheaper to buy a new holga than to get my nikon fixed!  I'll know tonight when I develop today's roll.  I really think it was just bad developer tho.


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## motcon (Mar 24, 2004)

what time and temp in the developer did u use?


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## oriecat (Mar 24, 2004)

Temp was about 67 for each

Delta 3200 was 13 minutes, HP5 was 7 minutes, as per my Ilford chart


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## motcon (Mar 24, 2004)

those times are correct for a temp of 68. not a huge deal there at all. 

is it possible that the leader did not catch and the film didn't advance? 

the only things that of which i can think have been mentioned:

1) shutter issue 
2) fixed either before developer OR some fix somehow got into the developer
3) film didn't advance (although you said you could see faint images)
4) developer is 'dead'. i noticed that my negs recently started to become very thin. i use pmk and the shelf life of that stuff is pretty close to forever...in the right temperature. i stored it in an area that was a bit (very) cold. that said, it took a nose dive on me.  
5) dilutions correct?


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## markc (Mar 24, 2004)

For #1 and #3 the leader would still be black. The only way I could think if this happening, unless the camera was loaded and unloaded in a dark room, is something going wrong in the developing process.


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## oriecat (Mar 25, 2004)

Well my roll from today also came out clear. 

Question, if the shutter was bad and the dev was good, then I would still be able to see the writing on the edge of the film, right?  I have nothing at all on the film.  I do believe my developer is dead.  Time to shop...


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## TheProf (Mar 31, 2004)

Well thats just weird  :?  I cant imagine what else it could be


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