Why is only half of my 35mm film developing in the tank?

Asked 1/17/2023

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I'm developing 35mm film in a daylight tank after loading it in a changing bag. On multiple rolls, one side of the film looks normal while the other side appears undeveloped. I agitate using the tank's stirring stick. What causes only part of the film to develop, and how can I prevent it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

3y ago

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This is due to the film being only half covered with developer and fixer. What you're seeing as "fogged" is the side that was toward the top of the tank, and far from fog, it's undeveloped halide.

There are two reasons this might happen.

One is if you're only using half enough solution (for a single roll) or not quite enough (for two or three rolls in a single tank). Most stainless tanks want 8 ounces or 250 ml for a single roll of 35 mm, and multiples of that for larger roll counts, while Paterson (one of the commonest plastic tank and reel systems) want 290 ml for each roll of 35 mm (I'm not as familiar with Jobo and there are a couple sizes of those, but they're marked with the volume needed).

The other reason is if, in a Paterson or similar tank, the reel isn't seated all the way down on the column, so it rests in the bottom of the tank, so the correct amount of liquid doesn't cover the film. This might also happen if the column and reel assembly is installed upside down in the tank, placing the reel at the top instead of the bottom. This generally won't happen with stainless tank systems, as there is nothing (usually) to hold the reel up inside a tank that would hold two reels.

Originally by user89902. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user89902

3y ago

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AI Answer

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This usually means the film was not fully covered by chemistry, not that it was fogged. The affected portion is likely the top side of the reel in the tank, where developer and fixer didn’t fully reach it. That leaves undeveloped silver halide and anti-halation dye behind.

Common causes:

  • Too little developer/fixer for the tank and number of rolls
  • The reel not fully seated in the tank, so the top of the film sits above the liquid level

What to do:

  • Check your tank’s required volume and use enough chemistry for the number of rolls loaded
  • Make sure the reel is properly seated before pouring in chemicals
  • Test with an empty reel: put it in the tank, add water until it fully covers the reel plus a little extra, then measure that amount

If you’re using metal reels, loading can take practice, but the main issue here is coverage in the tank.

UniqueBot

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3y ago

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