1st time developing, where did I go wrong

stumac

stumac

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stuart
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not to sure if this is a camera,developing or user fault but tonight I developed my 1st roll of film (hp5 400)

really enjoyed it but noticed a few problems with the scanned images(no scanner so taken with my dslr and macro lens on a light box)

1- all images are foggy/over exposed at one edge

2- there is lots of marks on the images

here is a sample

5P1A5797 by stuart macrory, on Flickr

can anyone help
 
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I'm no expert but would suspect fogging is a light leak in camera.

Marks and scratches are poor film handling technique.

Happy to be corrected though.
 
Both are what I suspected , I felt like I couldn't have handled the film any better , would it pick this up after it's been developed just by general handling ?
 
After you hang it up to dry, if you handle it before the emulsion is fully hardened it will mark very easily.
 
I wiped the access water off the negitive pretty much immediately after I took it out , should I have left it a while before wiping maybe ?
And the over exposure, would you say its safe to say its a light leak
 
stumac said:
ahhh sorry 400
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Doesn't matter, if you'd shot at 800 it would have been under exposed.

What camera are we shooting ?, how was it metered ?, that will sort exposure out one way or the other.

Then we're on to chemicals, the mix, the time, the temp.

Then its the mechanics of removing the film from the camera, loading the spiral and doing the soup..:)
 
Wiping the water off is fine. It's when it's nearly or only just dry where the danger lies.

My guess is a light leak, although it occurs to me that too little developer in your tank could cause that.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me will be along with a better diagnosis.
 
Fresh film using a om2n with onboard meter.
Felt I did everything by the book but being my 1st go I suppose I could never be too sure . Will fire another roll through the camera and see how I get on .
 
Can you put some more frames up so we can get a look at the marks.
Are they all in the same place on the frame, are they on all frames or are some better than others.
Did you make sure you did all film handling in total darkness until the film was in the tank and the lid on correctly?
 
Metering cock ups are usually under exposures.
Over exposures are usually sticky shutters or curtain drag
If you reckon you souped good, check the camera for light leaks and you method of getting the film from camera to spiral.
 
How much dev did you put in, and how many rolls did you dev at once?
 
I put just over 300ml in as per instruction for 1 roll
 
Did you push the spiral right down so it was at the bottom of the column? a very common mistake.When you fix the film wash it then use some wetting agent take the film and use tongs with rubber contacts from top to bottom once should do it but twice if needed hang and let dry don't use fans and blowers they will cause dust.Wipe film when wet straight away do NOT wait as the emulsion will become tacky.Scanners show up ever little flaw in a neg. If you put that neg in a diffused light enlarger most of those marks would not be visable.
The light patch at the bottom will only be caused if the shutter is a vertical curtain but as far as I can remember the OM2 had a horizontal shutter so it won't be shutter related. I think it is a developing issue or poss light leak but light leeks do not often appear as smooth and uniformed as that, the film would would have varying amounts of light leeking in as the roll was used up so differing amounts of exposure along the length of the film.
 
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From my experience it looks like you might have a light leak in the developing tank, or, there is not enough developer, or fixer even in the tank.
 
Im one of these cant wait sort of people so I just shot another film in the house and developed and its looking better(i think) heres a new one although I still had to clone out a few dust spots

6 by stuart macrory, on Flickr
 
Thanks everyone for the help and advise , I'll keep shooting and time will tell
 
Yay - that looks better.

Some mistake somewhere in the process first time around perhaps.

Seems sorted now.

I still think there's something not quite right at the very bottom, but I might be imagining it. More frames from the latest film would be good.
 
Hold on - my brain just kicked in. I'm confused about timings here.

How long did you allow the roll to dry for?
 
stumac said:
Im one of these cant wait sort of people so I just shot another film in the house and developed and its looking better(i think)
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Is that image from this latest roll? If so, that seems awfully quick. How much time did you allow the negatives to dry? You're meant to give them a few hours to do so. I always go for at least three, but usually four hours.

stumac said:
Im one of these cant wait sort of people so I just shot another film in the house and developed and its looking better(i think) heres a new one although I still had to clone out a few dust spots
Click to expand...

If you're going to scan your own black and white film, I'd start getting pretty accustomed to cloning out dust. The benefit of other films types (e.g., C41 and E6) is that you can use the infrared scanning option—if your scanner offers it—to deal with the dust and dirt automatically, but that doesn't work with traditional B&W.
 
Yes guys it was still drying , I physically held it over the light box a photographed it , will post more shots from the roll but all seems good
 
Well if you adjust for contrast and brightness in Photoshop there is not much wrong (well except for a streak of possible light leak) as the tones are good in the shot of the camera.
 
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