Blank films after developing

Kiwi Paul

Kiwi Paul

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This is the first time I've ever had this happen, I developed 2 rolls of B&W film in the same drum last night the same way I've done in the past. But the rolls were blank, there was no images on the films or any fim info on the edges.
It's a pity I did 2 rolls at the same time.
I can only put it down to the developer gone off, I use one shot developer so a new batch is mixed each time but the remaining developer had been sitting in the container for quite some time although the last time I used it about 3 months ago it was ok.
Has anyone else had this happen and can anyone offer any other explanation as to why this may have happened?
I definitely used the dev, stop, fix and rinse in the correct order at the 20 deg C.

TIA

Paul
 
Even if your dev was completely exhausted, there'd be something to see - from exhausted dev you get thin, very smoky, un-contrasty negs, not clear ones. If you're 100% certain the chems were used in the correct sequence, then it's possible the films were unexposed.
 
Kiwi Paul said:
there was no images on the films or any fim info on the edges.
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What sort of film was it? The absence of edge markings is unusual.
 
Arkady001 said:
Even if your dev was completely exhausted, there'd be something to see - from exhausted dev you get thin, very smoky, un-contrasty negs, not clear ones. If you're 100% certain the chems were used in the correct sequence, then it's possible the films were unexposed.
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The films were used in different cameras so would have definitely been exposed ok.
I may shoot off a few shots on a new film and develop it again and see what happens just to ensure it wasn't something I did.
I do have a new unopened container of developer so I could try that but I wanted to use up my existing developer first.
 
When you say blank, can you see through it or is it opaque?
 
Kiwi Paul said:
but I wanted to use up my existing developer first.
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That's always a bad idea. While you can use fixer until it no longer clears the film, using old developer is a false economy. Also, without knowing the film, and developer, we'll only be guessing at what went wrong.
 
Bad developer can give you all kinds of problems - but blank film is not one of them in my experience.

If ithe film is completely dark, to the extent that there's no image, then it's been exposed to light, and you need a changing bag as well as a darkroom. Where do you load your film into the spiral?

If it's compeletely clear...the only time this has happened to me (with a Zorki 4 Soviet Lecia copy, many years ago) is when is when the film leader slipped off the take-up spool, and I took 36 frames with no film behind the lens.

Fom that point I was careful about loading, and even slightly tightened the rewind knob, so that is revolved when I wound the first few frames on.

But no film info...? That's 'flashed 'on during manufacture... The only reasons I can think of that shouldn't be there is if the temperature was excessive, or some chenical interaction dissolved the entire emulsion -or exposure to light during loading. .

I used to use Acutol from Paterson, which was a one-shot developer, and the concentrate kept for ever. No problems if you thorougly wash everything and don't cross-comtaminate chemicals.

Very puzzling.

I used to bulk load film (don't know if you can still get that now) butif yo do, you might load a 'short' cassette with only a few frames on it, and test it out.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
What sort of film was it? The absence of edge markings is unusual.
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Ilford FP4+ 125 and HP5+ 400 film.
Yes I'm a bit stumped too, I'm sure I did everything in the correct order and I find it hard to believe the developer has gone off so much as too not develop the film at all.
What would happen if the stop of fixer were expired, surely I'd still get something on the film?
 
Kiwi Paul said:
Its opaque I'll try to put up a picture of the negative once I'm home from work.
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If the whole film, including the rebates, is opaque, that suggests you've exposed the film to a light source.
 
Once opened developers oxidise. I was always careful to use a developer within a few weeks of opening. For this reason my darkroom work tended to be in bursts so high activity to use the chemicals once opened which was another reason why it became less attractive. These issues were even more pronounced because I was using a C41 process for most of what I did colour and B&W film. However, I am also puzzled as I would not expect an oxidised developer to cause the film to be completely blank. It is possible that the entire film was exposed to light but unlikely this would be the case for two films accidentally. One other thought could you have inadvertently reversed the process and added the fixer first and developer last.

While sometimes careless when printing, I always really concentrated when developing film and never had any go wrong.

Dave
 
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AndrewFlannigan said:
If the whole film, including the rebates, is opaque, that suggests you've exposed the film to a light source.
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Mike_9000 said:
If ithe film is completely dark, to the extent that there's no image, then it's been exposed to light, and you need a changing bag as well as a darkroom
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Was just typing the same...

Did the lid come off the tank at any point? Did you change any of the process for getting the film out of the camera(s) onto a spiral?

Kiwi Paul said:
Ilford FP4+ 125 and HP5+ 400 film.
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Quick question on this... Did both films have the same developing times for the developer you used? The only time I've been able to put different films in the same tank is with Diafine. Were you using stand development? If so, and it was stood somewhere for an hour with a light leak of some kind, that might well explain the issue. Is it a tank that needs a rod down the middle that you might have forgotten to put in, or put in the wrong way round (Paterson tank for eg)
 
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I think it must be down to something I've done wrong somewhere but can't think what. I've used the same equipment and chemicals I used previously.
I think I'll runoff another roll of film or part roll and try again using the same chemicals and just be prepared to accept it may not come out if indeed it is a chemical issue, but this time be vigilant about the process than at least I'll know and put it down to experience.
One explanation is I used the chemicals in the wrong order but I'm certain I didn't as I discarded the developer and put the fixer and stop back in the container to be reused.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Was just typing the same...

Did the lid come off the tank at any point? Did you change any of the process for getting the film out of the camera(s) onto a spiral?


Quick question on this... Did both films have the same developing times for the developer you used? The only time I've been able to put different films in the same tank is with Diafine. Were you using stand development? If so, and it was stood somewhere for an hour with a light leak of some kind, that might well explain the issue. Is it a tank that needs a rod down the middle that you might have forgotten to put in, or put in the wrong way round (Paterson tank for eg)
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Hi, no the lid was secure the whole time and used the same process to get the film on the spiral.
The films had a slightly different developing time but just meant the 125 film would have a medium contrast as it was in the tank for a minute more than recommended for standard contrast.
It states 7 minutes for the 400 film and 6 minutes for the 125 film for normal contrast but 7 mins for the 125 film for higher contrast so the time was ok.
 
mstphoto said:
OH NO!! Was this from the weekend?
If it was then we need to go back ;)
Hope you get it sussed, Paul
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The rolls were spanning a couple of months so had various stuff on including the trip last weekend so very disappointing to lose 2 rolls, it's rare I develop 2 rolls together and this is the first time I ever had problems with developing. Typical. :rolleyes: :(
 
I assumed earlier when you said 'blank' that you meant the negs were clear, indicating unexposed...
If the film is opaque, it got exposed somehow... If it had fogged during processing, it would be unevenly distributed (unless you held the whole strip up to a window or something), with varying degrees of fogging: it's very rare (I've never seen it happen) for the entire roll to be accidentally fogged during the journey from camera to dev tank so completely that nothing shows at all... or rather that it could happen and you not notice you'd messed things up.

What's the provenance of the film? Sealed boxes?
 
This has happened to me twice. It's bad developer, chemicals are exhausted.
 
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