C41 process yellow streaks

FujiLove

FujiLove

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I processed a film yesterday using the Tetenal C41 kit which turned out to have faint yellow lines/streaks down most of the roll. Here is the original post, so you can see how it came out of the scanner:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/show-us-yer-film-shots-then.53681/page-322#post-6354401

I grabbed two of the worst offenders and upped the saturation and tweaked the curves in Photoshop to emphasise the streaks (sorry for burning your retinas) and it now looks more like some sort of processing/chemical issue. I've trawled through Google for a couple of hours but I can't find anything that looks like this. The closest I've found is a possible lack of bleach/fix. Maybe one of the chemicals not being washed off properly? Anyone got an idea what the problem could be?

I used a rotary processor and I think I was spot on with the temps and timings. All the chems are only a few days mixed and have been well sealed and stored.

View attachment 15505


View attachment 15506
 
Also, I assume the different shape of the streaks on different frames, rules out light leaks from the camera?
 
Okay, a bit more reading around and some people on other forums are suggesting that an acid stop bath, then water wash should be used between the colour dev and the blix to make absolutely sure the processing has finished and prevent cross contamination of the blix (to enhance it's life, I assume). Anyone on here doing that? And if so, could you recommend a stop to use? I have some B&W stop (Ilfostop) but I'm not sure if that would work with C41.
 
I've just dragged all my kit out again and given the tank a good looking over. Now I'm thinking I used the wrong centre column in the tank. I have a new tank with a shorter column and it may have been mixed up with the older tank I use for the C41. There's not much difference (about 5 or 6 mm), but it would be enough to allow the developer to spill over and run down the film rather than filling up from the bottom. Also the longer column has a different base, perhaps meaning the developer didn't flow out the bottom fast enough, again causing the liquid to spill out over the film. The splashed area of film would receive around 10 seconds more development time, leading to the smear.

That's the latest theory anyway!

Any other ideas? It's very quiet around here!
 
i used the same stop as i use for black and white ,,,but it changed to a muddy colour afterwards and so i threw it after i had finnished ,, i cant see it being the fact that you used a different tank ,,,it looks like drying marks on the second ( the sort of effect you get with drying marks ) maybe one of the chems didnt get to the film .
 
More research and further realisation that I've been making a mess of my processing. The column in the tank is definitely the wrong one and having poured water down it this morning, it does make a difference to how the liquid flows. The developer almost certainly would have spilled over the top of the tube and over the film.

I read one of the online JOBO instruction manuals and also realised that I've been cocking up my tank pre-warm. Instead of dry warming it, I've been filling the tank with water at 38C and running it slowly on the processor. Next, I didn't realise the Blix needs to be oxygenated and that I could leave it running a little over time. Finally I thought the stabiliser had to be run on the processor at 38C, rather than just sitting in the tank at room temperature. Not sure if that has had an effect, but it explains why the film looks like it's come out of a bubble bath when I open the tank!
 
Well I'm not much help on this problem as I've never used Jobo equipment......but after dev colour and B\W for years learnt some basic rules i.e. the tank should be thoroughly washed out before another film is dev....a B\W stop bath is OK after dev and I used to throw it away...shake the blix before use to oxygenate...thoroughly wash film afterwards and I did use a wetting agent for the final rinse to avoid streaks.
Also I never used a pre rinse with water before dev but this is debatable as some people do and some don't.
 
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