blue cast in B/W negs ???

[Walter Donovan]

Sometimes after developing Kodak TMX or TMY in TMAX developer,
Kodak indicator stop & Kodafix, I get a blue cast. I just did a roll of
TMX
and the entire roll was blue, but I've done TMX sheet film and had this
blue
in blotches. The rest of the neg was clear. Any help is appreciated.

Walt Donovan

[Charles E. Albertson]

Without seeing the film, it could be inadequate fixation, or exhausted
fixer, especially if the blue cast is in blotches on the film. Keep in mind
that the T-Max films eat fixer for breakfast, so you'll need to fix longer,
and discard used fixer more often than with "conventional" b&w films. Might
switch to Kodak Rapid Fixer or (my preference) the Formulary's TF-4 rapid
fixer, which does a thorough job on those films.

"Walter Donovan" <walter-...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:3A7187D2...@worldnet.att.net...

[L. J. Powell]

Walt -

I had this problem several years back. I was in a workshop and
developed my film in the gang darkroom. Every roll (repeat - EVERY
roll) that I shot and developed at the workshop had a uniform blue cast.

I am very familiar with the purple color of insufficiently fixed T-Max -
that's different. This was pale sky-blue color. And it was sufficient
to affect the contrast of the negs.

I didn't get the cast when processing the film in my home darkroom.
Eventually, I concluded that the film (bulk loaded - one emulsion
number) was fogged slightly and that the blue cast may have been caused
by iron contamination in the well-water used in the teaching darkroom.
This was not a scientific conclusion - but its the only explanation that
makes any sense. I know can detect just a bit more fog in the film base
on this emulsion than on I can see on other TMY emulsions, and I recall
that UPS left the box the film was shipped in next to the side door when
no one was home to receive it - out in the hot sun on a nice June day.

Suggestion - try developing a fresh roll of film of a different emulsion
number to see if you get the same result.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Louie J. Powell, APSA
Glenville, NY USA

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Maison/7881/

"Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem"
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[Richard Knoppow]

To add to Louis good advise, this might also be anti-halation dye
which has not been decolorized for some reason, or which has been
recolorized by somthing. Test it by putting a scrap of the film in
some Dektol stock for a couple of minutes and rinsing it. If its
anti-halation dye the alkali in the print developer should decolorize
it. Anti-halation dye is not washed out of film as is popularly
thought. It is converted into a colorless form. The color can be
regenerated by some chemicals in water. Since it is a reversable
reaction treatment in an alkaline solution should decolorize it again.
Dektol is suggested simply because it is convenient.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, Ca.
dick...@ix.netcom.com

[jjs]

In article <3a74abcb...@news.mindspring.com>,
dick...@ix.netcom.com wrote:

>[...] Test it by putting a scrap of the film in

> some Dektol stock for a couple of minutes and rinsing it. If its
> anti-halation dye the alkali in the print developer should decolorize
> it. Anti-halation dye is not washed out of film as is popularly
> thought. It is converted into a colorless form. The color can be
> regenerated by some chemicals in water. Since it is a reversable
> reaction treatment in an alkaline solution should decolorize it again.
> Dektol is suggested simply because it is convenient.

Another RK tip to print and pin to the wall! Thanks, Richard!

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