Efke IR820 over and underdeveloped on same roll

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andyhen
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Efke IR820 over and underdeveloped on same roll

Post by andyhen »

I just developed a roll of Efke IR820 following the manufacturers instructions. I used D-76 developer, an Ilford fixer and Paterson tanks. All the chemicals were at 20C, I agitated for the first 30 secs and every 30 secs thereafter for 7 mins with 5 mins in the fixer. When I checked the roll the film that was on the outside of the developing reel was over developed (almost clear) and the film on the inside is underdeveloped (very dark). Has anyone experienced this before? Or have any advice about what I can do next time?

Keith Tapscott.
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Post by Keith Tapscott. »

Do they enlarge OK? It is usually better to judge a negative by how they print in a darkroom to identify any problems which could be numerous, such as film exposure, as well as processing errors such as under/over development, wrong temperature of the processing solutions etc.

foolscape
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Post by foolscape »

I'd say this was an exposure problem. If you used reels and tanks, there should not be any difference unless the chemical did not cover the film, and that would be a side to side shift in values, not one that would effect the inside of the reel versus the outside. Check your camera and make sure that the meter is working. Perhaps it gradually stopped working, or the batteries slowly died. If you are using a hand held meter, check that one too. Remember that IR film responds to different surfaces differently. If you meter on a body of water, it will underexpose. If you meter on leaves, it will overexpose. These reflect heat differently. I have always shot IR film based on ambient temperature and cloud cover with good results. I have rarely used a meter for it.

--Gary

pentaxpete
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Post by pentaxpete »

I think you may have it wrong in your description - overdeveloped negs are dense and contrasty,not 'almost clear', and underdeveloped negs are very 'thin' in density not as you described, dark. I think it's the EXPOSURE wrong- the almost clear negs are under-exposed and the dark ones are over-exposed.
Got COMPUTERISED and 'slightly Digitised Pentax K10D' but FILM STILL RULES !

RJ-
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Re: Efke IR820 over and underdeveloped on same roll

Post by RJ- »

andyhen wrote:I just developed a roll of Efke IR820 following the manufacturers instructions. I used D-76 developer, an Ilford fixer and Paterson tanks. All the chemicals were at 20C, I agitated for the first 30 secs and every 30 secs thereafter for 7 mins with 5 mins in the fixer. When I checked the roll the film that was on the outside of the developing reel was over developed (almost clear) and the film on the inside is underdeveloped (very dark). Has anyone experienced this before? Or have any advice about what I can do next time?
Andy,

Without listing an Exposure Index for your Efke IR820 along with IR filter wavelength and compensation, the problem of the clearer film on the peripheral spool and the darker innermost reel on the spool may be an agitation/development issue.

If the film on the peripheral reel is almost clear, then the film is more likely to be underexposed; not overexposed. If the innermost film on the reel is very dark, it is likely to be overexposed, not underexposed.

Efke IR820 is quite a thick emulsion; you may need to start using a presoaking technique before developing. This aids even penetration and adsorption of the chemical developer onto the film surface.

Film development which relies on using the rotating centre stick for the agitation cycle of 30 seconds, classically creates a concentration gradient across the radius of the developing tank. You may need to revise your agitation cycle in addition to the recommendations given above.

Kind regards,

RJ

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