[Leica] just souped...

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

On 7/5/05 4:32 PM, "Eric" <ericm@pobox.com> typed:


> One thing I've noticed with Acros is that I get little black spots on my
> negatives.  Doesn't happen with either Neopan 400 or Neopan 1600.  I ran 3
> rolls of Acros and 1 of Neopan 1600 this time.  Tiny black spots on Acros.
> Nothing on Neopan 1600.  And they were in the same tank.  So I think it's
> definitely something about Acros.
> 
> --
> Eric
> http://canid.com/
> 
> 
To me it could be that BATCH of Acros, the emulsion number having no
problem.
Check emulation numbers. See if they were all the same. If they were go to
the camera store and make sure the next roll you get is not that number.
I've done this many times. And then see if there's spots on that roll. Often
there is not.

Boring as Kodak is this never happens with Kodak like this would never
happen with your Tmax 100, not that I'd shoot that.
Ilford makes up sometimes in inconsistency what it has in quality.
And so does all the other companies films I've ever used like Agfa.
They DO screw up sometimes. You cant completely count on them like you can
with Kodak.
I never ran a batch of Plus x I didn't like.

So if the emulsion numbers were different any way you could move up a notch
on your water. Use nicer water. Try putting a filter in your line. Or using
distilled water. Or boiled water. I have water from Iceland in my car on the
passengers seat just in case. Bj?rk might come on the radio and I can sing
along.
And check the inside of your metal tanks there could be stuff in there.
You could use the Kodak cleaning stuff you soak your reels and tanks in.
Which is sticking to your one film not the other because of the varieties of
films. 
It be a shame to not be able to ever use ACROS just because it's a tad
"sticky".
It's the film I use not when I'm pulling out all the stops.
I've not used pan f in years. Which is ASA 50 anyway.

Also some films seem to need the hardener.
Normally I leave it out like most do. The solution B. but just use the
solution A. normally from a cube of Kodak rapid fixer "A".
But I'll get that from tri x. it's kind of sticky and things flake off the
emulsion and then stick to the film. So the battery acid comes in handy. (B)
Makes for clean negs which take a lickin and keep on ticken. You can tap
dance on them.
Tab grain films are supposed to not need it at all but be self hardening but
who knows? I ignore half of what they tell me.

Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/