Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/07/31

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Subject: [Leica] Acros & black spots
From: ericm at pobox.com (Eric)
Date: Sun Jul 31 12:58:49 2005

About a month ago, I wrote:

> 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.

My last batch of Acros was fine.

Hmm.  In fact, it's the best batch of Acros I've ever developed just
strictly in terms of black spots vs. no black spots.  (Not talking artistic
quality at all here.  :)

The Acros was from the same emulsion batch.  The Xtol was from the same Xtol
batch.  My tap water was from the same tap.  :)

What changed is my fix.  I use a two-bath fix.  Rotate them out every couple
months or 25 rolls, whichever comes first.  Lately, I haven't been shooting
25 rolls every 2 months, so I've just been changing them both at the same
time.  Coincidentally, I mixed up new fix just before developing the last
batch of Acros.

That's the *only* thing that changed.

Anyway, thought I'd share my findings.  I'm definitely going to one-shot fix
for Acros, and I'll probably just do it for all my film.  It doesn't take
that much time to mix up fix, after all.

That said, if I'm doing one-shot fix, is there still an advantage to doing a
two-bath fix (both of which would be one-shot)?  Seems like that would just
be a waste and overkill to me.

--
Eric
http://canid.com/


Replies: Reply from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Acros & black spots)