[Leica] Acros & black spots

[scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)]

I just discovered tiny black flecks on my FP4+ negs (2 rolls). I asked
over on APUG and got two responses:

-1- Photo flow can do this sometimes

-2- Bits of silver in the fix can get lodged in the emulsion.

In my case, #2 is a likely theory. I also do a two bath fix, and I
imagine my bath #1 might be too old.  It's not that old, though,
so who really knows.

I'm going to try a rewash. Again, advice is to *gently* wash the film
with my fingers (as in a gentle rub) under running water, then a final
rinse in distilled water. I'll see.

Just when I get think I'm getting my own processing down....

Scott

Eric wrote:

>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/
>
>
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>