is this bad processing??

[brick33308]

I sent TheFindLab 4 rolls of b/w Arista 200 and 4 rolls of Portra. They did the Portra as machine developing but did the Arista manually (I guess because they don't have a machine that does b/w?).

I shot all of them with a Holga which is why they look sort of rough.

Anyway, the color scans were fine. However most of the b/w scans had weird black markings all over them (see examples below). I asked a friend who shoots los of film, and he said It looks like crud from their messed up process that dried onto the negatives.

So I contacted them, and here's the email I just got back from them this evening: "In regards to seeing unusual marks you were seeing on your scans, I've spoken to our black & white scanning team and they informed me that the marks are the result of humidity damage. This isn't something that happens in processing; it would have occurred before your film came to us for development. Humidity damage happens on 120 film when moisture gets in between the film and the backing paper. Ink from the backing paper can rub off onto the film itself and cause all sorts of mottling/damage (hence what you're seeing on your scans)."

FYI, the Arista rolls are each individually wrapped in SEALED packets that have to be cut open. I never unsealed a packet unless I was going to use the roll. And since there are only 12 exposures on a roll, I would literally load a roll into the Holga camera, take it out for less than an hour to shoot, then bring the exposed roll back into my air conditioned home.

My take - they're incompetent and refusing to take responsibility.

What do you think?













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[Autonerd]

Can you post pics of the negatives? Both sides, against a bright background like a bright computer screen. If there's crap on the negative, we should be able to see it.

(BTW B&W is done by hand, or by dip-and-dunk machine because developing times differ depending on the type of film and the chosen developer. Color negative film is a standardized process for any film marked "C-41".)

Aaron

 

[Gesture]

Did you bring film from humid outdoors indoors; or freezer stored film used before allowing to acclimate to outdoor environment?

Try an Ilford 120 film. I know it's more expensive than Arista.

Try to process your B&W negatives yourself if you can. I have pages and page of beautiful negatives developed in different homes, climates, areas of country without issues. Reels often loaded in a changing bad.

Don't give up.

Good luck.

 

[brick33308]

Can you post pics of the negatives? Both sides, against a bright background like a bright computer screen. If there's crap on the negative, we should be able to see it.

(BTW B&W is done by hand, or by dip-and-dunk machine because developing times differ depending on the type of film and the chosen developer. Color negative film is a standardized process for any film marked "C-41".)

Aaron

the processing place has the negatives. I need to let them know if I want to pay to have them sent back.

 

[brick33308]

Did you bring film from humid outdoors indoors; or freezer stored film used before allowing to acclimate to outdoor environment?

it's normally humid here in Fort Lauderdale, and after shooting I brought them in. Would that be enough to damage the film as they say?

And if the film was so damaged, should they know that before scanning?

 

[TLGG]

Without the negatives you won't know.

What kind of place does not return your negatives?

Looking at the scans they appear like a darkroom problem I faced a few decades ago. Processed negatives in chemistry diluted with filtered water - trouble is the water filter put in was a "carbon" filter. One with 'activated carbon' for taste. It sheds small bits of the carbon into the water for some time after installation. If you don't run a fair amount of water through them when new you end up with the small bits in your food, chemistry & whatever you are making.

Not saying this is what caused it, just that it looks similar to the print results I found.

 

[Tom Vaitonis]

Did you bring film from humid outdoors indoors; or freezer stored film used before allowing to acclimate to outdoor environment?

it's normally humid here in Fort Lauderdale, and after shooting I brought them in. Would that be enough to damage the film as they say?

And if the film was so damaged, should they know that before scanning?

That very well may be! Like you I'm in a humid part of the US and can experience odd results too.

 

[brick33308]

Did you bring film from humid outdoors indoors; or freezer stored film used before allowing to acclimate to outdoor environment?

it's normally humid here in Fort Lauderdale, and after shooting I brought them in. Would that be enough to damage the film as they say?

And if the film was so damaged, should they know that before scanning?

That very well may be! Like you I'm in a humid part of the US and can experience odd results too.

sorry but I can't conceive that the film could be affected by humidity being one hour outdoors.

 

[Tomm111]

It could be bad processing, very bad, but it could be the film too, if you like this lab otherwise I would shoot a roll of Ilford or Kodak film and have them process that. B&W labs vary, as was said before color is consistent, b&w is not, I went through 4 labs before I found one that developed film that looked like how I wanted the negs. I now process at home. One other thought, it could be an extemely dirty scanner. Have you told them you want a refund?

 

[brick33308]

It could be bad processing, very bad, but it could be the film too, if you like this lab otherwise I would shoot a roll of Ilford or Kodak film and have them process that. B&W labs vary, as was said before color is consistent, b&w is not, I went through 4 labs before I found one that developed film that looked like how I wanted the negs. I now process at home. One other thought, it could be an extemely dirty scanner. Have you told them you want a refund?

I didn't ask for the refund because their responses were basically gaslighting - "we have very good lab techs, we never make mistakes" blah blah blah.

 

[D Cox]

Can you post pics of the negatives? Both sides, against a bright background like a bright computer screen. If there's crap on the negative, we should be able to see it.

(BTW B&W is done by hand, or by dip-and-dunk machine because developing times differ depending on the type of film and the chosen developer. Color negative film is a standardized process for any film marked "C-41".)

Aaron

the processing place has the negatives. I need to let them know if I want to pay to have them sent back.

I would get them sent back. Then you can at least have a good look at them.

 

[D Cox]

Did you bring film from humid outdoors indoors; or freezer stored film used before allowing to acclimate to outdoor environment?

Try an Ilford 120 film. I know it's more expensive than Arista.

Try to process your B&W negatives yourself if you can. I have pages and page of beautiful negatives developed in different homes, climates, areas of country without issues. Reels often loaded in a changing bag.

Don't give up.

Good luck.

Same here.

If you want a job done properly, do it yourself.

Investing in a developing tank (I prefer the JOBO ones) and a changing bag is well worth while. I also have thousands of good negs from all over.







Rodinal is a good developer to use if you don't shoot a lot of film, as it keeps well.

Don

 

[Overrank]

There are examples of similar things to this elsewhere on the internet with reasons *not* connected to the developing e.g. https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...of-small-scratches-looking-for-culprit.56515/ (the marks are smaller than the ones you have). I think you definitely want the negatives back to be able to make the right judgement.

 

[Gesture]

Better fortune with your next effort.