andreasdegner
Hi everyone,
I developed my first roll film today (Ilford FP4+, exposed with a Kiev 60 I recently bought). It looks quite good so far; loading it and so on went smoothly, without having to sacrifice a test roll. I did notice one difference compared to 35mm film, though: the emulsion side (the side that’s in contact with the protective paper) has a continuous silky sheen. It looks as though there’s some sort of coating on it. I processed the film in the same way as my previous 35mm films, where the base always had a sheen. Is this normal for roll film? Have I done something wrong? I hope it won’t be a problem when I enlarge the prints...
Best regards,
Andreas
TR
Hello,
Generally speaking, I have noticed differences in the same films depending on how they are packaged. However, what you’re describing sounds like the film hasn’t been fixed properly. That said, as far as I know, this wouldn’t affect the backing.
Best regards, Thomas
Wolfgg
Cut off a small streak at the start or end of the film, hold it in the fixer for another minute by hand, moving it constantly, then rinse and dry it – does anything change?
Regards, Wolfgang
andreasdegner
Hello,
The shimmering coating is on the backing side, so it shouldn’t be due to insufficient adhesion. Could it perhaps be some sort of residue from the protective paper?
It’s not really a big deal; you can only see this shimmer in bright, oblique light. I’d still like to know what it might be, though. I might post a photo of it later.
Best regards,
Andreas
MirkoBoeddecker
Andreas,
Roll films are cast onto a different base than 35mm films.
As they are wider than 35mm films, they often tend to live up to their name (roll film).
That is why manufacturers apply a backing (anti-curling, i.e. to prevent curling).
After development, the emulsion should be more or less transparent. It can and should have a matting effect. This is actually a good thing, as it allows you to mask or retouch the roll film on the reverse side, and any micro-scratches caused by film transport would disappear again due to the gelatin swelling during development.
Does the emulsion interfere with printing in any way? Does it show through into the image?
Best regards,
Mirko
