Fomapan 16mm Bizarre Processing

[Will2]

I asked Spectra to process a couple test reels of 16mm Fomapan B&W Reversal and got the strangest results back.

On the lightest areas of the film, like on skys, it looks like the film is on fire. A strange noise just where these light areas are... the leaves in the forground are fine, but the sky looks like the flames of hell.

They understood that this film requires the old B&W reversal process and thought they could do it by speeding the film through the bleach process or something, but I wound up with this amazingly strange effect.

I'll try to take a still with my projector to post here since I probably won't transfer it.

[richard p. t.]

I had that result so so many times with Fomapan!
I (Nano lab) now get fine results with Fomapan using Kodak chemistry, but only by keeping any rolls of Fomapan that need developing for the very first use of a particular batch of chemistry. That said, I think this stock will almost always give trouble when used with continuous processing machines that replenish rather than replace their chemistry (and that is the normal proceedure).

[ccortez]

FVS did the same thing to 400' of the best stuff I ever shot -- it's bleach damage, sticks to the whites. Unfortunately, the whitest parts of many of my shots were faces... and little white easter dresses.

[Will2]

I'm sure it has to do with bleach, here's a shot off the wall... hope no one else has to see it on their film.

The distorted sections are moving rapidly like really large noise, resembling a fire or something.

[avr]

Yes it appears due to a bad bleach. In my first home develpments with lomo tank I had the same problem because in the bleach step I didn´t move the tank enought.

I had archieved great results with Foma R100. Andec has a good development but I prefer the home development because you can archieve better blacks and good contrast. Andec development is a bit flat.

I post a pic with the same problem.

[aj]

I suppose it is part of the backing. This is to come off in the Bleach when using the Fomapan chemistry kits.

Usually these kits work fantastic when it is applied as singel shot. One time I experimentaly tried to reuse the chemistry within 45minutes after the first film and this second film had parts which looked like the shown images. I assume the bleach had lost its strength after the first run. The bleach comes out off the LOMO with a lot of dissolved material.

[audadvnc]

I am surprised that the "bad results with Fomapan and Kodak chemistry" issue keeps circulating on this board. It should be clear by now that Fomapan is an odd stock that requires its own chemistry for reliable processing. I don't think either Foma or Kodak make any claims otherwise.

Reminds me of someone putting gasoline in their diesel vehicle and complaining about the result. Isn't this an example of substance abuse?

[thebigidea]

so is there a lab in America that handles Fomapan with decent results?

[fritzcarraldo]

I've been using FOMAPAN for some years now, and i don't use any kit, i make my own chemicals and the results are great,

As a matter of facti, i never achieved such results with Kodak,

FOMAPAN has strong black, strong white and midtones like not many other stocks,

I'll get a frame of a film someday and post it here,

Regards

[Will2]

I am surprised that the "bad results with Fomapan and Kodak chemistry" issue keeps circulating on this board. It should be clear by now that Fomapan is an odd stock that requires its own chemistry for reliable processing. I don't think either Foma or Kodak make any claims otherwise.

Reminds me of someone putting gasoline in their diesel vehicle and complaining about the result. Isn't this an example of substance abuse?

I know, but they were pretty confident they could handle it. Other posts indicated that Kodak chemicals worked if the bleach step was timed differently. Yes, I learned my lesson.

[David M. Leugers]

My experiences with Fomapan have been a crap shoot. The only lab that I used that consistently gave good results was the now-defunct Franklin Film Lab, in California. Film and Video Services are capable of giving good results, but they have been unpredictable enough to where I am not sure I would use Fomapan on anything important. Since Plus-X is available in R-8mm, I see no reason to gamble on Fomapan anymore.


David M. Leugers

[richard p. t.]

I've been using FOMAPAN for some years now, and i don't use any kit, i make my own chemicals and the results are great,

As a matter of facti, i never achieved such results with Kodak,

FOMAPAN has strong black, strong white and midtones like not many other stocks,

I'll get a frame of a film someday and post it here,

Regards

Yes, but do you use your chemistry as a 'one shot' or do you find you can reuse your chemistry for several batches of films?

I don't believe this is a bleach issue.

[aj]

I don't believe this is a bleach issue.

No, indeed it is not the bleach itself. The bleach must deal with the backing coming off and gets contaminated too much with particles and looses strengh too much. So you cannot use it on more than one film.

[richard p. t.]

Actually you will get the same results with fresh bleach but previously used first developer. As it happens I normally use bleach as a one shot anyway. I believe there is a by-product produced during the first development that subsequent foma films are sensitive to.
You can develop further Kodak and Orwo films in developer that has had Foma put through it, but Foma will produce this effect (and increasingly strongly with subsequent films) when the first developer has been used already (and used with either Kodak or Foma film). Funny, lovely, scary stuff. I purchased a reasonable quantity of this stock before I realised the development problem with it. I no longer sell it, but will process it - but only as the first film in a batch of developer. That way, it works well.

[ccortez]

All interesting information...

Does anyone believe there is any way to treat the damaged film to improve the condition? I've got a lomo tank, access to chemicals, and nothing to lose! ;)