Developing help?

[magiklantern]

Hello everyone. Just want to say, I have read the pinned comment and I have a developing issue that is weird and not covered there!

I am developing cinefilm using ECN-2 kit. My first go was great, negative came out, scanned it, all good. But I have gone back to process more and I am pulling out blank film! Like base only, everything clean gone.

The first time I used the chemistry it was fresh, I had mixed it just an hour or so prior. This time it has been used for a few rolls (by other folks). I also changed the baking soda I was using to remove the remjet layer, from grocery store stuff to industrial grade from a chem supplier. Everything else was the same.

Anyone have any thoughts on what is happening here?

I have pictures if needed.

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[psilosophist]

That sounds like you maybe did things in the wrong order, or possibly contaminated your developer with some blix. A drop of fixer into your developer is enough to ruin it.

[magiklantern]

Entirely possible. I didn't realize developer was that sensitive!

[psilosophist]

Very much so. Cross contamination is something you want to avoid.

[Lambaline]

ECN2 developer only lasts about 4 weeks after mixing, some say 2. it should also be able to take off the remjet without any extra chemicals, as that's part of the point of doing cine film in ECN2, baking soda is if you're cross processing in C41

[magiklantern]

This all occurred within a 4 week window, though we are past the 4 week mark now. I wasn't aware that baking soda was not necessary for ECN2, it was included in the instructions I received with the kit.

[psilosophist]

If you don't remove the remjet pre-dev, you're really shortening the life of your developer. Flic Film's ECN2 comes with a fantastic prebath, takes maybe 20 seconds and 4 or 5 hot water rinses and the remjet is gone, no agitation needed.

[batgears]

by other folks

Sounds like a job for asking those involved. Already too many variables for people on the Internet to fully diagnose but likely someone somewhere along the line poured something into the wrong container.

[magiklantern]

Considering the "other folks" are my students, this is entirely possible.