Rollei Retro 80S\ RLS - CLEAR negatives - Help !

[fatso]

I just tested a roll of Rollei Retro 80S (120 roll film) developed in Rollei RLS developer and the negatives came out completely clear.

iso 25
RLS (1:4)
9.5 minutes at 24C
5 inversions every 30 seconds.

The developer was brand new recently purchased from B&H.

The film is totally clear (slightly baby blue), no numbers or arrows, clear around the leader tape, I doubt camera exposure was a problem.
Unlikely the tank was contaminated - I rinse with permawash and very fussy about keeping everything clean, separate locations for developer/fixer, etc.
The developer has a strong smell of ammonia - is this normal ? I opened another bottle (they came as a 4 pack of 250ml) - same smell.
The developer has a slight yellow tinge (I mixed it 1:4), and came out VERY yellow AFTER development.

Could the developer be dead on arrival ?

Any ideas ?

Paul

[Michael R 1974]

I haven't used this film but I'm assuming it has edge markings. Assuming it does, those are "exposed" during manufacturing so it rules out exposure issues on your end and indicates a processing problem. Either the developer is completely dead, or you poured the fixer in instead of developer.

[fatso]

Hi Michael,

No edge markings, completely clear.

have you ever heard of developer smelling like ammonia ?

Is it possible the film had no emulsion ?!

In 20 years this is the first time I've ruined a roll of film - I'm a bit stumped.

Paul

[Michael R 1974]

I don't know what compounds are used in that developer so I can't say for sure, but I've never experienced strong odours with any general purpose developer and in particular I can't think of why one would smell strongly of ammonia.

If normally this film has edge markings but you're not seeing any, I'd have to suspect dead developer or that you accidentally fixed the film instead of developing it. I can't think of anything else that would lead to these results.

[pentaxuser]

Of the two and with the symptoms you describe I strongly favour fix first sequence in processing. A totally dead but new developer is possible but about as likely as discovering hens' teeth.

Sorry but many of us, including me, have been there once.

pentaxuser

[250swb]

With no edge markings I would suspect you put the fix in first. Everybody eventually makes every mistake once.

But if you still have a small bit of cut off undeveloped film leader in the bin just put a drop of the developer on it and it should turn black because it has been exposed to light. If on the other hand the film clears, well, they mislabelled something somewhere.

Steve

[fatso]

Hi, I'm 100% certain I didn't fix first.

I've discovered all sorts of emulsion flaws with Rollei Pan 25 film and my confidence with Rollei chemical products isn't very high. I'm wondering if the RLS developer was contaminated at the factory - I've never smelled anything like it.

[Michael R 1974]

While a MSDS cannot be assumed to list all the compounds in the formula, RLS seems to be a MQ fine grain developer (pH 8-9) containing Ammonium Chloride (which on its own is odourless). The MSDS indicates RLS is colourless to yellowish, and indicates "not characteristic" for odour.

[grommi]

Paul, can you make a quick test with a small piece of any 35 mm film if the developer is dead or not? Just see if he blackens the film or not. Everything else is soothsaying.

[fatso]

Paul, can you make a quick test with a small piece of any 35 mm film if the developer is dead or not? Just see if he blackens the film or not. Everything else is soothsaying.

That was a good idea and I'm thinking the developer is the problem. I cut a few pieces of the same film in daylight. They're not clear blue like my roll but a very very light gray with hardly any density - this was with full strength developer (but lower room temp) for roughly 20 minutes in full daylight. Another strip from the same roll developed in Xtol was VERY dense.

I also got a mail from Aurélien le Duc (the author of a pdf about that particular film developer combo) saying RLS has a very short shelf life and colorless and odorless. Apparently those 250 ml bottles haven't been produced in a long time and RLS now comes in 330 ml softpacks. Good to know, thanks Aurélien !


Paul