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What went wrong?

My negatives look very grainy

Negatives and slides

What you're seeing

Grain is coarse and obvious in prints or scans, more than you expect from the film, especially in mid-tones and sky.

Check this first

Check this first

Look at the negative itself with a loupe on a light box. If the grain looks normal there, the problem is in the scan.

Likely causes, most common first

  1. 01

    Underexposure with push processing

    Common
    How to tell
    The film was rated faster than its box speed and developed longer. Shadows are empty and contrast is higher, as well as more grain.
    Test it
    Shoot a roll at box speed with normal development and compare the same subject.
    The fix
    Push only when you need the speed, and expect more grain and less shadow detail.

    Source Kodak Alaris, Kodak Professional TRI-X 320 and 400 Films Technical Data (F-4017, rev. 12-16)

  2. 02

    Old, heat-stored or X-rayed film

    Occasional
    How to tell
    More grain together with grey fog between frames. Faster films are affected more.
    Test it
    Develop an unexposed piece of the same batch: grey film means it was fogged.
    The fix
    Store film cool, use it within its date, and keep it out of checked luggage.

    Source Eastman Kodak Company, Storage and Handling of Unprocessed Film (TIB 5202, May 2002)

  3. 03

    Developer or dilution choice

    Occasional
    How to tell
    The negatives are otherwise fine but grain is coarser than with another developer, or after you switched to a more dilute mix.
    Test it
    Develop two rolls of the same film and scene, one in your usual developer and one in a fine-grain developer at stock strength, and compare.
    The fix
    For finer grain use a fine-grain developer at stock strength. Ilford says Perceptol gives extra fine grain with some speed loss, and Kodak says XTOL at 1:1 gives slightly more grain than stock.

    Sources Ilford, Ilford Perceptol Technical Information; Ilford Photo (Harman Technology), Introduction to ILFORD Film Developers (Learning Zone); Kodak, Kodak Professional XTOL Developer Technical Data

Avoiding it next time

  • Choose a slower film when the light allows.
  • Expose at box speed unless you need to push.
  • Store film cool and dry.

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