Any of you had film scratches from your own camera?

<p>These days who buy new film cameras right .. I had this camera for a good few years, I don't shoot that much, maybe 10 rolls a year and got 2 rolls of C41 film that had scratches on them, enquired at the lab and I looked at my camera pointed it out to them. I think I agree with them that I had similar looking scratches on the back pressure plate on the door, was asked to clean the camera. </p>

<p>I did shoot off with one roll of film just 2 days ago, got those book without any cleaning they came back without marks. This is the first time I saw scratches. How popular are they? Many people incl non photographers would never thought of how fragile cameras are, they just load film and head out.</p>

<p>Cheers.</p>

<p>I have had scratches from several cameras. A Nikon N2000, a Contax 167, and occasionally others too. I seldom if ever have scratches on the emulsion side though. It's usually caused by rollers on the back door. If it's on the emulsion side, check the camera's film path and you'll find the culprit pretty quick.</p>

<p>Yes. it is not uncommon for something to get caught in the trap of the cassette. Some cameras are prone to scratching film - Minox 35s for example. Ensuring the film is not wound too tight in the cassette helps a lot.</p>

<p>The only camera I have had which had issues with scratching the film, was my Holga. This apparently was due to the flexibility of it's plastic back which it turns out can scratch the film if the camera is held too tightly (squeezing front to back) while winding the film. Being careful with how I hold the camera while winding seems to have solved that problem.</p>

<p>Early on I also had scratched film problems which turned out to have nothing to do with the camera, but were rather due to processing. This occured at a number of drugstore and camera shop labs where I had my color film developed, but the problem went away after I sought out more professional labs which specifically used "dip and dunk" processing. </p>

<p>Yes, I've had scratching problems from two different F80's. The wheels on the take-up reel side are the likely suspect. Very frustrating as the F80 is one of my favourite cameras.</p>

<p>Thanks for the tip of not wounding it too tight. Doesn't happen on my F100, it's on my FM2N but it's such a compact camera.</p>

<p>Take a piece of run free nylon stockings and pull it across the pressure plate and rollers in the camera back. If it snags or runs there is a problem in that piece of the camera back. Shinny flat spots on a roller are due to stuck roller which will scratch film and flat marks on stationary piece are wear which will potentially scratch film.<br>

Rollers should turn freely with the weight of a small down feather applied to it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Ray,after checking your camera,ask your lab if they use "Roller Transport Machines". This is likely the source of your scratches..</p>

<p>Yes, they did say they use rollers as the film is moved, they use Nortisu and a Frontier system. <br>

Thing is the scratches on the back plate was similar to those on the film. And I was told that and it did in fact the scratches stopped like 4mm at the end, which the tech said that was when the camera stopped pulling the film it was the furthest it could go hence she thought it was the camera .... I will try to load the film not as tight. Don't have nylon stockings here or from others, lol. </p>

<p>Never had this problem. A cleaning regimen in bright light to see whats going on in there is the only method to prevent this kind of thing. Seems like the obvious boring response, but its just one of those things. Camera's are fine instruments, so they need to be treated that way. So other than a built in aberration, which is the crux of the post, cleaning is just part of the deal. I like to use isopropyl alcohol with a clean micro-fibre cloth in the film chamber. This keeps the pressure plate and other surfaces devoid of oils that are magnets for dust.</p>

<p>I've gotten a few rolls back over the years that were mildly scratched, but not always in the same way. I assumed that it was done in the processing phase, since I never found anything on the camera(s) that appeared to be the culprit. I was shooting a Canon AE-1 most of those years, and before that a Miranda back in the seventies until 1981.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

<p>Most scratching is done by roller transport film processing and poor post process handling such as which you tend to find in supermarkets and drug stores. A bad cassette can scratch the film or grit in the felt of the cassette as the film is drawn out when you wind on. Cameras can scratch film but the best thing to do is switch to a pro lab and see the difference. Of course you do tend to pay more. </p>

<p>Minox B camera is quite scratchy, often left horizontal lines across the frame. Need photoshop to fix</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18119640-lg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="972" /><br>

Horizontal scratch line from Minox B negative</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18119641-lg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="966" /></p>