How to avoid scratches

First time Minox 8x11 caamera users doing sometimes may find long scratch lines across the negative strip, from beginning to end, like

telepone lines. What is the cause and how to prevent scratches ?

Dust is a big enemy of Minox 8x11 subminature photography. A speck of dust on 35mm negatives may not be visible to naked eyes, but visible on same size enlargement from Minox ultraminature camera, because its negative is enlarged three times as much.<p>

Before loading film into Minox, blow clean the film chamber. The credit of using rubber ear syringe to clean camera interior belongs to

Joseph D. Cooper, who wrote in his 1961 edition of "The New Ultraminature Photography" on "Cleaning the Camera" : Before you load the camera with film, dust its interior. A rubber ear syringe available at any drugstore, amkes a wonderful high presuure blower.

Yes, rubber ear syringe works !

Becare full to CLOSE THE FILM GATE, buy pulling Minox II/III/IIIs/B, buy pushing Minox C/LX/TLX slightly, else you might blow the dust into the lens interior !

What I find to be useful is using a small can of Dust off.Spray the

compressed air around the general area,before loading.When the back is

open,a guick spray around the interior and that should do the trick.

Long scratches across the film could be from when the film is taken

out of the canister to load in the developing tank. When the film is

pulled out, it either catches or there is dust on the felt liner. I

open the canister most of the way before taking my film out.

Shutterbug editor Bob Shell has a message at the Shutterbug Forum

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about <a

href="http://www.shutterbug.net/Forums/Thread.cfm?CFID=4134&CFTOKEN=17

69&CFApp=1&Thread_ID=8&mc=57#Message201"> Negative Scratches</a>

<p>

Bob suggested a method of using highly diluted dishwasher fluid to lubricate

film pressure plate to cut down static which attracts dust particles.

I do not agree that dust is the main problem. Have a look at the film gate and you'll see 4 screws in the path of the film. To sink screws in, you'll need screwholes. And it is the edges of those 4 screwholes that scratches film.

One of many Minox 35 design flaws that were never ironed out.