Scratch on the shinny side of 35mm negative

"The Darkroom" processed and scanned a roll of 35mm Bergger film. The negatives have a faint straight line scratch on the shinny side of the negative. Is the shinny side the side that faces the lens or the back of the camera? Someone suggested it could be from something on the felt in the Bergger film cartridge.

The shiny side faces the rear of the camera, the emulsion side faces the lens. The scratch could be from a number of sources,,,the film cartridge felt, the camera body itself as the film passes over various parts, or it could have occurred in the course of processing the film. I'd suggest carefully checking your camera body at each point which the film touches for any roughness. If nothing turns up, try a sacrificial roll of film..it indeed the scratch came from your original cartridge, it is highly unlikely that a second cartridge would produce the same effect.

If it is the camera, a microfiber cloth (terry cloth type, not the smooth type) can be useful to find little burrs that may not be visible to the eye. These can sometimes occur on the pressure plate, rivets, or on other metal or plastic surfaces. The cloth will snag on the tiniest rough spots.

 

I've also gotten into the habit of dusting out the film compartment with a blower brush before each use.

Edited August 20, 2020 by m42dave