Scratched negatives

I've noticed very sadly that most of my negatives has got scratches

on them, mostly in the form of straight lines.

 

After I developed the last ones, I carefully looked at them, before

filing them away to be scanned and there was no scratches as far as

I could see.

 

After I scanned them I noticed the lines and had a look at the

negatives, there they were!

 

The only thing I can think of is the transparent negative files.

Could they be scratched while sliding them in and out by the dust

that may be inside these files? If so, what am I going to do in the

future? Are some files better than others in terms of this problem?

 

Thanks a lot in advance for your answers..

If the scratches are etched into the emulsion....unlikley that the negative pages would cause the scratch. How do you scan the negatives...possibly the negative carrier.

Most common reason for linear scratches on negs is either dirt in camera, or in processor. We used to fox negs by applying oil, and scanning. Take to hi end scanning house www.nancyscans.com Jeff

Do you process them yourself? I suspect grit or dirt somewhere in the film travel/gate area

in the camera. Clean the camera anyway, you should do this at regular intervals.

Had the same problem (with a Nikon Coolscan V) and Nikon told me to replace the film adapter. Luckily, I was still under warranty.

Yes, yes, I have a Nikon Coolscan V as well. Was that easy to change your adaptor or they gave you a headache?

Very easy -- just send it to the appropriate service facility. No RMA needed; if it's under warranty, show your bill of sale. Otherwise, they'll get in touch with you stating what the cost would be to repair it and asking what you want to do. If you decine to have it repaired, Nikon will ship it back to you at their cost.

I have just had a look at my warranty and found out that Spain where I live is not specified within the countries that are covered by that warranty.The scanner was bought for me in the States and brought to Spain by a friend. Any idea what I can do now?

Have you contacted Nikon service in Spain? Even if the warranty is not valid, they will repair the component for a fee.

Yes, I have contacted the Nikon service in Spain but they're on holiday til the end of the month! The month of August is holiday here. That's how things work here!

 

I've sent an e-mail to the Technical Support in the States explaining the situation. Maybe I can post it there, and they can post me back a new one if the cost of this is less than the repairing it here of course.

 

Did you ask for a compensation for your already scratched negatives and for the ones you can not scan while you're waiting for the repair?

It might be easier and no less expensive to purchase a new adapter. I did not ask for compensation and have no intention of doing so.

Ok, thanks a lot!

Whether it is the source of today's scratches, lose the PVC negative sheets. The static they create when you remove a strip will in itself attract half the dust in the room. And, they DO scratch most of the time. Get the pergamine (paper) neg sheets.