Thin horizontal line across my negs - any ideas?

[mark.brennan]

Hey everyone -

 

The last roll through my camera came back from the lab with a very

thin, horizontal line running across some of the negs.

 

It appears more predominant towards the end of the roll.

 

The line also "moves"; that is, on a couple of the negs I can see it

bending, again, horizontally.

 

This is HP5 which my lab processes in Xtol.

 

I have a new MP, so I'm a bit concerned. Any ideas? Could this be

from the shutter curtain? Could there be a hair trapped across the

film back? Could it be processing related? (I plan on trying to

stop by my lab later to discuss this w/ them.)

 

I'm less concerned about the negs themselves - the pictorial quality

is dubious - than I am about the camera, which is new.

 

Any help appreciated! Thanks!

 

Regards,

-Mark,

[rich815]

Sounds like a scratch. Perhaps the film canister's felt had a bit of dust stuck in it and scratched the film as you shot and film spooled through...

 

Is the lab dip and dunk processing?

[mark.brennan]

Thanks, Richard.

 

Yes, the lab does dip and dunk. It'd be a relief if it was isolated to the canister, or even the processing.

Thanks,

-Mark

[lee hamiel]

Mark:

 

Best way to check the body is to waste a new roll of film & advance through the camera as if shooting - rewind almost all the way but leave the leader out - take the film out & inspect for any scratching.

 

My feeling is that if it's the camera the scratching would be consistent & not move as you said - probably either the lab or that roll of film.

 

My son had a new M7 that did have a scratching issue from the film pressure plate which Leica repaired - the scratching was all in line however.

[alejandrokeller]

I got exactly the same problem with my Nikon F100 after a long field trip. It turned out that the camera was dirty, probably a bit of sand. It was time for a control anyway, so I sent it to Nikon. They cleaned the camera and replaced some parts (and all for free!!! can you believe that?). After that, I never had the problem again.

[mark.brennan]

Lee - Thanks. That's a good idea; I'll try to check tonight.

 

Alejandro - there may indeed be some dirt in the camera, but I'm hoping not. This is new MP w/ full Passport, so I know I can send it to Leica USA in New Jersey. But I'd be a bit vexed if my new camera had an issue and most of all I'd miss it!

 

If I'm able to verify, I'll update w/ additional info.

 

Thanks again, guys.

-Mark

[stephen_jones4]

FWIW I had this once (on one film only) at a "dip and dunk" pro-lab. They claimed it must have been my M6 but I never really believed it. Anyway, it never happened again. Maybe a bit of grit was caught in the mouth of the film cannister (or maybe they roller-transport the films when no-body's looking). Good luck anyway...

[john_shriver]

Very unusual for scratches made in camera to ever move vertically across the negative. Dirt on the pressure plate, or in the felt, has no reason to move in any direction other than that the film is moving in (sideways).

 

Are the negatives in plastic sleeves? The sleeving station is the scratch source from hell.

[mark.brennan]

Stephen, John -

 

Thanks. John - the scratch definitely moves sideways across the negs - it's horizontal. Thus my concern that it's in the camera.

 

Looking at the negs more carefully on the back, I see the distinct scratch, almost like a thin groove, across all the negs, from beginning to end of the roll.

 

I'll run a test roll tonight to see if it's reproducible.

 

-Mark

[lee hamiel]

Mark:

 

Take a look at the film pressure plate on the back & see if there are four screws at the corners facing the filmplane - The M7 I referenced earlier had a single microscopic burr on one screwhead - after you run the test roll through & if you see scratching see if it aligns with any of the four screws. Also - you may see some very fine dust that occurs from this scraping effect. If so - part with it & send it in for service which is very good. When sending call first & see if they have a loaner to send in the meantime.

 

I had also corresponded with AJ (?) in Solms at the same time & I wanted him/them to know of the issue as well & he advised me that they would be reviewing this aspect as well as checking their existing batches of these screws. If yours has the same issue then it's possible they were made around the same time. They also did include an upgrade from the earlier M7 viewfinder to the new MP viewfinder free of charge due to the inconvenience at the time.

 

Good Luck

[kajabbi]

IF you feel the pressure plate may be the problem, wipe it gently with a cotton ball. Any grit, burr or other imperfection will catch the cotton.

[mark.brennan]

Lee, Ned -

Thanks for the suggestions. Lee - appreciate the detailed advice.

 

Just ran a test roll through and don't see any marks, scratches, grooves or otherwise any

other markings across the entire length of the roll, either side. So I feel confident it's not

the camera - phew!

 

I will try to talk w/ the lab tomorrow; they've scratched an occasional negative, but I've

never seen an entire roll grooved like this - not encouraging.

 

Thanks again.

best,

-Mark

[r s]

Did they look like this?

<br><center>

<img src="http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/56891208.jpg">

</center>

[mark.brennan]

Hi Rich -

 

Thanks for posting the example. No, fortunately, my example is quite different. Rather than the streaks exhibited in your example, I saw a single, thin, line - a scratch or a groove - running across the back of ALL the negatives in the roll.

 

I ran a test roll through, re-wound, and un-spooled it and did not see the scratch again.

 

I can only conclude it was an issue in processing at the lab or, as Richard suggested, something in the film canister that created the consistent scratch.

 

Thanks again.

Regars,

-Mark