Scanning or Flare or Development problem?

[jeff glass]

Can anyone tell what the problem is with this negative at the top center to top left? There is definitely a

horrible ruinous flare, but the right angle shape of the shadow area at the top makes me wonder.

 

This shape does not look like lens shadow

 

Could it be uneven development?

 

These negs (Tri-X in D-76) were scanned on a commercial Noritsu QSS by a local lab. Other negs,

where I didn't shoot straight into the sun, looked pretty good (except for dust).

 

Anyone seen this kind of artifact before?

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff Glass<div></div>

[rnt]

I think it's too sharp-edged to be a development problem. Looks like a light leak to me. Did you process them?

[jeff glass]

I did process them. In a Paterson 2 reel tank which I loaded in a changing bag. This only

appears on 4 frames where the flare is very severe, all other frames do not show this

artifact. If it were a light leak, seems like it would not be limited to 4 frames in a row

(frame numbers 5-8 on the roll) not at the very beginning.

 

A camera leak also seems unlikely based on this doesn't it?

 

Thanks for your response. What do you think?<div></div>

[blowingsky]

What kind of camera were you using? Did ANY other frame look like this? Have you tried to duplicate the problem?

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

It looks like lens flare to me. Use a lens shade to ensure that direct light does not hit the front element of your lens.

 

I have a 135mm Zeiss lens (for a Contax IIa) that tends to flare whenever I shoot with a strong back light. I found that a B+W MRC filter and lens hood helped a great deal.

[lex_jenkins]

I've seen flare extend into the unexposed margin near the sprocket holes when an extremely bright light source, such as the late afternoon sun, was in the edge of the frame. Anti-halation dyes help minimize this but can't always prevent it completely. However it didn't produce the sharp edged effect seen in the upper left of your photo.

 

Besides the other suggestions already provided you could check on a few things.

 

Don't assume that because light leaks aren't obvious in other frames that you don't have a light leak problem. Sometimes the camera back is shielded by your body, especially when wearing a dark colored shirt or jacket. But if the camera is held away from the body or used on a tripod, light leaks can become apparent.

 

Also, when shooting a number of successive frames, the longer any particular frame is left in the same position, the more vulnerable it is to light leaks. When shooting rapidly or using a motor drive, frames are pulled from the cassette and wrapped up on the takeup spool fairly quickly, effectively protecting them from light leaks. But, for example, if the film is wound and then left in position for hours, days or weeks while the camera is sitting under bright lights, even in one's home, light leakage can produce an artifact that seems totally unrelated to the image intentionally recorded on the frame.

 

Even if your camera is fairly new or recently CLA'd a bit of debris lodged in the light seals can cause leakage. Look for a bit of broken film (not uncommon if you bulk load your own film) or pocket lint (especially if your name is Arthur Dent or you do any intergalactic hitchhiking).

[rnt]

Upon further consideration I'd say it's lens flare. The first frame seems to have something out of frame shading a portion of the lens. My rational for concluding this is that the shadows in the images are all pointing towards the 'epicenter' of the problem- just as they would for flare. Fogging is usually more distributed.

[mendel_leisk]

I kind of like that horrible ruinous flare.

[mendel_leisk]

Apart from the odd right angle darkening near the top.

[frank.schifano]

I'm going with Mr. Tilden on this one. The first frame definitely looks like there's something shading a portion of the lens. Perhaps it's one of those tulip shaped lens hoods that doesn't do a very good job of shading the lens. Perhaps it's something else. The second frame shows a direct straight line from the center of the flare through to the shadows of the headstones.

[jukka_lehmus]

There might also be some additional in-camera reflection business going on in the first frame, I guess.

[jeff glass]

Hey, thanks for the analysis and answers. Very helpful.

 

I'm sticking with flare for the time being: although I have no idea what the right angle shading could have been. I was using an older 20mm f/2.8D, which is certainly susceptible to flare.

 

Is there an efficient definitive way to test a camera for light leaks? This is an older F100 that I bought used and have not had CLA'd.

 

I AM glad to be reassured it's not a development issue.

 

Thanks again.