Why am I getting black bands across my negatives?

[andrea_w1]

<p>Recently shot and developed two rolls of Kentmere 400 35mm b&w film, using a Minolta X-570 SLR. There are thick black bands of various sizes cutting vertically across my negatives. They seem to happen in sets of two or three, and they seem to be randomly distributed across the film. The last time I developed film from this camera was years ago, but I never experienced this problem back then.<br>

Here's a photo of a set of three (there's a very faint band to the right of the two more prominent ones):<br>

<img src="http://i.stack.imgur.com/IkYtz.jpg" alt="" width="599" height="177" /><br>

What is causing these bands and how can I prevent them in the future?<br>

Note: both times I developed this film it was in the same tank as a friend of mine's, her film turned out perfectly without any bands, so I don't think it's a processing issue. It makes me think of a light leak - but a very unusual looking one??</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Light leaks my friend They extend into the rebate area. Rear seals need replacing. Might as well replace the mirror bumper too. The randomness could be how you are placing pressure on the camera back.</p>

[andrea_w1]

<p>Hi Larry, thanks for the help. Do you think the issue could be solved temporarily with electrical tape around the edges of the back panel?</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>It has worked for me before. So I think it can.</p>

[Member69643]

<p>Well, it may be light leaks, but they don't always have such well defined borders. In this case, and knowing that camera specifically, I'd say maybe not. I had an X-570 do something similar and it had nothing to do with a light leak. The shutter is at fault. On mine, the whole left side of the photo would be black. Eventually it got so bad I'd only get one or five or eight photos on a roll.</p>

<p>The two shots, from an almost identical spot, showing the darkness in two different spots also make me suspect the shutter. If it were a light leak it would be in the same place. </p>

[peter_simpson1]

<p>@Patrick - the clue is that the leak extends into the sprocket area, which cannot receive light through the shutter. A leak at the hinge or along the top or bottom of the rear door will illuminate those areas.</p>

[Member69643]

<p>@Peter - That may be, but light does diffuse through an opening. Perhaps it was bright enough to leak through the emulsion. I've never seen a light leak with perfect borders like that. Also, the suspected light leak extends all the way from top to bottom, which is also very odd. A leak big enough to do that would show up on every frame. Also, if you look at the far right frame, the area in question shows an underexposed band.</p>

[westphoto]

<p>Patrick, if you're talking about shutter lag, that would be black in the positive, but white in the negative. Those shots look like they were getting hit with light coming from the edge next to the take up spool. The film is wrapped up, and then sits next to that shouldn't-be-an-opening while waiting for the next shot and burns, then gets wrapped under the next frame and is protected. The circumference of the wrapped film not being the same as the width of a shot accounts for the differing positions of the leak on the two frames. As for diffusing through and opening, sure it could diffract around the edges some, but that would result in a light feathering of the edges, not total wash over the entire film. I had a huge leak like that in an AE-1 that I stupidly tried to makeshift a seal on, and depending on how long one shot sat before I took another, and what external light conditions I was in, I had around a 50/50 distribution of perfectly fine shots and totally trashed ones. They looked exactly like that with a number of them with fairly hard edges and gradient on the other side.</p>

[westphoto]

<p>Andrea, to be sure, just slap some tape around the edges and see if that fixes things.</p>

[Member69643]

<p>@Chris - Ok, I'm in the light leak camp now. I have my tent all set up, campfire started, but I am not yet roasting any weenies. Taping the thing up should prove it one way or the other.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

Had same problem on a Yashica. Black gaffer

tape on the hinge fixed it.

[andrea_w1]

<p>Shot off a quick roll of film today with the back of the camera taped up, and developed it in the same tank as a roll I shot last weekend before I knew about this problem. Last weekend's roll has the bands (they're even worse than before, ugh), but today's roll is perfect! Looks like it was a light leak, though it's only an n of 1. Thanks so much everyone for the help.</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Glad we could help.</p>

[steven_clark]

<p>As for fixing the leak, usually you don't need the yarn in the channels at the top and bottom of the door. It's the flatter areas around the hinge and latch that tend to let light through. Buying a seal kit off ebay is still probably the easiest way to get the sheet of sticker-paper-seal you cut and put there though.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Since you didn't show the rest of the roll, another possibility is light leak into the cassette while out of the camera.</p>

<p>That will be wider and darker near the beginning of the roll.</p>

<p>Another possibility if it is home loaded is not using a daylight bulk loader properly.</p>

<p>Yes, the diameter of film on the take-up spool changes, but the distance from the exposure frame to the spool stays constant. But if it is a one-time exposure, going though layers of film, you will see the spacing, darkness, and width change down the length of the film. </p>

[larrydressler]

<p> He cured it with tape Glen if you read up.</p>

 

[glen_h]

<p>Personally, I have never had a camera light leak, but enough times had at least a little on early frames of 35mm.<br>

Well, I usually start early on the roll.</p>

<p>Just because the problem went away with tape, doesn't mean that was the cause. </p>

<p>In any case, one should be careful when load and unloading, to keep sun away from the film cartridge.</p>