Are scratches on newly developed film normal?

[dominic_ashfield]

<p>Hi everyone. First post, so nice to meet you all.<br /> I'm a long time digital shooter, but first time film photographer. As such it's been an engaging and interesting learning curve, which I hope will improve my overall skills long term.<br /> Today I received my first roll of film back from the developer, but there seem to be long, straight scratches in the surface of the film. These are not at all random, and appear to be something that occurred during processing, as they run the length of all the film strips.<br /> Are such scratches simply a fact of life, or should I approach my local lab (not a Chemist/Drugstore) about the issue, in the hope that they can adjust or clean their machinery?<br /> If it's hard to see, please click the images for slightly larger versions (the forum resizes things down)</p>

<p><strong>Top third of the frame, just above the bird's head, and bottom quarter through the wood:</strong> <a href="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches1.jpg"><img src="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches1.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="788" /></a></p>

<p><strong>Bottom tenth of frame:</strong> <a href="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches2.jpg"><img src="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches2.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="788" /></a></p>

<p><strong>Top third of frame, halfway between the bird's head and the edge of frame:</strong> <a href="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches3.jpg"><img src="http://users.on.net/~excession/scratches3.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="788" /></a></p>

<p>In case anyone was interested, these were taken with a Nikon FM3a and El' Cheapo Fuji Superia 400, then scanned using an eBay lighttable and my EM5 with macro lens.<br /> Thanks in advance for your help! :)</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>Scratches (strait perfect lines) come from bad developer handling (where you sent them off) and sometimes your camera. It will be a constant if you use the same camera all the time.</p>

<p>The rest is goop on your film. That can (and should) be cleaned prior to scanning.</p>

<p>Now it's time to learn how to spot and heal in your favorite digital editor.........welcome to post processing film.</p>

<p>And most importantly, welcome to film!</p>

 

[Hector Javkin]

<p>You should not find scratches on your film. Try a different lab and/or a different camera. If you can find a lab that does dip and dunk processing, try them. Correcting the same scratches on every shot is a nightmare.</p>

[dominic_ashfield]

<p>Thank you for the replies, your advice is much appreciated.<br>

I've just had a look at some other film (Agfa and Illford) processed by the same lab, but that came out of two different cameras.<br>

Those films also have long perfectly straight scratches, though all of them at slightly different heights.</p>

<p>Unless there are three cameras scratching lines into their films, I think it has to be the lab.<br>

The people there are very friendly and stock a lot of vintage camera equipment, so hopefully they'll look into it!</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Give them an unexposed roll of film to process. If it comes back with scratches, it's their fault.</p>

[r_david]

<p>What is interesting is that the scratches appear at roughly the same spot. <br>

I would compare rolls taken with the same camera and see if the same scratches appear on each roll taken with that camera.</p>

<p>So, if rolls shot with the FM3 or Fuji all have the same scratch at the top third of frame or whatever, then you know you got a problem with that camera.</p>

<p>Also, check your handling of the negatives during scanning. For example, are you dragging the negatives across a negative holder or something?<br>

Are there any sharp spots on the negative holders?<br>

Everything is made out of plastic these days and sometimes there is flashing - remnants of the molding process. I have even been cut on plastic parts because they were not finished properly.</p>

<p>And there's nothing saying that it can't be all the above, cameras and lab doing the scratching.</p>

<p>But the fact that the scratches appear at roughly the same spot, I am guessing that there is one culprit.</p>

[steven_clark]

Ask around local camera shops if there is a "dip and dunk"

lab in the area. They use a different kind of machine that

doesn't scratch the film because it doesn't run it on rollers.

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>Are the scratches on the emulsion side or the film base side?<br>

I would check the camera film transport for burs, flat spots (guides or rollers look burnished), or hard to turn rollers even though the lab appears to be at fault. Guide and pressure rollers should turn with the weight of a small feather touching them.</p>

[art_thomas1]

<p>Yes, scratched film seems more common than not, even through non-drugstore type film developers. Neither higher cost nor a big name necessarily guarantee scratch less film. It is getting worse, not better as time marches on. </p>

<p>“Those films also have long perfectly straight scratches, though all of them at slightly different heights.” </p>

<p>Many film developing machines are set up so one can run 2 rolls through at the same time. Most have a film path wider than necessary for 35mm film. So the scratches at a different place on the film could have been made by the same burr in the processing path, just mounted differently on the leader. </p>

[peterbcarter]

<blockquote>

<p>Unfortunately, using digital camera for scanning will have no dust and scratch removal.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Les Sarile, neither do scanners. The only thing they provide is an infra red light to create a mask. The actual removal is done in software. While it is useful for quick-n-dirty c-41, i've never seen it beat a spot healing tool and it doesn't work on silver based monochrome film.</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>Sorry Les, I go through great lengths to stick with silver. If you were to blow up those images significantly, you would find an edit gives you better results than ICE (and by any other name). Just not something I would want to let those pixel peepers see.</p>

<p>I shoot C41 once or twice a year. It's really not a big deal to touch up a few spots when you consider I shoot at least 5-6 rolls a month and wet mount them all. </p>

[eddy_d]

<p>It can be anything. Your camera or the scanner at the lab. I have had both. I have a friend who claims he never had scratches on his negative.</p>