Can a Camera Cause this?

RattyMouse · Apr 9, 2016

I bought a new Canon 1V and since then virtually all my film is covered in tiny dots. I first shot black and white film, which I processed myself and so when I saw all these dots suspected that it was me causing the problem. Now that I have shot color and received the images back from a lab, I STILL find horrible amounts of dots on the film. Can anyone tell me what is going on? Look on the right side of this image for an example.

Thanks,

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RattyMouse
Apr 9, 2016
1

RattyMouse · Apr 9, 2016

It's hard to see on the original image so here's a crop.

Crop

RattyMouse
Apr 9, 2016

chriscrawfordphoto · Apr 9, 2016

Is there dust embedded in the emulsion, or is the film clean but has the dots in the image itself? To me, they look like the film was dusty when it was scanned or printed. That's what usually causes white dots on images, dust on the film when its in the enlarger, minilab printer, or scanner.

bdial · Apr 9, 2016

I agree with Chris that it looks like dust. Scanners are really good at introducing dust spots on images. There are plenty of other sources too, but the scanner is possibly the most likely.
Dust introduced from a camera generally produces black spots because it makes a shadow on the film. It's not a common problem for 35mm.

RattyMouse · Apr 9, 2016

bdial said:
I agree with Chris that it looks like dust. Scanners are really good at introducing dust spots on images. There are plenty of other sources too, but the scanner is possibly the most likely.

I have a Plustek 120 scanner, which is enclosed. I'm going to scan some old film that I know is OK and see if there is dust introduced. That would be a huge drag if that happened.

bdial · Apr 9, 2016

That would be a good test.

The good news is that spotting digitally is way easier. (although just as tedious).

Sirius Glass · Apr 9, 2016

Could the dust be caused by deteriorating foam? Do you need to replace the foam?

John Bragg · Apr 9, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Could the dust be caused by deteriorating foam? Do you need to replace the foam?

Would 1V be old enough for that ? It is possible I guess

Bill Burk · Apr 9, 2016

RattyMouse,

The cameras that I have that introduce dust are all bellows-based roll film or 4x5. Camera dust typically varies, there's more dust on some frames and less on others because as you do different things... different amounts of dust shake onto the film. Camera dust is difficult for me to deal with because I have to retouch the negatives. Removing black spots from prints is difficult so I prefer to over-correct in my touch up the negative (and then spot the corresponding messy white spots on the print to make the spots finally disappear). I know of one guy who brings cans of compressed air on expeditions and meticulously keeps his equipment and film holders clean. I vacuum the camera and holders before loading for a trip, but leave my fate in the hands of luck for the reloads in the field.

As has been pointed out... you don't have camera dust because your dust is white on the positives you show. Inspect the negatives to see if it's the kind of dust that you can gently brush or blow off the film.

RattyMouse · Apr 9, 2016

I looked at the negatives, using a lens (Nikon 85mm f/2 Ai-S). I can't see any signs of dust. Maybe that's not enough magnification.

I turned on the ICE feature on my scanner and all those spots disappeared. Not a solution in my eyes since that does not work on black and white. I just dont know where this dust is coming from. Is it possible I can put a clean negative into my scanner and it comes out with hundreds or even thousands of dust spots? Again, my scanner is a dedicated film scanner and not a flat bed.

By the way, I have prints from this roll of film and the prints show no signs of dust.

Truly a depressing day for me. I can't believe my $1800 scanner is going belly up on me, not even 6 months after I bough it.

bdial · Apr 9, 2016

It's absolutely possible. Flat beds are more prone to it, but dust can get into surfaces of enclosed scanners too.

Are the prints analog or digital? If digital, are they from your scans or the shop's scans?

RattyMouse · Apr 9, 2016

bdial said:
It's absolutely possible. Flat beds are more prone to it, but dust can get into surfaces of enclosed scanners too.

Are the prints analog or digital? If digital, are they from your scans or the shop's scans?

I'm not really sure. This is the first time I've made prints from film in well over 10 years.

I am just so disgusted right now.....

shutterfinger · Apr 9, 2016

Your Plustek is not as "sealed" as you think. I have a 7600i and a 7200. There are 3 screws on each side under the rubber side bumpers and one on the back that hold the cover on. The cover is a tight fit and has to be manipulated a little to get it off once the screws are removed. On your 120 the case is held on by screws in the center of the feet or one of the end covers or both then the scanner assembly slides out of the case. The sensor plate may be sealed but that does not stop dust from laying on its surface. My scanners have a diffusion glass similar to a light box between the light source and the film path which can collect dust also.

The first thing I would do is to wedge the film transport doors open, hold the scanner on end and spray it out with canned air leaving the film door facing downward plenty of space between it and any solid surface. If that does not remove the dust satisfactorily then I would remove the cover and do a more thorough cleaning.

chriscrawfordphoto · Apr 9, 2016

The dust might not be in the scanner. You need to be sure that the film is completely clean before you insert it in the scanner. I follow the same procedure for scanning as I did when I printed in the darkroom. I take the negative out of the storage sleeve, and blow dust off both sides with canned air. Then I place it in the negative carrier and blow it again, on both sides, before inserting the carrier into the enlarger or scanner. This has always worked well, I rarely get dust.

Can a Camera Cause this?

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