• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

I don't know what is causing these light speckled lines in my photos near the image edge

BSAbbott

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jul 17, 2025
Messages
15
Location
Sierra Vista, AZ
Format
35mm
Hi, I've been learning from the members here for a the past 6 months, just got back into analog photography. I was a professional in the 80s and 90s, with experience in 35mm, 120 and 4x5. I used to do my own processing. Recently I bought a used Nikkormat FTN, and have 3 lenses, 35mm 1.5 K, 24mm2.8 NC, and an older 55mm micro P. I have the film developed and scanned. Sometimes I get these not well defined lines, like a weird light leak or process issue, the lens does not seem to matter as far as I can tell. Seems to happen in bright sun or after sunset. I asked the lab about it, they thought it was maybe an equipment issue. This happens in b/w and color film. Any advice? I am going to replace the door seals when the kit comes, I already did the front mirror foam.

Thank you so much for the collective wisdom in this website.

Peace, Brian
 

Attachments

  • 8111-28.ARW_DxO_DxO-2.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 163
Welcome to Photrio!
 
Hi,

is there a reflecting surface inside the camera close to the film? Like in the image gate?
To test you could set time to B, open the shutter (no film in the camera) and back, then let some strong light through the lens (or even remove it).
Maybe this helps to locate the problem.

Best and welcome here
Jens
 
I haven't gotten that set of negs back yet. They are good about that though.They will hold them and ship them when you ask. And they answer their emails in a day. I did not see anything reflecting back to the film plane, lens off or on, and looking from the lens mount side or the film side. I do have my initial test roll negs, some Ektar, and can see them as darker lines. I am in Southern AZ, static from relatively dry conditions?

Thank you for interest and questions. Socrates would be proud of us.
 
Without the negatives, there isn't any really good way to answer the question.
My guess: a scanning artifact.
If it were a darkroom print, that would look to me like a reflection off the edge of a negative holder.
 
I can see the same effect on my first roll of negatives. Especially in the sky, which would be the Botton of the camera. I wonder if that is why it was a used camera, the previous owner couldn't figure it out either. I can always crop, might cure me of showing the edge of the frame.
 
Is there anything that is bare metal around the shutter gate in the camera? Or something that isn't flat black?

Does it happen with different lenses, or just one lens?

I agree with Matt, it does look like a reflection.
 
Welcome to the forum. The specks look like dust on the negative, something that happened during or after processing. Hard to know without a look at the negatives.
 
mshchem said:
The specks look like dust on the negative, something that happened during or after processing. Hard to know without a look at the negatives.
Click to expand...
I think the OP was talking about the banding on the top and right sides of the frame.
 
It would help to see a scan of the entire frame in addition to an enlargement of any areas of note.
 
Which lens are you using when you get the reflections? Wide angle lenses such as your 24mm can be prone to causing reflections around the film gate because of the light spreading out and bouncing off the edge of the film gate, as lenses get longer the light path becomes more telecentric and the rays hit the film at a more perpendicular angle.
 
Let's see a picture of the camera back open with the shutter open on bulb. Welcome to Photrio.
 
Craig said:
I think the OP was talking about the banding on the top and right sides of the frame.
Click to expand...

Or was he talking about both. I can see a few white specks in the sky but there does seem to be a darker banding in the top and right as well?

pentaxuser
 
If the film is color negative (looks like it), I would suggest the problem is in camera and not from scanning since the reflection gives lower density.
 
Thank you for all your questions and thoughts. Here are 3 photos, one of each lens, reduced to 3000 pixels and 40%jpeg to fit under the 2mb rule. this was my first roll and I took some notes, Ektar. Upon looking I see more of an issue on top and right of the photo. the jpeg file has the lens and exposure. I'm only concerned with the weird reflections, not the dust. These were done in DXO to do the file size reductions ( not on my Lightroom drive right now), my usual tool is Lightroom Classic.

I see that it may likely be a film/frame gate reflection issue too now. I have some photos in less direct sun conditions I'll post in a bit. I'll work on making a photo of the film gate too.
Thank you!
 

Attachments

  • 24mm500th5.6.jpg
    607.2 KB · Views: 59
  • 35mm1000th5.6.jpg
    563.2 KB · Views: 58
  • 55mm500thf8.jpg
    394.3 KB · Views: 61
Here are 3 photos that have no issues, all in less direct light conditions. I think the collective wisdom has found my issue to fix. I'll still go work on making a film gate photo.
Thanks again.
 

Attachments

  • 35mmnoissue1.jpg
    298.1 KB · Views: 38
  • 35mmnoissue2.jpg
    306.7 KB · Views: 46
  • 35mmnoissue3.jpg
    591 KB · Views: 36
Thanks for the follow-up! Nice images. I think that so far at least they are not at odds with the reflective frame gate hypothesis. So definitely something to look into.
 

I've had similar issues that were caused by a very small hole in the sealing foam hear the hinge of my camera back that managed to pipe light under the film,and then reflect on the frame in front of the film. The fix was black electrical tape on the the outside of the camera back until I replaced the seals. Yes, this looks like a camera seal problem I once had on a Minolta X700.
 
I am going to replace those hinge seals next week, I ordered the kit yesterday. I made some photos of the inside of the camera, very dusty/gritty from those seals giving up. I think that seal issue makes some sense to me, rather than a reflection.
I need to clean the camera some and I will post pics of the degraded seals and the film gate.
I also found this thread from a few years ago, for Nikon FG. Same issue it seems.

Development Issue B+W: Lighter along frame edges inside frame

I have encountered an issue recently on some Pan-F 50 but also have noticed it lightly on some other films of uneven development mostly along the vertical edges on each side of the frame in the image area. There is essentially a lighter band (developed longer) right inside the frame edge. I...
www.photrio.com

Peace
 
MattKing said:
Without the negatives, there isn't any really good way to answer the question.
Click to expand...
I bow to the consensus that now exists but isn't what you wrote above, Matt, still relevant? Don't we need digital pictures of the negatives?

Had I not seen the original pic and instead only the 3 middle pics in the gallery then I wonder if I's have spotted anything wrong Certainly those 3 middle bear no resemblance to the first we saw- well not on my screen anyway

I hope the hinge seals cure the problem but I do wonder even now

pentaxuser
 
Hi, I don't have an elegant or useful way to make the neg photo. I do have a raw scan from another newer roll with same issue. Harder to see I used some contrast to see in both raw and positive jpeg. I understand it maybe harder to see with reduced file size, etc. Thank you for your patience and interest.
Peace
 

Attachments

  • 8111-19.ARW_DxO.jpg
    600.2 KB · Views: 33
  • raw scan19_DxO.jpg
    738.3 KB · Views: 40
pentaxuser said:
I bow to the consensus that now exists but isn't what you wrote above, Matt, still relevant? Don't we need digital pictures of the negatives?
Click to expand...

Yes we would at least prefer to see digital pictures of the negatives.
Among other things, the appearance rebate of the film - the area outside the image area - tells us a lot.
And FWIW, a consensus built on part of the information is not as good as one built on more .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register