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

BSAbbott

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Jul 17, 2025
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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
 

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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.
 
The specks look like dust on the negative, something that happened during or after processing. Hard to know without a look at the negatives.
I think the OP was talking about the banding on the top and right sides of the frame.
 

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