Pale band on negative

OptiKen · Jan 23, 2017

I don't know where this would belong so, moderators, please move it to it's rightful place.
These are from the first roll through a Pentax Auto 110. They all have a pale band running vertically of varying widths. The film expired in 2004 and has been in very questionable storage.

I am guessing that the pale band is caused by a faulty shutter. What do you think caused it?

flavio81 · Jan 24, 2017

The shutter on the Pentax Auto 110 is the mirror itself, which moves vertically, plus the diaphragm which also acts as a leaf shutter.
I'm dead sure the Auto 110 does not have any horizontal-travelling curtains.

This vertical band is really puzzling.

RauschenOderKorn · Jan 24, 2017

The pics you are showing us are scans from the negative or from prints?
Did you develop yourself or did a lab do the job for you?

I remember back in the 80s/90s, I used to get prints with strips like that which I attributed to bad processing of the print.

Can you show us a picture of the negative strip?

OptiKen · Jan 26, 2017

Here are pictures of the actual negatives. Now that I inspect them more closely, it appears that the pale bands may actually be light leaks originating from the holes in the film. I've seen this on all 3 rolls I've shot of this expired 2004 Kodacolor II cartridges - each roll shot in a different Pentax Auto 110 (don't ask me why I have 3 of them - it just happened - really)

Wallendo · Jan 26, 2017

The bands are pre-printed on 126 film. I assume it is the same with 110. Notice that the area between images is dark, not light as you would see on a 35mm or 120 negative. It appears that the camera is not properly positioning the film. I don't know why Kodak did that. I have seen similar issues when dealing with old family photographs shot on 126 where the blue lines went right down the middle of images.

RauschenOderKorn · Jan 26, 2017

Wallendo said:
The bands are pre-printed on 126 film. I assume it is the same with 110. Notice that the area between images is dark, not light as you would see on a 35mm or 120 negative. It appears that the camera is not properly positioning the film. I don't know why Kodak did that. I have seen similar issues when dealing with old family photographs shot on 126 where the blue lines went right down the middle of images.

+1 I know this only from 110 film, never had the problem with other film sizes

Big question now: was the film mispositioned in the cameras or when doing the prints?

OptiKen · Jan 26, 2017

I doubt that the film was mispositioned in all 3 cameras used especially since the cartridge doesn't have any where to go but the slot and there is no play there.
I haven't printed any of these (and won't because they are not 'print-worthy'. The picture was scanned.

MattKing · Jan 26, 2017

OptiKen said:
I doubt that the film was mispositioned in all 3 cameras used especially since the cartridge doesn't have any where to go but the slot and there is no play there.

The film can, however, be advanced incorrectly if there is something wrong with the sprocket hole or its related mechanism.

RauschenOderKorn · Jan 27, 2017

OptiKen said:
I haven't printed any of these (and won't because they are not 'print-worthy'.

You don´t have to. Just check the negatives (e.g. of the three pictures you showed us initially) if the images are correctly positioned on the film or not. Either the pictures are positioned badly on the film or if not, the misalignment happened during scanning.

RauschenOderKorn · Jan 27, 2017

MattKing said:
The film can, however, be advanced incorrectly if there is something wrong with the sprocket hole or its related mechanism.

I am no expert on 110, but if I remember correctly the film is advanced by the plastic reel in the cartridge and the sprocket wholes are only an "internal function" of the cartridge.

If the frames are misaligned on the film, this would probably mean that the film was not advanced completely when shooting the film, most probably attributable to the OP.

OptiKen · Jan 27, 2017

re: not advancing the film completely.
On the Auto 110, film advance and shutter loading is performed by two strokes. You move the film advance lever as far as it will go twice in order to load the shutter. I actually do it until it stops and then try to advance it again in case there is any slack. In addition, the bands appear no matter which of the three different cameras I used to test this.
I have not measured the size of the frame between bands yet but the bands are overlapping the exposed area of the frame. In addition, two of the rolls shot were Kodak and the third roll was Thrifty (private label drug store) film.
I am going to shoot a roll in my Minolta 110 Zoom to see if the same thing occurs. I am also going to test it with a fresh roll of Orca

RauschenOderKorn · Jan 31, 2017

OptiKen said:
I have not measured the size of the frame between bands yet but the bands are overlapping the exposed area of the frame.

Probably there is the answer to your question.

Have a look at the pics of the 110 negatives @ Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_f...ve_closeup_of_frame_Ericht_at_Blairgowrie.jpg

As it seems, the exposed area is meant to overlap with frame.

OptiKen · Jan 31, 2017

Thank you, RauschenOderKorn. That picture from wikipedia is exactly what I was seeing. I'm not so worried now but I will have to be more conscientious of framing.

Pale band on negative

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