Recurring issues with Nikon F80

h.v. · Jun 8, 2012

^ Yeah, you're right, I was confusing AF-S and DX. So many terms and classifications it's hard to keep up sometimes. I think I meant that the G lenses wouldn't work with Manual focus cameras because it doesn't have that option. Is the F100 large though? I kinda want something smaller and less in your face. I remember reading about the sticky back issue with the F90, I'll be sure to ask the shop in B.C. if I can't get something locally. Thanks for reminding me! Oh, and I'm in Alberta (Canada).

sandermarijn · Jun 9, 2012

h.v. said:
Is the F100 large though?

Yes, it's noticeably larger than e.g. the F801s. On quick glance one may even mistake it for a larger DX or smaller FF digital SLR. I personally don't like that very much- makes me feel 'vulnerable' and obtrusive.

The F801s has always seemed to me more dense, more elegant than the (in my eyes and hands!) somewhat 'airy', show-off F100. Most of that is personal of course.

Sirius Glass · Jun 9, 2012

h.v. said:
^ Did you read the thread? Not meaning to sound bad, but I'm pretty sure I explained this in the OP. It could very well be the pressure plate. That's what the camera store thought and so they sent it off for the pressure plate to be completely replaced. But the lines still occur, albeit now they do seem smaller. It could've been the pressure plate, it could've been the rollers, it could've been a million and a half things. But I'm not going to spend chunks of change, replacing the camera bit by bit to find out. Much cheaper to just get a new camera. At this point I'm mostly just looking for camera suggestions and potential issues down the line with the photos I've already shot and how to fix it.

Edit: F801. Just wondering, because of the age of this camera, would the autofocus still be up to snuff? I do a lot of street so I need quick, responsive, and accurate AF. The F80/65 worked fine, but they're newer tech, as would a F90(X)/F100/F75.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was being tactful by subtly pointing out that I had not seen that that the plate pressure repair was done.

I will avoid being tactful in the future with you.

h.v. · Jun 10, 2012

really wanna thank everybody again for their help.

sandermarijn: Yeah, that's why I was originally wanting to steer clear of the F100. I do lots of street, so clunky is not what I'm looking for. F801(s) or F90(x) or F75 it is, then! When you mean accuracy of focus pts on the F801s, what do you mean exactly? Do shots come out of focus?

Sirius: Don't worry about it .

Does anybody have personal experiences with stuff like No-Scratch (where can you even buy it? Only place I saw was B&H...and only in-store) or skin oil (any particular type) to fix the line issue on existing negatives? How does it work and how effective is it? Is there any similar products to No Scratch which may be easier to find? Any other products other than what tkamiya mentioned that may help? There was also mention of being able to avoid the lines appearing from major scratches through a technique...what technique would that be to be clear (was it the skin oil)?

sandermarijn · Jun 11, 2012

h.v. said:
When you mean accuracy of focus pts on the F801s, what do you mean exactly? Do shots come out of focus?

I only have experience with using the centre points on all these cameras. Using those in ordinary light (say daylight or reasonably bright indoors) I find no difference (with my AF-D lenses and for my purposes) between the old F801s and e.g. the F100.

The autofocus units in modern cameras are undoubtedly far more advanced than what's in the F801s, it's just that I don't ever exploit that difference, nor do I really know what the difference is. Different CAM modules, yeah, more advanced tracking this and that, more accurate cross type number of sensors- I just don't use it so don't notice its absence either.

If you do lots of action, sports, extremely low light photography then no doubt the differences will be huge.

Sorry that you don't seem to get the original issue resolved. I would still urge you to try another type of camera and be critical towards the scanning. Else I wouldn't know.

h.v. · Jun 11, 2012

I don't think I use those special AF settings (don't even know if the F80 has it). Autofocus is one of the few non-manual things I do, but I don't try to go overboard with it. And yes, I'm definitely going to get another camera. It's now just a matter of when rather than if. Unfortunately for now I'm using a camera I know is going to f*ck up on at least a portion of frames (if not all).

Still would love some info/experiences regarding No Scratch et al (mentioned in the last paragraph of the previous post of mine...this is not directed at you sander, more just a general question).

Sirius Glass · Jun 12, 2012

h.v. said:
Sirius: Don't worry about it .

h.v. · Jun 15, 2012

Again...any alternatives to No Scratch? Can't seem to find that stuff anywhere.

pityacka · Jun 15, 2012

h.v. Came across your original post today, and straight away it reminded me of a similar problem which was highlighted in a UK magazine- Amateur Photographer,a few years back. The marks were not due to scratching, etc., it had something to do with the prism, or along those lines. I have searched today but cannot find the information. When it was first brought up, it revealed that other owners had suffered the same problem. Yet others were saying that they had not experienced it with their Nikon F80. At the moment I am clearing out some old magazines,and if I come across the article(s) I will post details here. To be honest, I was thinking of an F80, but this has always been at the back of my mind, and so far has put me off buying one.

h.v. · Jun 15, 2012

^ Thanks pityacka! That'd be interesting to read. Seems like this issue with the F80 is pretty well known...would've been nice to know this when I bought it.

As if I didn't already have enough bad problems with film cameras, I just tried out an old family Canon AF P&S from the '80s and they too have scratching. I'm guessing it's just because it is an old, low-end camera.

Hopefully a week from now I'll have a new F801 or F90 and it won't have the scratching issues anymore.

And again - any alternative methods to No-Scratch that might be easier to find? I've been doing a bit of research myself, and found a product called SpotPen, which'd only be for B&W and are basically different shades of grey to write over a line on an enelargement. Any experiences with this?

pityacka · Jun 26, 2012

I still have not found the article to which I referred. Still clearing out old mags and may come across it. But I decided to go for a Nikon F80, and won on ebay - sum of £31-00. !! It is mint and looks barely used. When I opened the parcel I looked at the lens mount,(there was no lens cap fitted) and thought 'that's an unusual Nikon mount.' Panic was starting, until I realised the sender had sellotaped a 55mm skylight filter over the mount to protect the inside of the camera whilst in transit. God bless him. Then bought a mint- battery pack for £29-00, and that should be here today. I bought the battery pack from Grays of Westminster, London. I always have a drool over their 2 page advert in the AP. Saw the grip on their website and phoned for it yesterday. They are always highly commended for their service, and for my purchase - relatively inexpensive - I can only second all the praise they receive.

h.v. · Jun 29, 2012

No alternatives to no-scratch?

So I got an F90. Yay. Just got the test roll back today and the scratchy lines are appearing still. I also had a disposable camera processed and the same issue. So I've done five cameras, four labs. What the hell is up with this? I'm going to e-mail my go-to lab about this, but it can't be the lab, considering this has occurred in four labs. It also clearly isn't the camera per se, because it has occurred on 3 Nikon SLR, 1 Canon Compact, and 1 Fuji Disposable. What could it be? I try my very best to make sure the interior of the camera is as clean as possible to ensure it isn't just dust particles latching on and scratching. Could it be the mouth of the film cassette? That's the only thing I can think of. It can't be the negative sleeves (I heard this could cause scratching) because I've used two types along with using no sleeves. Any ideas?

Sirius Glass · Jul 1, 2012

h.v., I have assumed that you are using packaged film and not bulk load film, right?

h.v. · Jul 2, 2012

Right. Already in the cassette and everything.

PhotoJim · Jul 2, 2012

Careless technique (camera loading, film handling, etc.) could result in bad dust problems like this, but the level of problems you're having seems high even if one contemplates that your technique were truly awful.

Perhaps be super careful with your technique and see if that helps - but you've addressed all the other variables one would expect to be involved.

h.v. · Jul 3, 2012

I wouldn't say I've ever been careless with handling and loading, but I have become much much more careful. Unless I'm out while putting in a new roll, I always make sure to check for dust/artifacts inside the camera before loading and winding a roll. I even do this sometimes when I am out (but I usually load before I go out, unless I decide to shoot a 2nd or 3rd roll on a shoot).

I'm just waiting for a response from my lab about this, it was just a long weekend here in Canada, so I should now be getting a response either today or tomorrow. In the meantime, I have 3 rolls to be processed and 2 of which can be done (C-41) at another lab, which I will do, and thus revisit the whole lab aspect because it just cannot be the camera anymore. Maybe with the F80 it was, but 5 different cameras and all the same issue? too much coincidence.

If it isn't the lab, I can only think either

a) the tongue of the cassette (but it can't have something in the way that often)

b) sleeves (even though a couple rolls weren't stored this way and still retain the scratch lines)

c) it is the lab...but it isn't something they'd be aware of

tkamiya · Jul 3, 2012

h.v. said:
Again...any alternatives to No Scratch? Can't seem to find that stuff anywhere.

It's right HERE

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/5415120-Edwal-No-Scratch-1-oz.?cat_id=305

tkamiya · Jul 3, 2012

Multiple cameras, multiple films, multiple labs, and different days.... I was going to say the only common element is you but not if pre-loaded disposable is doing the same thing. Also the film batch idea is gone for the same reason.

Not that it'll solve the mystery but I wonder if this is actually a scratch - as in something touching and mechanically inscribing the offending line. I once had a thin line appear on my strip of neg. Looked like a scratch but nope. It was a pin hole light leak. It only became obvious when I looked at it under 40x magnification. I wonder if all labs you sent it to, sends the film to the same central location to do the actual processing? Or do they own their own mini-lab at each place?

Are scratches on all those test rolls exactly at the same place and on the same side?

Do you want to shoot a B&W roll and send it to me and I can process it for you. I won't guarantee a scratch free processing but any scratch I would put would be random in nature. You can surely tell them apart from ones mechanically done.

h.v. · Jul 3, 2012

Tkamiya...

Lab said something similar. So many different variables...different cameras, different labs, different times, different processes, etc. The only thing that was the same throughout the whole process was the scanner, so they said it could be that. But it can't really be that (would love it to just be that, then my negs wouldnt be screwed), if I can see the scratching ON the negative.

All the stores have their own labs. Well, one doesn't but they just send it to another of their locations, except for B&W/slide, which gets sent to Winnipeg. Everybody else does in-house processing, so it isn't the same lab. I will ask about the light leak theory.

Oh, and No-Scratch says on Freestyle "Due to shipping regulations these items can only be shipped via Ground in the Continental United States"...I checked Freestyle before. You can find it in the U.S., but not Canada it seems.

tkamiya · Jul 3, 2012

How about this.

Go to a processor. Buy a film there. Open it. Have it processed. Look at it IN the store. Take it home. Scan it. Look at the film again.

There GOT to be a reason for your scratches.

Russ - SVP · Jul 4, 2012

F-100. Much better rig!

h.v. · Jul 4, 2012

Tkamiya: I was actually going to try the whole "run a film through the camera and open it up, unprocessed, if the lines are still there, it's the camera" thing tomorrow hopefully. Just used a different lab...same issue. Only thing I can think is I'm just not cleaning thoroughly enough, even though I think I'm plenty thorough. Might try that after, though, if I need, that's a good idea.

Kiron Kid: No f*cking way. What would that solve? Based on my experience, the negs from the hypothetical F100 would have the same issue. I'm not dropping $200 for that, considering the F90 seems great and isn't known to have scratching issues (despite me having them). Not to mention, the F100 would probably be too much of a "rig" for what I generally do.

filmamigo · Jul 4, 2012

h.v. I'm really sorry to hear your ongoing troubles.

Have you inspected the film for scratches before loading into your scanner?

Seeing as we are in the realm of wild speculation now, I never trusted those little negative sleeves -- can you get a roll processed and returned to you uncut?

h.v. · Jul 4, 2012

Another update. Just sacrificed a roll of film and ... drum roll please ... no lines that I can notice. I might run it through the scanner later just to be sure as it would be magnified and easier to see. With that, it must be the lab. I just cannot fathom how this could be an issue at so many different labs, not to mention ones in different cities. Considering the fact that I've not heard of issues with a bunch of local labs here by other film shooters, I don't know, though. Maybe they just digitally edit it like me and move on (except I'm not just moving on...)?

Filmamigo: Thanks for your condolences. I don't load the film into my scanner, I use a flatbed, so it just sits in a negative tray/holder. I have had a few rolls uncut (because they forgot to), but they still have scratches on it. Though when it is uncut, they do put it in a plastic wrap to protect the negatives from the elements. Could this cause the same issue as the holders? If so, what should I ask my lab to store it in? Would just putting it in their paper envelope do it? I can't see that being any better...it would be a dust magnet and could potentially scratch against the paper when the envelope is moved or in transport.

filmamigo · Jul 5, 2012

I believe the sleeve for uncut film is loaded from the side, as opposed to being pulled lengthwise through the sleeve.

Recurring issues with Nikon F80

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency