Scratches on film, Canon a-1

Siompa · Oct 10, 2017

So I have a canon a-1 body which on the last few rolls been giving me scratched film. I have encountered scratches before and they usually end up white on prints, however these new ones are black...

Scanned print: https://flic.kr/p/ZfZceG

Scanned print crop: https://flic.kr/p/YhzSm4

I have blown with a rocket blower to get the dust out and dragged a piece of cotton along the pressure plate but nothing sticks so it doesn't seem to be from there.

Any ideas?

AgX · Oct 10, 2017

These scratches do not run in parallel to the line of film movement.

Siompa · Oct 10, 2017

AgX said:
These scratches do not run in parallel to the line of film movement.

Aren't they?

Ces1um · Oct 10, 2017

Siompa said:
Aren't they?

Looks like it to me. The film you're using- all the same lot #'s? Maybe it's the film canisters themselves- but I doubt it. Gotta be your camera. Can you see which side the scratch occurs on your negative? pressure plate or lens side? Is it in the emulsion or in the acetate? Also, who's doing the processing? You? Have you checked your equipment? Could it be the squeegee's fault?

Siompa · Oct 10, 2017

Ces1um said:
Looks like it to me. The film you're using- all the same lot #'s? Maybe it's the film canisters themselves- but I doubt it. Gotta be your camera. Can you see which side the scratch occurs on your negative? pressure plate or lens side? Is it in the emulsion or in the acetate? Also, who's doing the processing? You? Have you checked your equipment? Could it be the squeegee's fault?

I haven't checked the negatives yet, I don't have them at home. I would guess they're on the emulsion side.

I am doing my own processing in Paterson tanks, I don't squeegee at all so that shouldn't be the problem. I got scratches that would be white on prints and those disappeared when I stopped squeegeing( is that a word?)

Could it be the shutter curtain? And if so, could I clean it somehow? I've heard you should never touch it

OlyMan · Oct 10, 2017

Shutter doesn't touch the film, guide rails don't make contact with any part of the image area. Your image shows multiple parallel scratches across the image area consistent with grit or sharp edges (grit would move however). Either something in the camera is making the scratches on your film (possibly when you're winding the film back into the canister), or it's happening afterwards. Carefully clean all inside the back of the camera including the back plate. After cleaning the inside of the back of the camera completely, push a roll through and ask a local D&P to develop it. If no scratches appear then you know you've either cured the problem or it's something that's happening outside the camera as part of your own processes.

Mainecoonmaniac · Oct 10, 2017

Ces1um said:
Looks like it to me. The film you're using- all the same lot #'s? Maybe it's the film canisters themselves- but I doubt it. Gotta be your camera. Can you see which side the scratch occurs on your negative? pressure plate or lens side? Is it in the emulsion or in the acetate? Also, who's doing the processing? You? Have you checked your equipment? Could it be the squeegee's fault?

I think Ces 1um may be on to something. If you use a film squeegee, throw it out. Do you bulk load your film? If so, your cartridge light trap may be dirty.

MattKing · Oct 10, 2017

Black scratch marks on the prints usually implies scratches are on the emulsion side of the film.
Do you sleeve your negatives or store them in Printfile sheets? If so, check the sleeves or sheets, and examine carefully your handling technique.

AgX · Oct 10, 2017

AgX said:
These scratches do not run in parallel to the line of film movement.

On the assumption that the photograph itself is parallel to the monitor horizontal. But the upper edge of the photograph even has an inclination contrary to the artefact lines. Likely my remark was based on a wrong assumption...

Siompa · Oct 11, 2017

OlyMan said:
Shutter doesn't touch the film, guide rails don't make contact with any part of the image area. Your image shows multiple parallel scratches across the image area consistent with grit or sharp edges (grit would move however). Either something in the camera is making the scratches on your film (possibly when you're winding the film back into the canister), or it's happening afterwards. Carefully clean all inside the back of the camera including the back plate. After cleaning the inside of the back of the camera completely, push a roll through and ask a local D&P to develop it. If no scratches appear then you know you've either cured the problem or it's something that's happening outside the camera as part of your own processes.

Will do a thorough clean after next roll. I find it hard to believe it’s my process, the film doesn’t go through anything else than the camera, I use Paterson reels, no squeegee (also no fingers) , and hang the film to dry. Nothing should be in contact with the frame area. But I will take your advice and give a roll away for developing just to be sure.

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I think Ces 1um may be on to something. If you use a film squeegee, throw it out. Do you bulk load your film? If so, your cartridge light trap may be dirty.

No squeegee and no bulk load :/

MattKing said:
Black scratch marks on the prints usually implies scratches are on the emulsion side of the film.
Do you sleeve your negatives or store them in Printfile sheets? If so, check the sleeves or sheets, and examine carefully your handling technique.

I use clear sheets from macodirect, use gloves and only touch the edges of the film when putting them in.

OlyMan · Oct 11, 2017

Even if OP was using a contaminated squeegee (which he's not) he'd do well to create such perfectly straight parallel lines across a full roll of film. They're being caused by the film being pulled / wound past something that's scratching it, either inside the camera or outside the camera. The only way of narrowing it down is by process of elimination. Hence my suggestion to thoroughly clean the inside of the camera, look for anything sharp in the film path that could be causing the scratches, then push a film though and let someone else develop it to remove one set of variables. If OP still gets scratches then it must be something in the camera.

Chan Tran · Oct 11, 2017

It could be the processor.

E. von Hoegh · Oct 11, 2017

It's also possible that the light trap in the film cassette(s) were contaminated somehow.

Wallendo · Oct 11, 2017

One thing to try is when you next load the camera (after cleaning it of course) would be to pull out a few inches of film from the canister and cut the film and then load the remnant and shoot normally. Look carefully at the film you sacrificed looking for scratches. Develop the fragment and see if scratches are seen. If you see scratches on the film you didn't load, then you can rule out the camera as the source.

Ces1um · Oct 11, 2017

Wallendo said:
One thing to try is when you next load the camera (after cleaning it of course) would be to pull out a few inches of film from the canister and cut the film and then load the remnant and shoot normally. Look carefully at the film you sacrificed looking for scratches. Develop the fragment and see if scratches are seen. If you see scratches on the film you didn't load, then you can rule out the camera as the source.

Good idea!

Robin Guymer · Oct 11, 2017

Wallendo said:
One thing to try is when you next load the camera (after cleaning it of course) would be to pull out a few inches of film from the canister and cut the film and then load the remnant and shoot normally. Look carefully at the film you sacrificed looking for scratches. Develop the fragment and see if scratches are seen. If you see scratches on the film you didn't load, then you can rule out the camera as the source.

Another way to check is after the film has been loaded on the developing spool in the bag and the canister cut off the end. Bust the canister open to remove the last tag of film then check it under a magnifier. You will be surprised how many films have scratches on them from manufacture. After finding an internal scratch on one film, I checked another 10 old canisters and found another within that 10 or so. If the scratches are evident on the last few frames then it's worth checking if the tag in the spool also has them.

OlyMan · Oct 12, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
It's also possible that the light trap in the film cassette(s) were contaminated somehow.

Yeah I was going to suggest this, then I figured that for it to happen across multiple films it would surely be unlikely.

Siompa · Oct 12, 2017

OlyMan said:
Even if OP was using a contaminated squeegee (which he's not) he'd do well to create such perfectly straight parallel lines across a full roll of film. They're being caused by the film being pulled / wound past something that's scratching it, either inside the camera or outside the camera. The only way of narrowing it down is by process of elimination. Hence my suggestion to thoroughly clean the inside of the camera, look for anything sharp in the film path that could be causing the scratches, then push a film though and let someone else develop it to remove one set of variables. If OP still gets scratches then it must be something in the camera.

I guess i can rule out my processing since I did 3 rolls from other cameras today and none of them had scratches at all. Did a thorough clean out and loaded a waste roll of old color stock. Pulled 10 frames ahead and rolled it back. I looked closely under bright light on both sides and couldn’t See anything at all so I hope I’m all good. Feels like I should see them under a magnifier, right?

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Scratches on film, Canon a-1

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