Scratches on film

Tony-S · Oct 9, 2009

OK, I'm getting some scratches on the film with my Bronica 120 back. I cannot tell if they're on the front of the film or the back. Any suggestions on what to clean to get this resolved?

TIA.

Ian Grant · Oct 9, 2009

There's (there was a url link here which no longer exists) with a similar problem, he's getting black lines on his B&W negs and can't find the fault.

You're going to need to check the complete film path and clean evrything.

Iam

Tony-S · Oct 9, 2009

Ian Grant said:
There's (there was a url link here which no longer exists) with a similar problem, he's getting black lines on his B&W negs and can't find the fault.

You're going to need to check the complete film path and clean evrything.

Iam

I've inspected the path (GS-1, 120 6x7), but cannot locate anything conspicuous. It is rather frustrating and I do not see them on some of the color frames I shot, only this roll of B&W (Delta 400 at ISO 320/Perceptol 1+1). Perhaps a bad roll of film, or something I did while loading the film on the reel?

ozphoto · Oct 9, 2009

Light traps are always a nasty dust collector; with 35mm, scratches such as this usually indicated dust in the felt. Have processed enough rolls at a minilab that have been covered in all sorts, which I needed to remove and load into a donor cannister so that it wouldn't get scratched.

I also have a 120 GS1 back, but can't remember if it has a felt trap or not ( yes it has been a while; very naughty of me). If so, I'd give it a good clean just to make sure and hopefully, that solves this rather annoying problem.

Tony-S · Oct 9, 2009

What are the strategies for cleaning? Air brush, solutions, swabs?? I've not done this before and don't want to make things worse.

MattKing · Oct 9, 2009

Are those scratches across the film, rather than parallel with the film's edge? If so, I don't know how something in the camera would cause them.

Matt

Shaggysk8 · Oct 9, 2009

Yeah good luck finding it, I am the man with the same issue I am running a roll through I should develop over the next or so, I gave my back the biggest clean had the vac handy to take the dust away.

MattKing · Oct 9, 2009

Shaggysk8 said:
Yeah good luck finding it, I am the man with the same issue I am running a roll through I should develop over the next or so, I gave my back the biggest clean had the vac handy to take the dust away.

Correct me if I am wrong, but in Shaggysk8's case, the scratches/lines run lengthwise on the film, while Tony-S's scratches/lines run across the film.
:confused::confused:

Matt

Shaggysk8 · Oct 9, 2009

I would say both are running around the film not across I am very sure of this

MattKing · Oct 9, 2009

Shaggysk8 said:
I would say both are running around the film not across I am very sure of this

This is harder to express then to show .

Tony-S's camera is a GS-1 which provides a 6x7 negative. With his 6x7 negatives, the short dimension (and the line) runs across the film.

Your camera is an ETRS, which provides a 6x4.5 negative. With your 6x4.5 negatives, the short dimension (and the line) runs along the film.

Matt

Shaggysk8 · Oct 9, 2009

I will shut up then....hahaha

MattKing · Oct 9, 2009

Shaggysk8 said:
I will shut up then....hahaha

No - keep on posting about your lines, because we all want to figure out what is causing them

Matt

Tony-S · Oct 9, 2009

Yes, mine are across the film. I suspect when I advance the film there is debris on one of the rollers, or one of the rollers isn't rolling properly, or some such. It could have been specific to this roll as I don't see these lines in a couple of rolls of color film I shot a few weeks ago. I will shoot another roll this weekend and see if the problem persists (after a good cleaning, though).

ozphoto · Oct 9, 2009

Compressed air in a can would be ok; I used to use a soft toothbrush on the donor cartridges - but they were felt lightraps. As I can't see my back I can't remember if it's felt or not.

Anything that will dislodge any dust, dirt or grit will work, just try not to get too carried away - had a customer who saw that the light trap on her 35mm had some loose threads, so she started to pull them off - seems she kept going until it was no longer there!

Christopher Walrath · Oct 9, 2009

It could be a sticky roller come to mention it. The roller is intermittently seizing. The film resting on the roller skips and stretches the emulsion, resulting a vertical scratch-looking defect. Make sense?

Tony-S · Oct 10, 2009

Whatever is causing it, it must be on the front of the film since the back is covered with paper. Strange, though. I've given it a thorough cleaning (I think) and will try to shoot and process a roll this weekend.

Thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions.

Tony-S · Oct 11, 2009

Well, the frustration continues. I'm not sure what to do next. I've cleaned the two rollers that should be the only ones that contact the front of the film and I'm still getting scratches. Could it be downstream from the camera, such as in development? I use a Nikor stainless steel tank and reel. I'd sure like to get this problem resolved and welcome any suggestions.

Tony-S · Oct 11, 2009

Ok, I think I've isolated the problem. Attached is another photo from that same roll of film, but it does not have scratches. Does this not imply that one (or both) of the rollers that contact the front of the film is only intermittently rolling? If it weren't rolling at all, then the scratches should be across the entire film length? If this is the case, then this should be fixable by lubricating the rollers?

Christopher Walrath · Oct 11, 2009

My thinking exactly. Some dust or debris caught up internally and only occasionally seizing. If disassembly is an option I would get it thoroughly cleaned. Doesn't take much to get one roller to seize only occasionally.

Tony-S · Oct 11, 2009

I think that was it. A close inspection showed one roller had a fair amount of drag. I removed it, oiled the ends and reassembled it. It's rolling much better now and I've shot a roll of film. Hopefully, this will take care of it.

Christopher Walrath · Oct 11, 2009

I'd bet my bottom sheet of 4x5. Hope it goes well. Let us know.

Tony-S · Oct 11, 2009

Chris, I saw your first post in this thread a couple of days ago, but I didn't put it together. Now that I re-read it, it's clear. I hope you're right (and the problem is resolved). Thanks again.

Tony-S · Oct 12, 2009

Not quite there. Frames 1-7 were clean, but frames 8-10 had scratches on them. This is peculiar...

Shaggysk8 · Oct 12, 2009

Tell me about it, hurry up and solve it as it might give me a bit of a clue.

Tony-S · Oct 12, 2009

OK, I am totally confused now. I just checked one of my other rolls that has scratches on the film and it's exactly the same. Frames 1-7 have no scratches, but frams 8-10 do have scratches. On both sets, frame 8 has minimal scratching while frames 9 and 10 have substantial scratching (as shown in my first post). Does anyone have a clue as to what might be going on here? The film was one roll of Delta 100 and two rolls of HP5+ shot at ISO 320. All were processed in Percetol. Might this be from my stainless steel reel? I'm not sure how it could be, but at this point I have no idea what's going on.

Edit: I just checked the third roll (Delta 100) and it's the same. Frames 1-7 are clean, frame 8 has a bit of scratching, and frames 9 and 10 have heavy scratching.

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