So TIRED of scratches!

Nodda Duma · Jun 12, 2018

The emulsion side faces the lens, so make sure anything that side of the film can slide across is cleaned off. Are the rolls of film stored outside of their plastic cannisters? You could be getting dust embedded in the felt which will scratch the film as well.

Marcelo Paniagua · Jun 12, 2018

Umm no feedback from the OP.

Could be a lot of things. For me, it mostly happens on the development process, either before or after development. Sometimes I'm to rough when loading film on the reels and sometimes when I squeeze the film. Don't normally squeeze film but sometimes my mind is absent, so squeeze before I realize .

At leas for me, its rare for a camera to scratch film. Have used about 15 cameras lately, including Leica, Rolleiflex, Canon, Nikon, Fujica and SLR Rollei's and none had scratched my film.

Regards

Marcelo

TonyB65 · Jun 12, 2018

Shawn Rahman said:
Hi - what's the problem with plastic reels? The few times I've developed my own film, I used the Paterson tank with plastic reels. Easy to load and seemed fine. Do they have a tendency to scratch film the way they're loaded with the back and forth cranking motion?

Not of you keep them dry, don't dip them in photo-flo and use a pencil to lubricate the spirals.

Sirius Glass · Jun 12, 2018

Kino said:
Yep. I've had millions of feet of negative, positive and interpositive 35mm successfully processed on a continuous processor and very rarely was a squeegee at fault.

Use them right and they work fine.

If you don't like them, don't use them, but don't blame the squeegee; blame the operator.

So an Operator Assisted Failure? As this is what to OAF did?

Sirius Glass · Jun 12, 2018

jtk said:
Stop using plastic reels, stop squeegee.

Never had a scratch problem with plastic reels.

foc · Jun 12, 2018

35mm film is very sturdy, and fairly scratch resistant. From my experience, most of the scratched that occur are made in camera.
I have only once seen a scratch from dirty light trap felt and that was a customer reloading a standard 35mm colour film cassette, I think he said he had reloaded it 5 times.
Most film processors want to stay in business and so don't want to scratch customers films and loose business. Most also take pride in their work and so keep equipment in good condition.
When sleeving negs, again I have rarely seen a neg scratched.
What I have seen is the blame for scratches being unfairly put on the lab.
Regarding plastic reels, again I have used them for hand processing B&W film (for 39 years) and never had a scratch caused by the reel.

Vonder · Aug 14, 2018

FWIW I thoroughly cleaned the camera interior and shot a scratch-free roll. Whatever it was, it's gone now.

k.hendrik · Aug 17, 2018

Wolfeye said:
FWIW I thoroughly cleaned the camera interior and shot a scratch-free roll. Whatever it was, it's gone now.

Me zhink you is an genius.....

Dismayed · Aug 18, 2018

jtk said:
Stop using plastic reels, stop squeegee.

Plastic reels did not cause the scratch on the image that the OP posted. No way. I've used plastic reels for two decades, and I've never had a problem with scratches. Ever.

Vincent Peri · Aug 18, 2018

Dismayed said:
Plastic reels did not cause the scratch on the image that the OP posted. No way. I've used plastic reels for two decades, and I've never had a problem with scratches. Ever.

I've never had scratches from plastic reels either. I've been in photography since 1974, and I can remember only one roll of my film ever having scratches. Don't know what caused it, but the problem never recurred.

Sirius Glass · Aug 18, 2018

I have only used plastic reels for sixty years, but I have never had a problem with them causes scratches. Loading problems and kinked 120 film sometimes, but not scratches.

So TIRED of scratches!

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