streaks puzzle

Brian C. Miller said:

+1 on camera light leaks. This is the same pattern on my films from my Nikon FTn cameras, which do need the seals replaced.

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How in the world does that coincide with only the first half of the film being affected?

Thomas Bertilsson said:

How in the world does that coincide with only the first half of the film being affected?

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Other than coincidence, it wouldn't. Faulty seals on the film canisters would show decreasing fog from the leader inward. If the film is loaded on the processing reels leader-end first then the fog would be on the inside of the reel.

Okay... I've repeated myself ad nauseum. I'll shut up now.

Old-N-Feeble said:

Other than coincidence, it wouldn't. Faulty seals on the film canisters would show decreasing fog from the leader inward. If the film is loaded on the processing reels leader-end first then the fog would be on the inside of the reel.

Okay... I've repeated myself ad nauseum. I'll shut up now.

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It would also show the same problems on the films that were developed by the lab. The camera is a common denominator between rolls that are successfully developed by a lab and unsuccessfully developed by the OP. It makes no sense that it's the camera.

That's why I suggested to take a roll that has never left the black container the film canister is stored in, and load it in complete darkness, shoot the roll, unload in complete darkness, and immediately load into a film developing tank to process.

I feel like a broken record myself... But a camera leak would not occur on only the first half of the film.

Thomas Bertilsson said:

How in the world does that coincide with only the first half of the film being affected?

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It happens based on how the camera is handled. How long did the film sit in that position? How fast did it go through the camera? Was the environment all sunny? How was the camera held? Yadda yadda yadda, etc., on and on, ad infinitum.

I recently bought a Yashica 635, and it has a light leak from old seals. It only shows on 120, but not on 35mm. The leak isn't consistent, because I wandered around with it, photographing stuff in sunlight and shade. It all depends on how the sun hits the camera.

If it the light leaks were caused during the developing then my 120 film would have the same problem but I never had even the slightest problem with 120 so that’s ruled out.

If it’s a problem with the 135 canisters then ALL of them had problems and since I don’t bulk load and used Kodak tmax 100, Ilford 100, panf 50, tmax 400, sfx 200, fuji and tri X seems like there would have been a recall considering I am careful with my rolls before and after they are used, I always in the little plastic container. Although it may be a possibility, I think it’s somewhat unlikely. I’m not ruling it out though.

I remember now that the fuji velvia roll was the very first roll I shot on this camera, before I changed the seals.

I have no idea why the damage seems to be more pronounced on the beginning of the roll but I know for sure it occurs whilst the film is rolled due to the sprocket hole impressions on the fifth frame.

I will conduct a little experiment tonight.

In the darkroom I’ll fit a test strip of photo paper in the film compartment of the camera, around the feed and take up spools and across the back, emulsion side up. I’ll shut the camera film door and take it out in the brightest light I have for an hour or so to compensate for the lower sensitivity of the paper….go back to the darkroom and develop. If it is light tight there should be nothing…and I have my answer, it’s the canister. if it isn’t white well…It’s the camera.

With that many types of factory-loaded film involved that rules out film canister light seals. The folks advocating bad camera seals are probably right. Load a roll of fast sacrificial film, walk outside and hold the back to bright sun at all angles, shade the camera and advance the film to the end then reapeat holding the back to the sunlight... then process the film. If it's camera light seals then you'll see fog on both ends of the film.

cliveh said:

You like Retsina?????

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Yep - an acquired taste, but I've acquired it.

Thomas Bertilsson said:

But OP says the weirdness is only at the center of the developing reel, suggesting only the film at the beginning of the length of the film is affected. This does not hold up well if it was a camera leak, because the entire length of the film would be affected. To me it makes a lot more sense that it's the film cartridge, where the film closest to the light trap of the cartridge would be most affected, which coincidentally is also the part that would get loaded onto the developing reel first (the part OP says is having the problems).

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Thomas, I disagree; the angle of the film path changes as film builds up on the take-up spool, possibly moving the film away from the light leak. I've had that issue with 120 film in a TLR, affecting the first four frames only. It took me ages to work that one out - decayed light-tight seal. I don't think a tank light leak would occur on every frame at regular intervals, and it would have shown on Alexis' 120 film. His tests should show him where his problems lie.

Cheers,
kevs

It's a good job we aren't doctors, the patient would be dead by now.

Newt_on_Swings said:

The leaks may only appear on a portion of the film because it was shot in different lighting conditions. If the beginning was shot in bright sun and end was finished in dimmer light or at night.

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Sounds pretty good to me

Mystery solved!!! The photo paper had a very familiar streak across the width! it's near the take spool on the right hand side! Boom!! Thanks guys!!! this is a big problem solved! i would have still been blaming development if it weren't for you all! thanks.

kevs said:

Thomas, I disagree; the angle of the film path changes as film builds up on the take-up spool, possibly moving the film away from the light leak. I've had that issue with 120 film in a TLR, affecting the first four frames only. It took me ages to work that one out - decayed light-tight seal. I don't think a tank light leak would occur on every frame at regular intervals, and it would have shown on Alexis' 120 film. His tests should show him where his problems lie.

Cheers,
kevs

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I understand what you say, kevs. But I'm not talking about the tank. I'm talking about the film cartridge, where the film lives until you remove it to put it on a developing reel.

- Thomas

Edit - and there we go - I was proven wrong. I'm happy OP has resolved the issues.

Retsina 5 Stars! *****

retsina...i haven't tasted that since i was a kid LOL!

Alexis M said:

Mystery solved!!! The photo paper had a very familiar streak across the width! it's near the take spool on the right hand side! Boom!! Thanks guys!!! this is a big problem solved! i would have still been blaming development if it weren't for you all! thanks.

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Bingo! nice now go take some fog/light leak free photos! Search Apug for Foamies if you need info on what you can use to replace seals.

Alexis M said:

Mystery solved!!! The photo paper had a very familiar streak across the width! it's near the take spool on the right hand side! Boom!! Thanks guys!!! this is a big problem solved! i would have still been blaming development if it weren't for you all! thanks.

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I'm glad to hear it, Alexis. I hope you manage to fix the problem.

Cheers,
kevs

i'ts official i just developped a PERFECTLY fogless roll...I may do way more 35mm now.