What caused this?

Ces1um · Feb 16, 2019

So I'm trying out a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 that I was just given. My focus is off, and there's dust to clean and I think the lens needs some compressed air. That being said, I've noticed a very strange artifact on the negative I just scanned. On the far left of the picture is a thin vertical band where the exposure seems considerably better. Most of the picture has some kind of haze to it. Any idea what's going on here? Not every photo has this band but when they do, it's in the same spot, about the same width.

Peltigera · Feb 16, 2019

Well, you have discovered the best way to remove dust from inside an old camera - run a roll of film through it!

Yes, the image is very hazy. The haze is mottled which, to me, almost suggests poor development. It is not light leaking in. It might be easier to comment if you posted a photograph of the negative, including the rebate and gap between images. If nothing else, that will distinguish between film issues and scanner issues.

Ces1um · Feb 16, 2019

Peltigera said:
Well, you have discovered the best way to remove dust from inside an old camera - run a roll of film through it!

Yes, the image is very hazy. The haze is mottled which, to me, almost suggests poor development. It is not light leaking in. It might be easier to comment if you posted a photograph of the negative, including the rebate and gap between images. If nothing else, that will distinguish between film issues and scanner issues.

I will photograph the negatives tomorrow when I have some form of natural light to illuminate the photo. I can tell you that I can physically feel "water spots" on the negative. I can see the demarcation that I asked about above on the negative itself. The spacing between each photo is quite tight- only a couple of mm. I had one unexposed frame which has developed with that blue haze (which I will post below- this is a blank frame to be clear) which to me really makes me think something is truly messed up.

edit- photrio is not inserting the photo into the body of the message. It will reach 100% upload but won't ask if I want to post it as a thumb nail or insert the full photo. It just hangs. I might have to wait until tomorrow to try and post that photo- could be an upload restriction.

Ces1um · Feb 17, 2019

Peltigera said:
Well, you have discovered the best way to remove dust from inside an old camera - run a roll of film through it!

Yes, the image is very hazy. The haze is mottled which, to me, almost suggests poor development. It is not light leaking in. It might be easier to comment if you posted a photograph of the negative, including the rebate and gap between images. If nothing else, that will distinguish between film issues and scanner issues.

Here's a photo of the negative. Sorry for the quality...

center image, on the right side of the negative.

Peltigera · Feb 17, 2019

I think that is a development issue. Did youd evelop the film yourself?

Ces1um · Feb 17, 2019

Peltigera said:
I think that is a development issue. Did youd evelop the film yourself?

Professional lab developed it. That being said, the last 3 times I've had anything developed twice my 35mm scans were misindexed and now this for 120. I do know they have let people go and also that their film processor malfunctioned. They were going to replace it but instead just repaired it. I think it's time I talked with the manager. I just wanted outside confirmation that it wasn't something to do with the camera this time. It is very old and new to me so I wasn't sure if the error was mine, the camera or the lab's.

jtk · Feb 19, 2019

Patient: "It hurts when I do this."
Doctor: "Don't do that."
Me: "Abandon that lab."

Ces1um · Feb 19, 2019

jtk said:
Patient: "It hurts when I do this."
Doctor: "Don't do that."
Me: "Abandon that lab."

I don't have a lot of options available to me unfortunately. It's this lab or mail my stuff away to be developed. Given that I've lost my own darkroom, my lab is now doing crappy work and it's getting harder to buy film locally, it's getting to the point where I'm seriously contemplating ditching film. I'm either going to have to go digital or go real old school with watercolours.

jtk · Feb 19, 2019

Go digital or water color. If you go digital, get Lightroom, not some cute alternative. Later you may want Photoshop. Your lab became a hurtful side track when you began to distrust it.

What caused this?

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