What the devil happened to my negative

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

I was looking at some negatives yesterday and noticed a slightly lighter streak on the left hand side of some frames. Only certain pictures are affected, near the beginning of the roll, interestingly all taken at the same place. The rest of the negative seems untouched. I scanned the whole thing to get a closer look and it looks like this. What could possibly have gone wrong ? I can't say it's development, the rest of the roll is fine and this was developed in batch with other films that all turned out fine. It has to be exposure, but how ? what could have caused this ?

480sparky · Jan 9, 2016

Assuming 35mm, and you scanned the entire negs:

Light leaks would show up on the long end of the images, not the short. And light leaks show up, in a positive print, as lighter, not darker.

I'm guessing you have a horizontal focal plane shutter in your camera. And the shutter curtains are not travelling across the film plane evenly. Meaning, they (or one of them) speeds up and slows down erratically.

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

Yes it's 35mm, and well light on the negative, dark on the positive
Yes I have a horizontal focal plane shutter (Leica M type).

So how come this problem doesn't show up elsewhere, on the same negative or even ones shot later with the same camera ?
It was cold that day but nothing like what we usually get here in Montreal and I've subjected this camera to much worse in the past. It was very very foggy and windy that day (not sure how that helps)

darkosaric · Jan 9, 2016

Look negatives under some light and confirm that it is not a scanner issue (maybe negative is not flat in scanner holder or something).

bvy · Jan 9, 2016

What's the spot in the lower center of the second frame? Flare?

bvy · Jan 9, 2016

darkosaric said:
Look negatives under some light and confirm that it is not a scanner issue (maybe negative is not flat in scanner holder or something).

Or just turn the negative strip 90 degrees and rescan one of the suspect frames.

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

bvy said:
What's the spot in the lower center of the second frame? Flare?

I don't know

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

darkosaric said:
Look negatives under some light and confirm that it is not a scanner issue (maybe negative is not flat in scanner holder or something).

I don't see the other artifacts on my light table (that dark spot for example) but I do see a streak on the left side of the frame, it's on the negative for sure

Gerald C Koch · Jan 9, 2016

Problems with focal plane shutters can be sporadic. Once a shutter has "warmed up" they may disappear only to re-appear after a rest period. So they may not appear on every frame.

Rick A · Jan 9, 2016

Judging from the scene content, cold erratic shutter syndrome.

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

Rick A said:
Judging from the scene content, cold erratic shutter syndrome.

That's the only explanation I could find, but I've shot this camera in my hometown in far colder temperatures without problem

Xmas · Jan 9, 2016

The focal plane shutters are like autos every decade or so they need a routine service.
If you use them on cold days and bring them into warm house you get internal condensation which causes both corrosion and the oil to wax.
You need a zip lock bag and silica gel to get camera from cold outside to indoors.
Firing the shutter 500 times indoors might help or snap a ribbon...

Old-N-Feeble · Jan 9, 2016

I'm with others... FP shutter problems. Old lube is probably the culprit exacerbated by the cold weather. I strongly suspect the camera needs a CLA.

lauffray · Jan 9, 2016

Thanks for the great input guys

What the devil happened to my negative

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