canonet GIII QL17 scratching negs?

nihraguk · 01-05-2005

Just got back a test roll of film from the photo lab, and I've discovered that many of the frames on the negs have vertical scratches (rather straight ones) running down across the entire shot.

here is a sample of the scratches.

does anyone know if:
1) this is definitely caused by the camera?
2) there is any way to remedy this problem?

thanks in advance

denishr · 01-05-2005

If those were scratches from the camera, they would be horizontal, rather than vertical. Something else is at play here. Perhaps lab's fault?

Denis

Doug · 01-05-2005

Very unlikely to be the camera, I think; most scratches are lengthwise to the film's movement, not crosswise like your scratches. One wonders how they could be made, and what occurs to me is careless handling at the lab.

There is/was a scratch-remover product I've used from Edwal. Kind of an oily stuff that served its purpose by temporarily filling in the scratch grooves while the negative was printed. Nose grease will work too, I've been told!

In the long term, a remedy would be to encourage more care by the lab, by changing to a different lab, or by simply doing your own developing. In doing it yourself, anything bad that happens to the negs is your fault... I don't know about you, but I more readily forgive myself (hard to hold a grudge) than I do the lab!

nihraguk · 01-05-2005

grr. I suspected as much; the lab I normally go to is excellent, but they outsource their black/white developing etc to another lab nearby. This is XP2, so they shouldn't have had to outsource it (and I told them as much to process it C41)... but guess they forgot.

thanks guys

rover · 01-06-2005

I had a film scratching problem with my Canonet when I first got it, but they were horizontal scratches. Those look like a processing or handling issue.

Pherdinand · 01-06-2005

Most scratches come from the printing stage... They might have developed C-41 but outsourced for printing, maybe? (Did you ask for proof prints?) Next time try to ask for dev-only.

These are definitely NOT camera scratches.

Brian Sweeney · 01-06-2005

The labs Fault. I have had a bad pressure plate in a Kodak Retina do this, the lines were Horizontal and perfect little straight lines that inscreased/decreased in intensity with film winding. I replaced the pressure plate; problem gone.

So good news: Just yell at the lab, camera should be fine. These marks look like they came from moving in and out of an enlarger's pressure plate.

oftheherd · 01-06-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Sweeney
The labs Fault. ... These marks look like they came from moving in and out of an enlarger's pressure plate.

My first thought also. Inexcusable. I would take them to task for it. The least they should do is reprint after doing the best they can to remove the scratches. Frankly, they should do more than that.

bmattock · 01-06-2005

For what it may be worth - I agree with the assessments already given - looks like the lab did it.

I also recommend NOT HAVING the lab make prints, unless you want them for some reason. Personally, I just have my lab process, cut, and sleeve my negs. I scan them, and if I want prints after that, I upload them to www.walmart.com or burn them onto a CD-ROM and take them to a digital kiosk to print.

Since I began using this method, I have no more major problems with scratches - and it saves me a lot of money too.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

nihraguk · 01-06-2005

the funny thing is that i didn't ask for prints; only develop and scan. I did get one index print, but I suspect that came from the scanner rather than an enlarger.

bmattock · 01-07-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by nihraguk
the funny thing is that i didn't ask for prints; only develop and scan. I did get one index print, but I suspect that came from the scanner rather than an enlarger.

I think the scratching comes from handling - and it doesn't matter (in my humble opinion) if the handling is due to scanning or printing. In fact, I believe that some of the minilab machines use the same device to print and scan - so if you asked for scans, you got the same treatment you'd get if you asked for prints.

Do you have a scanner of your own? If so, I'd consider asking them just to develop, cut, and sleeve the negs. Otherwise, you might want to consider making an investment in a good dedicated film scanner, depending on how the economics of it work out for you. For me, the amount of C-41 processing I have done made it cost-effective for me to buy the Minolta Scan Dual IV - it paid for itself right away in saved scanning/printing costs.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks