Pro processor scratching negs?

[Flea77]

Well I posted this here because it seems there is no real place to talk about film here.....

What are the odds that a professional photo place (not Walmart, Walgreens, Ritz, etc) would scratch several sets of negatives, all B&W, all dead down the center of the frame, over a month apart?

I noticed all my B&W shot with one camera all has this darker line right down the center. It is very hard to see in the negs, but is in many frames over many rolls of Ilford FP4. I can not however see it in the color shots that were run through the same camera and processed at Walmart (yes, they scratched the heck out of the negs but they are typical scratches not all down the center).

I know it is either the camera or processor, but since I can not see anything in the color shots I am guessing the developer. And this is a big name place, highly recommended, fast service, excellent scanning service, etc.

Ideas?

Allan

[alamoshutterbug]

Have you talked to them about it?

[johnastovall]

Sound like you may have a problem with your camera's pressure plate. Color seems to show scratches less than B&W.

[Flea77]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

Sound like you may have a problem with your camera's pressure plate. Color seems to show scratches less than B&W.

OK, but let me expand on this a little more before I run off to the camera repair place.

I took several rolls of B&W, all developed at the one place, they all have the line down the center. Under heavy magnification it appears almost as if there is something that applied pressure to it (like your pressure plate idea), it does not seem to be scratched, and the "pressure line" extends all the way into the leader right up to the point where they attached the staples or whatever that they punch holes through the film at the end of the leader. It does not appear to extend past that. This is most obvious when you hold the negs at an angle instead of looking directly through them.

When looking at the Walmart developed color film this does not appear, even under a 10x loupe. Under the loupe you can see scratches, some in roughly the same place as the "pressure line" on the B&W, but no where near as consistent or wide(on the color, the scratches actually look like scratches, not the same as on the B&W film).

I also just rewound and removed a roll of color film and looked at the leader, no pressure marks, no scratches.

While the camera was open I inspected the pressure plate and it seems flat, even, and without any scratches, burs, etc. I also checked on both sides of the shutter and saw nothing that could account for this.

Now I am not a camera repair person but I see nothing wrong. What exactly do you think the pressure plate could be doing wrong? Anything I can check myself?

Lastly, I took a brand new roll of FP4 from the same batch as the rest and ran it through the camera TWICE, then pulled it out and examined it (dang I hate wasting film!). I checked both sides viewing through it on a light table with 4x, 7x and 10x loupes, then with incident light with the same loupes. I could find no pressure marks, scratches, dents, dings, nothing. Could it be the marks only show up after development?

Allan

[popawalker]

I had a similar situation happen many years ago shooting with an OM-10, I sent the camera and some of the negs to Olympus, they checked the camera out and even ran a roll through it and could not find anything wrong with the camera, I switched labs and the problem went away. Of course the original lab denied they had a problem with their equipment.
Steve

[venchka]

Allan,

Expose two rolls, same camera. Send one roll to the original lab and the second roll to a different lab. Scratch from both places: camera. Scratch from the original lab only: get a new lab.

B&W is too easy & too cheap to do it yourself. You may still get scratches, but you will know who's at fault. You may fire yourself!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!

[CaptainTom]

Let the lab know you think their processor scratched your film. You might get a brick of replacement film as a consolation prize..

[picman]

Shoot half a roll, wind it up and send that off for processing. That way you will have film that went thru the camera and film that never left the can all on the same roll.

[Flea77]

Originally Posted by picman

Shoot half a roll, wind it up and send that off for processing. That way you will have film that went thru the camera and film that never left the can all on the same roll.

DOH! Now there is a great idea! Thanks!

Flea77 added 2 Minutes and 48 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by venchka

B&W is too easy & too cheap to do it yourself. You may still get scratches, but you will know who's at fault. You may fire yourself!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, and I have someone who wants to sell their entire 35mm/4x5 darkroom for a penance but right now I just don't have the funds.

Allan

[Flea77]

Finally finished a roll from the same batch as the previous film in the same camera, developed it myself, scanned it in, no line. Nice to know it is not my camera but a little startling to have such a well known lab mess up five rolls of film. I will call them today to let them know.

Allan

[Larry_L]

Ritz managed to scratch a roll of my film once. I think that it happened during the cutting process because they printed the 4x6s fine, but when I took the film out of the sleeve to scan it, it was all scratched up (this was before I even put it in the scanner, it was scratched that badly).

When I went to discuss with their manager they told me that obviously I had mishandled my film and were completely unwilling to even consider they had done it.