Development issue or camera light leak?

[Robclarke]

Hi, the last film I had back from the lab had some of the photos ruined. I was wondering if anyone could help me diagnose the problem. This is the worst one. I can see the issue on the negative so it is not a scanning problem.

 

[Robclarke]

negative issue — Postimages

postimg.cc

 

[Robclarke]

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

It could be a leak in the camera, or it could be a leak in the cassette (or roll if it's not 35mm film).

 

[Robclarke]

Another image from the same roll

 

[sirch]

Going by the sprocket holes I assume 35mm, what camera and where do you have it developed? Did you have any camera issues, shutter sticking, etc, or change lenses etc. in short more details would help...

 

[Robclarke]

It is a Leica M3. I only have one lens so no lens changes. It was developed at Analogue Wonderland

 

[Robclarke]

It was 35mm Portra purchased within the last 12 months.

 

[srichards]

Hmm. AW. Interestingly I have a weird white marks on one frame of the E6 they've just done. Last frame that was scanned I think. Were yours worse at the start or end of the roll or in a bunch together? Some kind of mechanical stretching springs to mind.




I'd think you'd have to shoot another roll of it on the same camera and lens and send it off to a different dev and scan emporium to see whether the problem continues or disappears. My roll is dubious as it was some ancient expired kodak not fresh portra. My roll was done this last week I assume as it was ready Friday.

 

[Barney]

I would speculate that it is some issue with the cloth shutter curtain, has it ever been replaced or repaired? It could be a bit worn by now.

 

[Ian Grant]

Looks rather odd, and not typically shutter curtain, or light seals issues. Far more likely a processing issue in the first frame, there was a post somewhere else recently about their ECN2 processing.

Ian

 

[Dryce]

I would speculate that it is some issue with the cloth shutter curtain, has it ever been replaced or repaired? It could be a bit worn by now.

The area affected extends over the sprocket holes.

That would tend to suggest a problem during film manufacture or processing.

 

[zx9]

My M2 suffered from light leaking around the opening door not the removable base plate, assuming that the M3 is similar it would be worth checking that the felt is not overly compressed.
That said my light leaks were all linear and did not show the curve that some of yours do.

 

[sirch]

Is the neg creased at all? That curve might possible have happened on loading but the RHS of the same frame looks like it could be a light leak

 

[Barney]

If it was a processing issue I would have thought that there would be no "perfect" image displayed as in second shot.

The ripples and curves, seem to me, indicative of curtain bunching up somehow.

What shutter speeds were used in the problem frames ?

 

[bumper]

Is the neg creased at all? That curve might possible have happened on loading but the RHS of the same frame looks like it could be a light leak

I got something similar to those wavy lines when my dog jumped on my changing bag, also the line running along the sprocket holes.

 

[Ian Grant]

If it was a processing issue I would have thought that there would be no "perfect" image displayed as in second shot.

The ripples and curves, seem to me, indicative of curtain bunching up somehow.

What shutter speeds were used in the problem frames ?

That's fogging at a later stage, it's all over the first image. It has happened pre-processing, but not in camera, or in the 35mm cassette.

Almost certainly as the film is handled before processing.

Ian

 

[bumper]

I’d put another roll through it and try somewhere different to develop and scan it. You’ll know then if it’s a light leak on the body or mishandling.