What's gone wrong here?

Lazlo Woodbine

Lazlo Woodbine

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Matt
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Hi,

I'm very new to film and was hoping someone could tell me what may have caused this photo to come out like this:

7842951688_29c9645d4b_c.jpg


The camera used was a Pentax 645
Film is Ilford FP4
The roll was taken to a local lab for processing. The rest of the frames on the roll have similar problems.

Is this something I've done wrong or something I need to complain to the lab about? These are my first rolls of film since I was a child so I'm a real novice when it comes to processing.

That's light leak on the right and left hand edges right? I've been through quite a lot of airport scanners lately. Could that have caused a problem with the roll?

The Fuji Pro 400H that I took at the same time came back fine:

7842774078_4c9016b676_c.jpg


Many thanks,

Matt
 
Looks like a light leak on the B&W, you can see the frame numbers etc through the backing paper too. Could be in camera or post exposure whilst out of the camera. Did you unload in subdued light and keep the film somewhere out of sunlight?
 
I loaded it in my very dimly lit living room (I put the dimmed switch on minimum) but it took me a while due to it being my first ever roll. I guess the time I spend fumbling with it could have caused the leak? Or is it likely to be the airport scanners? That particular roll probably went through a good 7 or 8 of them.
 
Agree with Jim re lights leaks to the left and right of the b&w image.

Can be difficult to pin point the source of the problem.....so many areas that something can go wrong....film loading/unloading, camera fault (though unlikely going on other film coming out ok), lab error or indeed airport scanners although 've been through several with film and experienced no problems at all.

Sorry can't be more help....If you run another roll through taking particular care with how you handle the film, have it devd at the same lab and all comes out ok then that would narrow this problem as an isolated one and then you can move froward from there knowing equipment and lab work ok.

Edit ...Mmmm 7 or 8 airport scans...perhaps an issue...As said i have never had problems but i think most I've had any given roll though a scan would be 3 or 4 times.
 
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If the film was in hand baggage it is very unlikely that the effect is from the airport scanners. Packed in luggage may be another case entirely but this was relatively slow film so I doubt it was that.

If it is on the whole roll rather than just one section I think it is likely to be the camera rather than anything else. It not being light tight with a very small leak (perhaps a fault in closing the camera?) could have caused this. I don't know the pentax so perhaps someone with more knowledge of the camera may be able to help.
 
Thanks Jim and Asha. I probably just messed up somewhere with some inept bumbling. I bought the camera from a good guy who I think would have told me if there was a leak anywhere in the body. Everything looks well sealed when the back is in.

I'll be extra careful with the next roll and see how it turns out. Thanks again. :)
 
I have seen the top image or similar before when I loaded the film in the wrong way round, so the film was exposed through the paper.

The only way really that airport scanners would/could fog film if the film has gone through the bagage scanners whihc are more powerful that the ones use upstairs for hand bagage.
 
Knikki said:
I have seen the top image or similar before when I loaded the film in the wrong way round, so the film was exposed through the paper.

QUOTE]

got to say i find it unlikely you could expose film through the paper Nick,,
Click to expand...
 
donutagain said:
Knikki said:
I have seen the top image or similar before when I loaded the film in the wrong way round, so the film was exposed through the paper.
Click to expand...

got to say i find it unlikely you could expose film through the paper Nick,,
Click to expand...

Thinking about it your right. (y)

After lunch and a large coffee I have seen that before when I used a Fuji 690 and had not loaded the film correctly so instead of it being tightly wound around the spool, it was it fact very loose so the last couple of frames had very heavy light leak.

I'll see if I can find them again.
 
It's FP4 plus - can tell by the numbers.

If it was through the paper the numbers would be reversed... I suspect the only time this could happen is when the film had been used and was taken out of the camera (before being stuck down) since that would be the only time the film is would loosely enough to allow light to reflect off the backing paper onto the film.

But then the fact that the numbers on the backing strip are black on white paper is a toughie to argue around... so I'm just going to say that, imho, at some point the film was in the light with the film itself loosely wound.
 
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I had similar effect testing a camera with slide film. The spool that came with it was slightly smaller than required, meant that that the film wasn't rolling onto it cleanly. When I opened the camera the film was loosely wound and not light tight.

c249scan1208120004velvi.jpg
 
Yeah, FP4 plus, sorry.

Seems likely I just didn't take enough care when removing the roll. Though the rest of the roll seemed very tightly wound. Would it still cause problems for the entire roll?

Here's a few more from the roll in case that helps.

7846850522_ccede7eb76_c.jpg


7846851368_1aab87d497_c.jpg


7846852172_b74e99006a_c.jpg


Could the black bar on the top of the boat picture still be caused by light leak? There's another frame with that, only a little paler.
 
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Mine only occurred during the last frames where it was loose. I think the black bar would be white if it were a light leak.
 
Thanks Jimmy. :) Yeah, I quite liked the results too, but it'd be nice to know what happened. It'd be more satisfying if I'd done it on purpose.
 
The black bar could be a sticky shutter curtain.
 
Kev M said:
The black bar could be a sticky shutter curtain.
Click to expand...

If the curtain was sticking, the photo would be overexposed and white, not underexposed and black

Unless you are thinking that the curtain has stuck and stopped all light getting past where it has stuck, which seems plausible
 
I hope it's not a sticky shutter curtain. I don't think there's anywhere around here to get the camera serviced. It doesn't look quite straight enough to be the curtain anyway, or at least that's what I'm telling myself. Will just have to see if it happens again.
 
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