Manual Focus Lenses Forum

jbergler · Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:04 am

Hey there,

I recently inherited a Leica M6 in which im mostly shooting Tri-X.
I bought a single roll tank and have been developing the film myself.

The one thing I'm not sure about is that the film seems to have small flecks and scratches after I finish developing it and I'm not so sure what might be causing it. I've contemplated that maybe I'm being too rough with the film or that theres a problem with the camera but I'm not sure how to verify either.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

How are you drying the film? Are you sure that it's not just dust?

Can you show the negatives here?

jbergler · Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:03 am

Thanks Martin, I had considered it could be dust, but was 'sure' that it wasn't.

I'm drying the film in my bathroom, just hanging it up from the shower curtain rail with some clothing pegs.
I run the shower hot for about a minute before I hang it up so the room gets a bit steamy and then I leave the door closed for 6-8 hours while I do other things.

I can't find the film at the moment, but here's a scan (of a not particularly fantastic image but its the first one I found where I could see it without resetting the photo in LR) that shows what I'm talking about some 100% crops.

http://imgur.com/a/Xtwgm

The crop from the right hand side is the one that looks like a scratch to me and is what I've seen a fair bit of from the Leica, the other could quite possibly be dust.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

The possible causes of scratches are:

1) some friction between the film can's felts
2) some friction in the bulk loader's path (if you roll up your own film)
3) some friction in the camera
4) unproper handling of the film while loading it into the developing tank

It is difficult to give an explanation that is good for everyone, as everyone has it's own system
a few tests should reveal to you the cause.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Can you see them on the negative with a magnifier? It looks very like the white marks that are caused by dust or marks on the scanner platen.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Jeez I wouldn't worry about a few spots that you have shown (I can also see a hair mark on the left side)...Photoshop would clear it up in seconds.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

I dry my film almost the same way, but without running the shower. I'm not sure of the purpose for the steam, but to my mind it will make the nagatives stay damp longer, thus capturing more dust.

jimithing616 · Joined: 27 Mar 2013 Posts: 63 Location: Minneapolis, MN

Yea, I wouldn't run the shower WHILE you are drying the film in the shower... run it maybe half an hour to an hour BEFORE you try the film.... this will get the dust out of the air because of the steam...

Also, use a Rinse-aid as a final rinse... Something like Photo-Flo... and then dont use a squeegee, or your fingers, or anything else.... just use the final rinse with a drop or whatever of rinse aid... and then take the film, unroll it, and hang it.... be careful not to fold it or anything... get the clips on gently and quickly, hang it and let it dry COMPLETELY... then if there are any water spots, use a cloth like the ilford one sold for this purpose and wipe them off... you can also buy a film cleaner spray if you feel you need it.

NikonAIS · Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:51 pm

I use Kodak Photo-Flo as the last step in processing (after the wash) and then hang the film up and dip a darkroom squeegee into photoflo and gently run it down the film. I have never had any problems with scratches and most film dries within a half hour at room temperature

skida · Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:24 pm

I don't think they look like scratches because of the size, shape and orientation. On a 35mm negative those marks would be miniscule and I suspect dust or impurity.

I don't do my own developing so I may be way off kilter.