 BetterPhoto Member |
35mm Film Scratching I have noticed long horizonal scratching of my 35mm film useing a Nikon FM3A SLR Camera. I think it mught be the processing labs equipment not the camera. Any history of this camera causing this trouble? Any tips? THANKS
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Shermie Steuart |
You know I have the same problem too. I just bought a brand new Nikon F100. After using 4th rolls, I have noticed a long horizonal scratching of my 35mm film. I asked the photo lab at Moto Photo why some of my pictures came out with scratches and she said it happens a lot to Nikon camera because we live in AZ and dust gets into the camera. In addition, she said that scratches usually appear after the 3rd or 4th rolls of film. The tips she told is to clean lens and where the film is placed and rotated. She recommended using distilled water.
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Vince Broesch |
The key to what caused a scratch is how straight the scratch is. Film goes through a film processor less straight than it goes through your camera. Camera scratches will be PERFECTLY straight. So look very closely at the film, if you see the scratch moved at all, then it is not your camera, it is processing damage. Vince
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Bob Cammarata |
This same problem came up in this Forum once before, and the cause was diagnosed as manually rewinding the film too fast. This may not be true in your case, but still food for thought. (I've been rewinding slower ever since!)
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Carol J. Guernsey |
Get a good blower or canned air. Don't use the brush part just blow the area of the camera while holding it upside down. Photo Labs have excellent "blowers", maybe the lady at Moto Photo will help you out. Good luck! (after reading my post I had to chuckle)
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Jon Close |
Do not blow high pressure canned air at the shutter blades, you could damage them.
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Rhonda L. Tolar |
I would try a different lab. That would tell you if it is your camera or the lab. If the lab does not clean their stabilizer brushes, it will scratch your negatives.
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Shermie Steuart |
Do you have any suggestions (preferably where I can get professional development) on where I should get my photos developed? I have developed my photos in the past at Ritz Camera, but they were expensive. Also, I tried Moto Photo, but they messed up my last roll when they developed it with scratches. Thanks for your help.
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Tony Sweet |
Things to watch out for in regards to film scratching: 1. Straight lines across the film are most probably the result of a single grain of sand or dirt on the pressure plate. When you open the camera, the inside of the door is where the (silver) pressure plate is. Use a cotton cloth (clean t-shirt) to gently wipe the plate in the field or use canned air to dust the plate. Do not ever blow pressurized air directly onto the plate or shutter blades. 2. Loading your film may save a few bucks, but you'll pay for it in scratches. A film cannister will pick up dirt and dust on the opening through which the film passes, therefore, placing a nice straight scratch across the entire roll or many rolls. 3. Film scratches are seldom the fault of the lab. 4. Always shield the back of the camera when changing film. 5. For consistency and minimal scratching, consider always using pre-packaged film. It's more than bulk film, but the stress and aggravation you bypass by getting clean film processed is worth it. 6. Even if you do get a straight line surface scratch, it's a simple fix, especially using scanning software like Silverfast, which has a powerful dirt and scratch removal function.
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