Is this a Shutter Problem?

[photophorous]

I fear this might be the beginning of a shutter problem. I'm currently shooting another roll, so I will see how it turns out in a few days. I just wanted to check to see if any other Bessa users (mine's an R2A) have seen anything like this.

Six frames from this roll of Acros have this banding problem. In each shot, it is only visible in the clear sky area of the negative. I'm sure there were enough chemicals in the tank. The only thing I know that I did differently was agitation, but it wasn't that much different. I'd say I did 3 inversions in 5 seconds every 30 seconds, except for a couple of times when I waited a whole minute.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[MartinP]

So, it looks like a slightly thin (on the neg) mark, about 25% wide, along the length of the film ? Is it visible when tilting the film from side to side in the light, I mean it could then show up as surface-damage to the film of course.

If these pics are the "right way round" then the shutter would be going in the right direction for a possible exposure problem (the shutter on the bessa is vertical isn't it ?) - does the line change width or position depending on the shutter speed ?

The other possibility could be a scanning problem perhaps.

That seems a lot of agitation, but it isn't extremely excessive and isn't really going to cause this sort of mark - it would be more like surge marks going slightly across the film width-ways.

 

[payasam]

The bands are in different positions on the two negatives, so any problem with development can be ruled out: unless one shot was taken with the camera turned clockwise and the other, the other way around.

 

[photophorous]

Thanks for commenting, Martin & Mukul.

I should have mentioned that the band lines up on the negatives. I did rotate the camera different directions for these two shots. The shutter is vertical, and all of the "bands" seem to be positioned in the same place in each frame.

I've only seen the problem on 6 frames from one roll, so I can't comment on shutter speed differences. The bands are definitely visible on the negatives, when viewing on a light table, but I have not inspected the surface for defects. I'll check them out tonight more closely. I can not see the bands on any other frames, but these 6 are the only frames on the roll that have a smooth continuous-tone area like the sky, where it easily shows up. It might be there on other frames, but I can't see it.

As for processing errors, that's what I initially assumed it was. This is only my second roll of Acros, and I did have a little trouble loading it on the reel, because it feels more flimsy than my usual Kodak stuff. However, I always feel the edges of the reel to make sure it's loaded right, before I drop it in the tank, and I didn't notice any loading problems when I unloaded it.

 

[photophorous]

one more shot

one more shot

Here's another one. This one is interesting, because I noticed the band isn't straight, like I thought they all were. I adjusted the levels to make it stand out more. This makes me think maybe it's not a shutter problem, because I would expect a straight line if it was the shutter. What do you think?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Ronald M]

Shutter problem. The blades do not run perfectly vertical.

Suggest you picture a grey board or underexpose a white by 2 stops. Do various speeds and leave a not on the frame. My guess is this will show up only at high speeds.

 

[antiquark]

Try using your TV as a shutter tester:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-135.html

 

[photophorous]

Ronald, thanks for the input.

Derek, thanks for the link.

Off to take photos of my TV.