Diagnose this camera please

[Whateverist]

I'm trying out a Zorki 1 and the first scans came back with a blue-ish stripe running through every picture, like so:

Is this caused by a light leak or something else? I did notice the take-up spool's film catch (the hook-type part that goes in a sprocket hole) is slightly dented.

 

[FrankS]

Clearly not a light leak.

Simple: if the scratch is on the negative, then the camera is at fault.
If not, it's the scanner that's at fault.

 

[Dwig]

I'm trying out a Zorki 1 and the first scans came back with a blue-ish stripe running through every picture, ...

Need More Info !!

• what type of film? transparency or negative?
• need closer hi res image of flaw, cropped section is fine.

Based on the low res image my best guess would be a scratch (if transparency film) or pressure mark (if negative film).



The type of pressure mark I'm referring to is one that is similar to a scratch, and might even leave a surface scratch, on the emulsion side that doesn't cut through the emulsion but, instead, "exposes" it my pressure leaving a dark black mark. This type of mark has to be made before the film is developed and, thus, can't be caused by the scanner's carrier or other after processing film handling.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

No light leaks. Common problem with Zorki. Film scratching. I use dremel and polishing kit.
The shelf (between top and bottom plate with lens mount on it) or whatever it is called has to be taken out.
Some scanners are bad for scratches. Some, like my V500 and its native software deals with it very well. I have similar scratches from bulk loaders.

 

[Whateverist]

It's a 35mm negative and under a bright light I can see the same line running on the negative from one frame to the next.

Guess I'll have to think about taking this one apart.

 

[FrankS]

Open the camera back and run your finger along where ever the film travels cross the back, to feel for the tiniest protrusion.

You could put a piece of film with the scratch into the camera (images are upside down) to see where to look.

 

[Dwig]

It's a 35mm negative and under a bright light I can see the same line running on the negative from one frame to the next.

Guess I'll have to think about taking this one apart.

Check the scratch again and note whether it is on the base side or the emulsion side. This can give you a guide as to where the scratching is occurring.

Another test requires that you sacrifice only a portion of a roll. Load a new fresh roll of film as carefully as you can. Close the camera and wind forward to about frame 2. Without rewinding, open the camera and carefully mark the film at some reference point on the camera body. Close the camera and rewind the film if using bottom loading camera or just lift the film out if using a camera with a hinged back. You can now examine the film to see where the scratch stops, relative to your mark. This can lead you to the offending portion of the camera that needs cleaning or polishing.

 

[FrankS]

Good point about the base side or the emulsion side, but due to the colour of the line, my money says that it's on the emulsion side.

Also no need to sacrifice more film, just use the film that is already scratched to locate the problem.

 

[Whateverist]

So, I took apart the camera and when the inner mechanism came out, along came a *lot* of what I assume is either dried grease or some other hardened grime. The mechanism looks fine; I cleaned the shell until it was smooth to the touch and then reassembled the camera.

I then ran a short length of film through the camera, rewound it and checked it under a bright light; it seems to be fine and far as I can see.

I'll try another roll and we'll see if that fixed it.

So this is a common problem?

EDIT: off to Christmas, thanks everyone and enjoy the holidays!

 

[FrankS]

It is common for FSU cameras to require some TLC. That's pretty common with any old camera. Merry Christmas!

 

[p.giannakis]

I had a similar problem with a FED-4, in my case it was the edge of the pressure plate. Run a piece of cotton wool and see where it gets caught.

 

[Dwig]

Good point about the base side or the emulsion side, but due to the colour of the line, my money says that it's on the emulsion side.

Also no need to sacrifice more film, just use the film that is already scratched to locate the problem.

+1 on it being on the emulsion side.

The existing film will tell where the fault is vertically (across the width of the film) but not laterally (down the length of the film. It also won't tell if the issue is with the camera or whether the cassette's felt lip was the culprit.

I've seen this type of problem occur when the cassette was not kept extremely clean after removing it from the camera and taking it to the lab. If the lab extracts the film back out through the felt lip, as most "mini-labs" generally do, then any grit that gets on the cassette's felt lip can scratch the film when it is being extracted and fed into the film processor.

 

[pete hogan]

This is also an opportunity to see if any small chunks of film are lodged anywhere in the interior.

As you mention the film sprocket tooth on the take-up spool, note that with a Zorki 1 it is best when unloading an exposed film not to rewind the film completely off and free from the take-up spool, but instead to rewind only to where you feel the film stop as it rewinds back to being held by the tooth and then remove the cassette and film and take-up spool together from the bottom of the camera. Less likely to tear a piece off of the film leader. Those pieces can be tricky to find in a camera without an opening back, such as the Zorki 1.

 

[KnipsOmat]

By the way, these stripes do not necessarily originate in the camera - although this is a likely cause of the problem.

But it can also happen during the development process in the lab, caused i.e. by film debris stuck on one of the rollers. .

And even earlier, a fault in the film production could be the reason. I once had a batch of cheap, rebranded film where this was already in the emulsion before the film was loaded into a camera. As all of the first three exposed films of the batch showed the same defect, and the camera worked well before and I could not find anything unusual, I inspected the unexposed film - et voilà, there it was.