Faint black line at the top of my photos

JChrome

JChrome

Street Worker
Local time
1:34 PM
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
831
Location
NYC
View My Gallery
Hey friends -
So I keep coming across this faint black line at the top of my negatives. I thought it could only be one of two things:

1. My Pentax 67 exposing it somehow with the line (possibly one lens or another?)
2. Developing the frames is causing it.

I think I have narrowed it down to #2 - the developing process. I looked through my color and BnW and found out that only the BnW has this problem. All of my color shots are free of this random line.

I am thinking this may be that the roll is not seated correctly on the reel and while it is touching the metal reel, it is keeping developer from reaching that spot. Does anyone think that is the explanation? Has anyone else had this experience?

Thanks for the help!

image-3-4-21.jpg


image-22.jpg
 
Looks like about the depth of the rails of a film reel. Are you using a ratcheting plastic reel, or metal reels?

edit - read more closely, metal. I think it could be touching and underdeveloping. Or it could be a problem with insufficient agitation around the reel. What is your method?
 
rogue_designer said:
Looks like about the depth of the rails of a film reel. Are you using a ratcheting plastic reel, or metal reels?

edit - read more closely, metal. I think it could be touching and underdeveloping. Or it could be a problem with insufficient agitation around the reel. What is your method?
Click to expand...

I use standard metal Hewes 120mm reels with the spring clip on the inside. I then develop with D76 and agitate normally (continuous for 30 seconds then once a minute afterwards).

I don't develop color which is why I concluded that my developing must be the culprit (color negatives look just fine).😀
 
On my monitor I see a second line very faintly in the first photo just above the building top on the right (to the right of the round lamp, below and parallel to the top line). Could these be from your scanner, or do they appear on the negatives also?

There also appears to be a light leak at the bottom of the photo, which would be the top of the film gate in the camera.
 
They look like scan lines due to dust in the calibration area, like the other poster noted I can see more than one line and they don't seem in the same place.
Can you see them on the negative? have a print or scan made by a lab to see if your scanning is at fault.
 
Not likely your reel for one, there would be way more of this issue popping up and two, the reel doesn't touch the actual picture. Also, too straight to be a water stain. Not white and also it's an inconsistent exposure throughout, so that leaves out scratches.

As the photo gets lighter, the line also gets lighter, which can be developing or scanner related.

You'll have to give us the whole picture of your developing (e.g., how are you agitating? circular, do you flip it at all, etc.?).

But like the other poster suggested, check your negatives to see if there's a faint lighter line going through. If not, it's your scanner.
 
Pardon me if I missed something, but have you looked closely to see if that line is on the negative for sure and not just showing up when scanned?
 
rpsawin said:
Pardon me if I missed something, but have you looked closely to see if that line is on the negative for sure and not just showing up when scanned?
Click to expand...

It's in the negative. I checked this evening and it's definitely there (on many BnW images).

My developing process is to put the negs on the reels in a black changing bag. Then insert into the tanks.

I wash the negs with water. Then developing with D76 for whatever time (sometimes I push, sometimes I pull etc). I am inverting the tanks a number of times when agitating (5 times).

Then I use water again for stop bath. Then normal Kodak fixer for 5-6 minutes (same agitation as for developer). Then washing at the end. I don't use photo-flo, rather I have a little squeegee.

I think the lines must get on the negative somewhere in the developing process only because my color negatives don't come out this way... I suppose I could confirm by sending in my negatives to be developed by a lab. Or maybe it is the film? I am shooting Artista EDU 200 (Fomapan 200). Could it be the film is just cheap and has lines in it? I should run some Ilford through it then to check...

I also know about the light leak... I have a kit to fix it I just haven't done it yet.

Thanks for the help!
 
You could look at an unexposed sheet of the film in the light, and then maybe process a second unexposed sheet to see how it comes out. That might tell you if there's a defect. I've not shot Fomapan 200 in 4x5 but have shot a fair amount of the 100. The only problems I've run into with it are pinholes in the emulsion, which have been taken care of with a pre-wash before development (I'm already using water as a stop bath).
 
My advice is to try a roll without using the squeegee. If you have no photoflo then use a small drop of washing up liquid. Literally a drop the size of a match head and swoosh that into the final wash water. Then, when the film is ready to hang up and still on the reel, shake the water off with a fair bit of force and repeat several times from both sides of the reel. FINALLY hang up and DONT squeegee. Try it once. I had the same happen and was done with squeegees forever.
 
John Bragg said:
My advice is to try a roll without using the squeegee. If you have no photoflo then use a small drop of washing up liquid. Literally a drop the size of a match head and swoosh that into the final wash water. Then, when the film is ready to hang up and still on the reel, shake the water off with a fair bit of force and repeat several times from both sides of the reel. FINALLY hang up and DONT squeegee. Try it once. I had the same happen and was done with squeegees forever.
Click to expand...

I would be very surprised it is the squeegee as the line is uniform and straight. I will try your process though to see if it helps.

My brother says its the reels... although after thinking about it that would be surprising as well (surprised the emulsion is hitting the reel). I've felt the outside of the reels before with the negs in them and it only catches the edge of the neg...

It's not adding up :bang:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
My Leica doesn't like my Paterson reels
Replies
17
Views
477
coogee
C
S
Issue with Faint Frame Counter Display on Contax G1
Replies
3
Views
691
JeffS7444
JeffS7444
T
A (possibly) unusual question about out-of-date film...
Replies
8
Views
724
Freakscene
Freakscene
Vince Lupo
Epson V850 vertical line
Replies
12
Views
1K
Bob Michaels
Bob Michaels
Retro-Grouch
E-6 Delays at Dwayne's
Replies
11
Views
1K
Retro-Grouch
Retro-Grouch
Back
Top Bottom