M2/50 cron What is this...?

[Suse]

Hi

I bought an M2 and a 50 crom from two separate sellers. Sadly. I wasn't happy with the body from the start, I'd had the wrong rangefinder lines come up on lens attachment. Some of the last test roll I shot were truly awful, and I'm now wondering whether the lens is ok - or whether this is just the camera.

I don't think it was from scanning, because the same problem comes up on another shot in the same batch of beach shots, and no where else. I don't know what this horrible painting effect is - could it be the film, or possibly just bad shooting technique on my part? In my defence I'd like to add I've shot film for years and never had anything like this...! It was developed in Ilfotec DD-X. Most of the other shots on the roll
did not have this.

 

[terrafirmanada]

Looks like you might have had uneven temperatures during your development. But normally this would present itself in the whole roll. Maybe it was an anomoly in the emulsion. It does not look like the camera or lense to me imho. Interesting effect though- I kinda like it.

 

[Suse]

I did wonder about that - but it only occured on a couple of test shots from the same location. Here's another shot where it is less pronounced, but still visible - on the back of the chain, the lower part of the middle rock and the
top right corner.

 

[telenous]

Hi

I bought an M2 and a 50 crom from two separate sellers. Sadly. I wasn't happy with the body from the start, I'd had the wrong rangefinder lines come up on lens attachment. Some of the last test roll I shot were truly awful, and I'm now wondering whether the lens is ok - or whether this is just the camera.

I don't think it was from scanning, because the same problem comes up on another shot in the same batch of beach shots, and no where else. I don't know what this horrible painting effect is - could it be the film, or possibly just bad shooting technique on my part? In my defence I'd like to had I've shot film for years and never had anything like this...! It was developed in Ilfotec DD-X. Most of the other shots on the roll
did not have this.

Hi Suse,

(That's perhaps a silly question, so apologies if what I 'll ask is obvious to you). Have you turned off Digital ICE when you scanned the B&W negs? I assume your negative is a conventional B&W, in which case ICE may create a sort of painterly effect. FWIW I personally can't see how the camera body could have created this effect (esp. if your problem was with the frameline selection). I am very curious myself though to see what others will have to say about the possibility that the lens is the culprit (or the development for that matter).

Best,

 

[Suse]

Hi Telenous

No, I think you must be right - I rescanned this negative and doubled checked the ICE was off - and it seems to be a lot better (see attachment). So it's obviously my scanning technique... Why the software should do that to parts of the negative and not to others is intriguing.

Phew, at least I can relax about the 50. May the Leica Gods forgive me for even thinking it might be them. 🙂

I will get my head around this digital technology...one day... :bang:

Thank you so much
Sue

 

[ZeissFan]

That looks bizarre. Almost like some type of fungal growth on the film. That's probably not it -- it just reminds me of those high-magnification photos of bacteria.

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Ronald M]

The film is heat buckling in the scanner throwing things out of focus. Examine the neg using the lens as a loupe.

We really need scanners with glass holders, but non are made. At least they are for enlargers. In the mean time, put the film in and scan as soon as you can before the heat gets to it. Don`t park it in there after the prescan.

 

[edodo]

its funny!

 

[Benjamin Marks]

If you want to check out the lens, remove it from your camera and use it as a magnifying glass on a computer screen. Move the lens back and forth, and watch the RGB screen elements to make sure that they seem regular. Next hold the lens with the aperture wide open between a bright, fixed light source like a desk lamp and the desk so that light from the light source passes through the lens onto the desk. The lens will project an image of the light source onto the desk. If you can form a sharp image of the light source, then your lens is probably ok. Note that all of your film passes behind this lens, so you are looking for an explanation as to why this problem is intermittant. A real flaw in the lens would probably affect all of the pictures in a similar way.

Note that temperature variation between fixer/stop/developer can damage the emulsion of film. The stuff is just silver salts in a highly refined gelatin that is stuck to polyester. Developer that is too hot can melt the emulsion. Large temp variations can "shock" it.

If the lens checks out ok, take it and use it as a loupe to examine the offending negative. Don't use too bright a light source! A 100W bulb should do it. If you don't see the problem in the negative, then you know it's not the lens and it's not your developer -- the scanner is then the most likely bet.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

Ben