Need Troubleshooting Help - Swirls and bands on negative.

neal3k

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I shot this test roll using a Canon IV with JCH Streetpan 400 film. It has regular white bands and swirls in the emulsion. Developed in HC-110. I've developed hundreds of rolls and never had this happen.

Any ideas?
 

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Take the lens off the camera, and watch the shutter as you advance the film: Does it ever uncap, briefly exposing the film? I'm thinking those swirls and bright overexposed band might be caused by just such a thing. If so, it's CLA time. It might be possible to use the camera as-is if you cap the lens before advancing the film, just like the old days with the Leica 0-series.
 
I don't think it is shutter bounce as the light bands don't correspond to the edge of the frame...at first glance it looks like a major light leak combined with something else shutter related...but to be honest I've never seen anything quite like it. It's extraordinary actually; the visual distortion is as though through a fun house mirror, like a lens element melted and re-solidified
 
Did you mean you've shot hundreds of rolls with this same camera and never had this happen before? If that's the case, I'd suspect a film manufacturing defect--some kind of a pre-exposure before the film even reached your hands
 
To make it more confusing, the next roll shot in the same camera was fine. And the problem roll was a split roll; I had taken half the roll and loaded in another canister. This half was bad and the other half was fine. Could it have been part of the splitting process? I've done it a lot too with no problems.

I've only shot maybe 25 rolls with this particular camera.

Thanks for all the responses. It's been quite a puzzle.
 
To make it more confusing, the next roll shot in the same camera was fine. And the problem roll was a split roll; I had taken half the roll and loaded in another canister. This half was bad and the other half was fine. Could it have been part of the splitting process? I've done it a lot too with no problems.

I've only shot maybe 25 rolls with this particular camera.

Thanks for all the responses. It's been quite a puzzle.

The film was double exposed . When I split a roll, I advance one roll, open shutter on B, and mark that unused frame with tape or label. Cut it past the label & process.

The other way is take a full roll and strip of cardboard and mark every frame from leader to 36. Put the cardboard on bench and mark last frame +1 . Turn out light and remove that much film from canister.

If you are real cheap, reuse the leader and tape both sides. Never had one come off.
 
I'd venture it's related to the split process. I could see how the bright over exposed bands relate to the film gate, and the swirls somehow related to the felt trap material, and perhaps some film movement.
Was this a bulk load roll? Bad worn out cartridge?
 
I agree, it must have happened as I converted 1 roll to two. I'm not sure about the condition of the recycled cannister but it couldn't have been used more than twice. I was hoping to get some responses/help and am very pleased. Thanks to you all for helping this old geezer.
 
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