So my M6 loves to scratch my film....

[jja]

My thoughts are w/ Massimo. As soon as I saw that same bowed line I could tell it was not the camera. (The camera may still be scratching your film, but it did not do all of them.)

 

[Oh Two]

I have had 'scratch' issues for years, at first my early M4 got the blame (NOT!), but now that I have an M6 the 'scratches' are still there. They are from handling the film after processing when the emulsion is still soft. Back when I began scanning my film processor (a very well known specialty outfit) would roll the film up and put it in a box for me to cut into sections later. After the film was cinched up it was always scratched. Then, I started paying the processor to cut the film and insert it into plasticine page sleeves. The first strip of film load into the page sleeve commonly had scratches, but the later strips did not. At first I thought this was from the scratches being made at the first of the roll, but no. The scratches were from the film being stuffed into the sleeve and being scratched while emulsion was still soft.

Air drying at least 1/2 hour post processing is necessary to get film that is safely handled for storage.

I always tell my processor to take his time with my film and I give him an additional day to accomodate me. I have very few scratches now and I commonly spend no more than 5 to 10 minutes spotting a 36 exposure roll! I've gone 10 frames at a time with no spotting at all after my scans!!

Wet film is VERY fragile, and any dirt in the developing machine will mar the film too. The days of squeegying off film with a wet sponge gripper are numbered with the newer emulsions that are made to be 'quick' drying for the sake of machine processing.

 

[RdEoSg]

well like some of you have mentioned here it seems to be a combination of both. I just got one roll that was half done in my camera, and one roll that I took right out of the package and had processed. The roll that came right out of the package had a few little scratches here, but nothing real major. The film that went through the camera had a few little ones, but also a few nice perfectly straight ones going through. Those abruptly stopped at the last frame that was shot through the camera and after that there are no long straight scratches.

So I guess it is both of our faults. I am going to do a better job at blowing out my camera every few rolls so nothing builds up, and I am going to talk with the lab about being more gentle and waiting a while sleeve the film and all.