Strange marks on my negative.

[Benishoga]

Hello guys!

I’m just wondering if any of you Leica LTM users have come across something like this. I have been shooting with a Leica iiF RD this past few months. I’ve shot with a lot of rangefinders from Canons to Yashica but never come across this type of markings. It usually appears before the frames. It doesn’t bother me that much as the cameras is still properly exposing the images and still feels buttery smooth to operate. I developed this at home and has never happened with my other cameras before.

Anyways thanks for reading hoping to hear from you smart cluey people soon!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Never seen 'leaks' or markings like that before.
Is this from bulk-rolled film? If so, my first suspicions would be that it is the light seal material on the reloaded cartridges.

 

[Benishoga]

Yeah it’s bulk load HP5 in a reloadable standard cassette with felt. I downloaded a service manual for a IIIF which I would imagine be similar to my IIF with the slow shutter addition to see if there is anything inside the camera that might resemble the shape of those markings but I couldn’t see anything inside the camera that resembles that smiley shape. It’s weird not knowing what’s causing it. I thought at first it might be the lab box reel strap metal clip that might be doing some reacting to the negative and chemicals but it never appeared before, considering I’ve developed close to hundred rolls in it, You might have something there with the cassette though, I’ve to check the plastic bit inside see if there’s anything that might be causing this markings.

Thanks for chiming in.

 

[Coldkennels]

Honestly, I'd suggest using one roll of commercially rolled film and sending it to the same lab for development just to see if the same marks pop up. If they do, you know it's not the cassette. Seems like the simplest route.

By the way, if you're bulk loading a lot, look into buying a couple of FILCAs (or IXMOOs if you have M cameras as well). They're more expensive than those standard cassettes, but far sturdier, easier to use (as you don't have to constantly clean the felt out), and way more foolproof. I bought something like seven or eight of the things a decade ago and haven't used a "regular" reloadable cassette since.

 

[Benishoga]

Thank you Coldkennels sounds like a smart move! I have those metal reloadable cassettes for my Contax iiia, I’ll have to keep an eye out for the IXMOOs. I do see your point with using a commercially rolled film I have a few Kodak 400 in the fridge I’ll see if I can test those.

My observation with this markings only appearing with this Leica and not with my other cameras is weird, I checked the inside of the reloadable cassette to see if there is a similar marks in the felt material but I can’t see any, it’s totally flat and smooth.

It’s definitely not a light leak either as the rest of the frames shot outside are all perfectly fine not a single line or weird shape. All 24 frames ok, spacing is perfect, everything is aligned properly.

I just shot another bulk roll on my Zorki tonight I’ll process it tomorrow in the same lab box and I’m pretty sure those markings won’t be there. I could be wrong.

Thanks for your response, gives me something to think about.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Ah. The Lab-Box might be the cause too. Might have something to do with how it grabs or rolls the film onto the developing reel.

The pattern reminds me of the shape of the clamp

 

[Benishoga]

Mr Flibble you are indeed correct the metal straps on the lab box reel is the culprit, when it’s fully rolled, the metal straps and the edge lined up underneath the surface of the film, the weird shaped lined up perfectly when I put it against a strong light, I have recently changed from doing intermittent agitation to constant and with such short dev time I think the metal was so close to the film surface the protruding metal bit was stopping the dev to penetrate the surface leaving that shape not properly developed. Well at least I know it’s not the camera after all. Thanks for giving me the idea, I wouldn’t thought to check that bit of the puzzle otherwise.

Cheers ��