[Leica] Camera or development fault?

["Martin V. Howard" <marho@ida.liu.se>]

I got back an XP-2 film yesterday, from a local supposedly "pro" film
processor.  I noticed, when looking closely at the negatives, that in
addition to scratches running the length of the film, including the
non-exposed frames at the tail end (indicating that it did not occur in
the camera), there were some strange marks on the film.  They occur at
frames 28-32 and look like fuzzy, elongated patches.  They are position-
ed between the frames, slightly extending into the frame on either side.
Location is about one-third up the height of the 24mm side of the frame.

They are dark on the negative, suggesting light leaks, but they only
occur on these frames.  The frames are perfectly exposed otherwise, and
the outline of the frame and space inbetween the frames is razor sharp.

So, the question is, is the a result of a fault in my newly purchased,
35-yo Leica M3, or is it the processors that have screwed things up
even worse than I thought?  Needless to say, I shall never be using them
again, but I need to know if I have a case for getting my money back.

M.

- -- 
Martin V. Howard, Application Systems Laboratory,     | 
Dept. of Comp. & Info. Sci., Linkoping University,    | Just DOHH it!
SE-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden.  Tel +46 13 282 421,     +----------------+
Fax +46 13 142 231; marho@ida.liu.se; www.ida.liu.se/~marho