Re: [Leica] Camera or development fault?

[Mark <mark@steinberg.net>]

Martin V. Howard wrote:
> 
> 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 

this is the bane of my life as a photographer. you have my sympathies.

what is really extraordinary is that almost *all* film gets scratched,
it's just that you don't see the scratches unless you magnify the
photo to 16X20 or beyond. alot of scratches get "lost" in the "image
noise", that is to say that if you take a picture of a field of
wheat and the scratches are in the same "grain" as the wheat they
get "lost" (yes, the pun was intended).

on the suggestion of a fellow "lugger" i now ask for "develop only"
for critical shots. the less they handle my precious negs.....

i'm very grateful for dwpost regarding his explanation of how they
extract the film from the canister. now i understand that process much
better and see how the really long scratches can occur. i had always
assumed they opened the endcaps....i live, read, and learn.

the other "trick" is to keep the inside of the camera immaculate.

note that you generally don't see scratches on 4X6s (or whatever),
it's not until you look at a negative very critically at high
magnification that you *REALLY* start cursing the people at the
processing labs.

there are all kinds of problems that the processing labs have to handle,
air conditioning, relative humidity, incoming dust, lint, etc. film
is a magnet to dust.

i doubt it's worth getting your money back...it's a small comfort.

mark