Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/10

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Subject: [Leica] iiif + elmar 50, 3.5 + delta 400 = !
From: Guy Bennett <guybnt@idt.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 16:42:59 -0800

lug- and other nuts,

just got back the proofs of the first roll of film (delta 400) taken with
my 'new' iiif + elmar 50/3.5. first impressions: the elmar is a fantastic
lens! it's sharp, but seems to be less 'clinical' than the current
summicron i use on my m6; the 'bokeh' with the latter lens when shot wide
open is definitely more pronounced, more 'poetic,' however, and really
makes a portrait pop against the soft blur of the background. for the most
part, i had no trouble with exposure: for the majority of shots, i metered
off my m6 as i wanted to make sure shutter speeds were on - which they
certainly seem to be. only in a couple of cases, when i had to shoot at 100
instead of 125 or at 25 instead of 30, did shots seem slightly over
exposed.

that said, i did experience one problem: on some seven or eight shots,
there are what appear to be streaks running horizontally across the frame,
as if the film were being wound over something, or as if a roller were
being rolled over the film. in those shots, there are a series of visible
horizontal lines that seem to run in groups, like a musical staff, across
the picture. they are visible, both on the proof and in the negs,but arenot
so pronounced as to obscure the image completely. obviously, however, they
are unacceptable and i'd like to get rid of them.

when i looked over the notes i took when making those pictures, i noticed
that all of the shots in question were taken out of doors at either 1/500
or 1/1000. none of the other images, shot at slower shutter speeds, were
affected. does any one have any idea what this might be? could it be
possible that the shutter curtain is making contact with the film as it
opens and shuts? i can't imagine what else it might be since frames right
next to the streaked ones are totally clean, no lines whatsoever. i suppose
that if had something to do with the film being advanced, or what-have-you,
those lines would appear over more of the shots, or, if not, at least not
only over those shot at 1/500 and 1/1000.

has anyone else experienced this problem? thanks in advance for any
ideas/suggestions/solutions you may have.

guy