R6.2 problem - pattern appearing on all prints

[jlancasterd]

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Sorry for not responding to - and thanking you for - your posts and suggestions. I've been away for a few day but am now running a 'clean' film through this camera and one of the leftover-from-the-trip films through another camera - and will report back as soon as I have results. Just to clarify, I got identical results on two different makes/batches of film so if it is a film issue it's something that damaged all unexposed film at the same time (and nowhere near an airport ... well, maybe within a few miles of a USAF base. You don't think ... do you?)

 

In the meantime, you might perhaps be interested in the feedback I received from Leica themselves:

 

I am sorry for the delay in our reply. Our Quality Control Dept in Germany reports this is clearly not a camera problem. The pattern is different that the pattern of the pressure plate of the R6.2. Also you state this occurred in a point and shoot camera as well. We are sure this is also not consistent with an x-ray effect. We are not able to advise the real cause of this problem.

We would suggest making a test with a new batch of film under controlled conditions. It may also be worth having the film manufacturer examine the film.

 

And finally, here's a close-up of one of the worst examples. It really is a mystery and I wonder if we'll ever get a definitive answer.

 

Once again, many thanks for your advice, suggestions and interest!

 

Peter

 

This may be completely OTT, but you didn't pick up anything that might possibly have been radioactive during your trip, did you?

 

A radioactive source could produce effects very similar to those produced by X-rays.

[andybarton]

Have you sent an example to the film manufacturer?

 

That last shot looks like something has dissolved the image from the film itself.

[vambo25]

Have you sent an example to the film manufacturer?

 

That last shot looks like something has dissolved the image from the film itself.

 

Yes, it does, doesn't it. I hadn't actually thought of contacting the film manufacturers as it's virtually impossible that different films bought on different continents at different times could be responsible for the same issue ... but yes, having drawn a blank with Leica, it might be worth at least sounding them out.

[Mark Antony]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this if so I'm sorry (its a long shot)

But..

could they be film processor exit roller marks?

If so re-washing in weak detergent may help.

 

I mention this because when I was a lab owner we had a copal processor that had rubber drive rollers with small pimples on them, but the final squeegee rollers were very soft smooth foam.

One day an operator put the lower rollers on instead of the foam, all the films came out with a similar looking pattern to the one you have.

Probably not the case but worth a mention.

Mark

Photo Utopia

[vambo25]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this if so I'm sorry (its a long shot)

But..could they be film processor exit roller marks?

If so re-washing in weak detergent may help.

Well, it did cross my mind that it might be a processing problem but the problem was repeated across two separate orders, a couple of weeks apart, so you would have thought that if they'd got the rollers mixed up, someone would have noticed it over the course of a fortnight.

[vambo25]

UPDATE ... UPDATE

 

Well, I've finally got round to running off some test films to see if we can narrow down the problem:

 

• Film 1 – brand new film (Jessop), holiday SLR
  
• Film 2 – leftover holiday film (Kodak Ultra Color), clean SLR
  
• Film 3 – leftover holiday film (Fujifilm Reala), holiday compact

... and there’s not a mark on any of them. I should be pleased but in reality it's just really frustrating. The cameras are fine, the films I brought back are fine, I wish films 2 and 3 had shown this damage then the results would have been conclusive.

 

On a more positive note, I must sing the praises of Fujifilm UK who have been very responsive and helpful so far. No definitive answers yet (I’m sending samples so they can take a closer look), although they reckon we can rule out the possibility of radioactivity. In their words, "I know some of the US desert was used for A-bomb testing but if the radiation was still high enough to affect 100ISO film after all these years I wouldn't visit"

[ms.lau]

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well, judging by the last example it certainly looks to me like a problem with the processing. good luck, and how annoying!!

[vambo25]

well, judging by the last example it certainly looks to me like a problem with the processing. good luck, and how annoying!!

 

Yes, very annoying indeed. However, it finally looks as if we're getting to bottom of this. I received the following message from Fujifilm some while ago:

 

We have spoken to our colleagues at Noritsu and they believe that the marks on your film may have possibly been created by a worn stippled roller in the dev section of the V30 processor.

 

Since then I've been asked whether I have any objections to the negs being sent to the print shop so they can look for themselves but I reckon it's now pretty clear where the fault / problem / blame lies.

[Photoskeptic]

I believe you might be able to get a better handle on the problem if you shot some Fuji film for comparison.