First Image - Need Input\Advice

[JamesHendrix]

I just got my 1st set of 4x5 negs back from the lab and need input.
Each neg has a huge line which I am thinking is a scratch. The line is consistent on each neg and I'm thinking the lab must have caused it. Any other ideas?

Also, it looks like there is a light leak on them as well - am I correct?

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and another with the same line\scratch

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The negs are pretty dirty - lots of spots and crud. The last time I had film processed it was at a professional lab and I never had dirty negs.
Is this just a sign of the times that labs just aren't controlling the processing enviorement. The reason I am asking is a differnet lab has
been processing my 120 negs and they have crud all over them as well.

James

[ImSoNegative]

yes that does look like some sort of light leak, check your bellows by turning the light out and shining a light inside the camera, as far as the scratches, this is why i develope my own film.

[Brian C. Miller]

Change labs. Those labs are not keeping their equipment clean, and they know it.

I use Praus (http://www.4photolab.com) and I get a consistently good result. Here in Washington state, I either have to develop my own large format film or send it out, as there is no LF color service here. (And Seattle is down to two film labs!)

If you have a scratch on your film, you should see a scratch, i.e., a physical gouge. Are we looking at proof prints, or is this from a scan you did yourself? I ask because the line is reliably thicker at the top, and then thins down to almost nothing at the bottom, and it's the same in both images. I haven't seen a scratch precisely duplicated in two negatives like that.

Yes, you have a light leak. Put a holder in the back side, and put a lamp or a very strong flashlight down lensboard side. You should see the problem fairly quickly. When I got my Cambo 8x10, the tape that provided a light seal on the back was drying out, and had to be replaced.

[lenser]

Two excellent labs that I've used within the last year are The Slide Printer (Denver Digital Imaging) in Denver and Allied Photocolor in St. Louis. Both are highly reputable and the Denver lab still runs E-6 twice daily so little room for crud or bad handling that might have caused the scratches. Both labs do other types of films on a longer schedule, but still with great care.

As to the light leaks, they have very different character, shape and location. They both look very much like they may be coming in from the edge of the carrier as there is no definitive line near the edge as there would be if this were coming in through the slot for the dark slide. The fact that the shape is so different makes me suspect that you don't have the film holder fully seated in the back rather than something to do with the bellows. This is further indicated by the fact that there is a fall off in the pattern and brightness of the leak that seems to point to it being far to one side rather than further down in the bellows where it might have been more diffused across more of the film area.

Try practicing your holder loading procedures into the film back, watching very carefully to see how the back "seats" the holder in place and also try shooting with the dark cloth over the whole of the camera back to totally block light from that area. If you still get leaks, you know I guessed wrong and it has to either be the bellows or the lens board.

[JamesHendrix]

Just took a close look at the negs ans the line I thought was a scratch is not there. I scanned 7 negatives and the line is very consistent on each one.
I'm using the Epson V750 with adual negative holder. Am going take a look at all the settings and see if I missed something.
I've been scanning 120 without any issues.

Thanks for all the tips, esp with the light leak issues.
I've got a few things to check now.
James