Printable View
I have a few small marks on my negatives that I can't figure out. They are usually in the same area of the negative and appear as a round darkspot on the 8x10 negative. They are about 1/8 inch in diameter and not super dark, just enough that you can see them. They are not sharp but very out of focus, almost like a very out of focus highlight. I don't think they're glare, but my best guess is a small bellows leak. Any ideas?
If they are always in the same spot, suspect a bellows leak .
Try reversing a new sheet, notch code, lower left, and see if the spots move to a new location. This should eliminate a film defect.
Check for light leaks in the darkroom and where you load holders. Shine a small light thru the lens to see if anything in inside. Put a small blight bulb in the camera in a dark room to check for leaks.
I had a small ghostly circle on my 8x10 transparencies and verified the bellows were light tight. I took another look at my old Kodak and discovered that the Packard tube opening in the front of the camera was not plugged. I sure played with a couple of friends' minds as to the "ghostly aura" on the 8x10s. BTW, it is amazing how the "ghost" has left my camera since I plugged the hole. lol
A remote possibility is there being bubbles on the film during the fixing bath, so little round spots don't get fully fixed (or even develop a bit longer). I'd consider shooting some paper negs (cheap and easy diagnostic, figure the ASA is around 1) til you figure it out.
-Mark Sawyer