Strange lines on negatives with Jobo 3005 and Pyro

[Hugo Zhang]

This problem has troubled me for a long time: a strange line appears at the same area on almost half of my 8x10 negatives no matter what film I use. It's about 1 1/2" long and has ruined my otherwise good negatives. I use Jobo 3005 with Rollo Pyro and Pyro-HD and follow the instructions. Hand roll the Jobo drum on hard surface. Similar problem and solutions? Thanks.

[Michael Alpert]

I can only hazard a guess, so take what I am offering for what it's worth. The llne seems to be caused by stray light. I wonder if the dark slide of your film holder has a hair-line crack in it? Or perhaps the Jobo tank is cracked? I would think, though, that only one-fifth of your negatives would be marked if it were a crack in the tank. And if it were a crack in the back-standard of your camera, every image would have the same mark. Your images certainly seem worth salvaging with a bit of spotting. At least it's worth a try. I hope you find the cause. Please let us know the cause once the mystery is solved.

[sanking]

This problem has troubled me for a long time: a strange line appears at the same area on almost half of my 8x10 negatives no matter what film I use. It's about 1 1/2" long and has ruined my otherwise good negatives. I use Jobo 3005 with Rollo Pyro and Pyro-HD and follow the instructions. Hand roll the Jobo drum on hard surface. Similar problem and solutions? Thanks.

Do you mean the thin white line at the top of the first image and at the right hand side of the other two? If so, I don't believe this is a processing error. And if it is happening with several different types of film, it most likely is not an emulsion error either. It looks to me more like some kind of thread or hair was on the film when it was exposed to light. If so, this would result in a dark line on the negative and a white line on the print.

Sandy

[Hugo Zhang]

Sandy,

It could not possibly be hair. I clean my holders before I load them. I processed 20 negatives yesterday and that line appeared on 12 of them. This is just so weired. Same area from 10 film holders. I presoaked my films as always. The Jobo is brand new purchased one month ago. The previous one I used for 5 years till one of the holes cracked and leaking.

The first picture is Bergger 200 film and the rest two are jandc 100 film. I don't have this problem with my 8x20 or 10x20 negatives with Jobo 2850 yet.

[Brian K]

Do you mean the thin white line at the top of the first image and at the right hand side of the other two? If so, I don't believe this is a processing error. And if it is happening with several different types of film, it most likely is not an emulsion error either. It looks to me more like some kind of thread or hair was on the film when it was exposed to light. If so, this would result in a dark line on the negative and a white line on the print.

Sandy

I think Sandy has it reversed. A hair stuck on the holder would result in a clear line on the neg and a black line on the print. It's a shadow after all. I don't think it's a light leak because of the way it bends. Sometimes when sheet film gets a scratch, not hard enough to go clear through the emulsion, but enough to abrade the surface, you can get a mark like that.

[Michael Mutmansky]

Check your film handling procedures.

Do you wear a watch that has glow in the dark dials by any chance?


---Michael

[Bruce Watson]

Do you mean the thin white line at the top of the first image and at the right hand side of the other two? If so, I don't believe this is a processing error. And if it is happening with several different types of film, it most likely is not an emulsion error either. It looks to me more like some kind of thread or hair was on the film when it was exposed to light. If so, this would result in a dark line on the negative and a white line on the print.

Sandy

If it were dust, wouldn't it block the light reaching the film and leave that part of the image unexposed -- that is, clear film? That would make a black line on the print, yes?

Hugo, you can put the film on a light table and see these marks? Dark marks on the film? Dark marks on the film typically are from some means of exposure -- static electricity, light leak, reflections, etc. Interesting puzzle, this.

If it's only on the prints, then it's most likely something in the printing process. But if it's on the film... hmmm.... (sound of scratching of head). Maybe a crimp in the negative?

[sanking]

I think Sandy has it reversed. A hair stuck on the holder would result in a clear line on the neg and a black line on the print. It's a shadow after all. I don't think it's a light leak because of the way it bends. Sometimes when sheet film gets a scratch, not hard enough to go clear through the emulsion, but enough to abrade the surface, you can get a mark like that.

Yes, you are right. A hair would result in a clear line on the neg and black line on the print.

Perhaps it is a stress mark from bending the negative, either from inserting it in the holder or when putting it into the Jobo. Or it might be caused by static electricity.

Sandy King

[Ole Tjugen]

Any chance that all these are from the same side of the same holder?

If so, check if there's a scratch on your holder behind the film. The anti-halation layer is not 100% effective, so it might be a bright scratch inside the holder!

[Ken Lee]

Looks like a scratch to me. My guess is that you are scratching the film when loading/unloading the film. If you get an infra-red viewing device, (or borrow one) you will be able to see exactly what you are doing, and you may find out when the scratches are being introduced.

Do you remove the film from the box sideways, or lengthwise ? Do you place it into the Jobo sideways, or lengthwise ? I presume that you load the holders lengthwise, and these scratches are sideways.