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dyuhas
19-Jul-2006, 14:21
Just got my first batch of 4x5 transparencies back from the lab. I noticed tiny teeth marks just inside the exposed area near the corners. The lab blamed the clips that hold the film when it's processed, and said there's no way to avoid the marks. They can't be confined to the unexposed edges.

True?

(FWIW, the film is Velvia 50 and I use the Fuji Quikload holder.)

tim atherton
19-Jul-2006, 14:29
Is my lab BSing me?

not really - some labs are better than others at getting the marks close to the edge but it's usually slightly in the image area - sometimes a couple of the four are in the black edge, soemtimes not

Bruce Watson
19-Jul-2006, 14:32
My lab is pretty good about keeping the clip marks in the rebate areas. Every once in a while they miss. Oh well.

Just like the little hole in the Fuji films, it makes composing right to the edges a little dangerous. And composing to the edges is a hard habit to break. I have to keep telling myself that this isn't 35mm anymore ;-)

David A. Goldfarb
19-Jul-2006, 14:44
Yeah, those marks are normal for the big industrial-sized dip and dunk processors.

If you really can't live with them, you can process the film yourself by other methods--trays, Jobo rotary processor and other drum methods, tankline and hangers, various daylight tanks, etc.

Capocheny
19-Jul-2006, 15:39
No, they're not BSing you... my lab, for the most part, is pretty good at keeping the gator clip marks outside the image area but, on occasion, they do show up in the image area. Rarely though!

That's just the fortunes of sending your images out to a lab. If you can't live with the reality of gator clip marks, I'd suggest you look into processing them yourself. It's really not all that difficult to do. :)

Cheers

Walter Calahan
19-Jul-2006, 15:51
Yes true.

QT Luong
19-Jul-2006, 16:59
It would make sense to have a focussing screen where the usable part does't extend to the edges (like the Boss Screen), like it makes sense in 35mm to use a less than full frame viewfinder if you shot slides.

dyuhas
19-Jul-2006, 18:32
Thanks for the help.

William Stone
19-Jul-2006, 19:29
I primarily shoot Fuji transparency film in a Fuji Quickload holder, with a Toyo 45A field camera. My lab (Carl's Darkroom, in Albuquerque, NM - USA) has two different style 4x5 E-6 film processing racks -- one style uses film clips oriented parallel to the 4-inch side of the film and the other uses clips parallel to the 5-inch side of the film.

I learned that the film holes that result from the racks with the clips on/parallel to the 5-inch side intrude less (hardly at all, in fact) into the image area than if the other racks are used.

So, when I drop my film off for processing, I always request that they use the racks with the clips on the 5-inch side.

It might be worth asking your lab about this.

Good luck! Bill

paulr
19-Jul-2006, 23:52
It would make sense to have a focussing screen where the usable part does't extend to the edges (like the Boss Screen), like it makes sense in 35mm to use a less than full frame viewfinder if you shot slides.

I took a paint marker and ruler and drew a rectangle on mine.

Andre Noble
20-Jul-2006, 07:39
If you doing 4x5 for your self, the marks could even be over-looked as artsy, like the borders on a Polaroid.

Frank Petronio
20-Jul-2006, 08:15
I rather have deep clip marks well into the image than close to the edge. Why? Do you really want the clips so close to the edge that the film might slip off? If you are shooting so tight that you need that extra 1/4 inch border maybe you need to take an step back or use a wider lens...

Bruce Watson
20-Jul-2006, 09:28
I rather have deep clip marks well into the image than close to the edge. Why? Do you really want the clips so close to the edge that the film might slip off?
My lab is using a clip that actually penetrates the film - makes a line of little holes. So yes, I really want the clips close to the edge, and there is no way for them to slip off if applied properly.

And my lab does an excellent job with this. I can only remember one or two negatives coming back with clip marks in the image area. What I'm saying is - it can be done if the lab makes the effort.

Michael Daily
20-Jul-2006, 12:02
When I worked the E6 line in a lab in PHX 25+ years ago, the Kreonite roller transport machine I ran/maintained had NO clips. There were never marks from mechanical stuff on the film. The lab was owned by a guy who did commercial work for Motorola, Litton, Armor-Dial and they never had a complaint about quality. I ran about 100-200 4x5 sheets a day, often 8x10, and lots of 35mm. Find a lab that doesn't use dip/dunk.
Michael