What causes white, slightly squiggly lines on a Holga 120 negative?
Asked 11/25/2019
2 views
2 answers
0
I shot a frame on a Holga 120N using Ilford HP5 120 black-and-white film. The camera was resting on a table in my garage, and only this one frame on the roll shows two white, slightly squiggly streaks. On the negative, the streaks stop at the edge of the image area. There were no moving light sources in the scene. What is the most likely cause?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
5
The real tell here is the negative: The effect terminates with the edge of the frame. That means it can only be a light leak, somehow. Whether it is in the film back or in the camera itself, something is letting light in. It might be the finder, but I'll be honest- it doesn't look like anything I'd expect to see. I almost wondered if it was 'glow in the dark' fibre sticking in there on the surface of the film, but that's solid exposure and density and sharp. Not too many things will do that especially at the edge of the frame.
I'd take a good, solid look inside the camera body and see if you can make something out there.
Originally by user85056. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user85056
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is a light leak. The key clue is that the marks stop at the edge of the frame on the negative, which points to light getting onto the film inside the camera or film back rather than something in the scene.
Because it appears on only one frame, it may be an intermittent leak rather than a constant problem. Check the Holga body and back carefully for gaps, poor sealing, or anything unusual around the film chamber. A leak through the finder was also suggested as a possibility, though the pattern is not especially typical.
In short: this is very unlikely to be caused by a subject in the garage, and much more likely to be stray light reaching the film inside the camera.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI6y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What causes large white circles on scanned black-and-white negatives?
What causes sprocket-hole shadows on a single 35mm negative frame?
How can I rewind a fully wound 120 film roll so I can reload it in an Agfa Isoly II?
Horizontal scratch across the first few frames of a developed film roll
What causes large white spots and streaks on developed medium-format negatives?