CVS processing

My last three rolls of BW film were all horrible. Fogged and grainy and essentially unusable. One possible reason was the airport x-rays and so on my recent trip I decided to try using XP2 (a BW chromogenic film that can be processed like a colour print film) and get it developed at a chain store --- CVS in this case. I thought that even if the prints and shop-scans were horrible, I could at least re-scan the better negs at home. One picture taken from the water-taxi to Brooklyn looked a good bet. I append the initial scan. Now the colour, levels, crop etc. I can sort, and a bit of dust is OK, but the scratches on the neg are, as you can see, awful. I can sort it all out in photoshop but it is going to take an age to clean up that neg, and I have 72 of them! Back to the drawing board I guess... ~sigh~

It puts dust on the sensor into perspective I guess.

There are a few things that might help. Before scanning, carefully clean the negatives. I use a microfibre cloth these days.

The second line of attack is to use a scanner with DigitalICE, which very effectively removes scratches and dust marks.

Finally, it's down to the clone tool and patch tool. The only consolation is that it's much easier than spotting prints.

Hope that helps.

I have some PEC-12 and some cleaning tissues so I'll give it a wipe over and try again. My Minolta scanner has "dust removal" but not DigitalICE so I'll have to go with what I have.

What is annoying is that these are fresh out of the sleeves and they are in worse condition than my 30 year old negs! The shop scans are better although quite low res (1908 x 1272) so I guess the damage occurred when they cut them up and put them in the neg sleeves. I'll have to find somewhere better next time, or buy myself a daylight dev tank and leave it in NY!

For comparison, here is a reduced version of the shop scan:




Is it possible to clean inside a scanner? Perhaps wave an Arctic Butterfly inside?

Best wishes, Kris.

Yeah why not?
Be carefully not to scratch it though...

You should have used Pentax Pete's Processing service for your XP2 -- I can do C41 at £2-50 a roll ( but NOT any 'scans'onto disk - don't know how to 'burn things onto disks' )

The reason I was trying the XP2 / store processing route was to and avoid the fogging problem I had with the three rolls you processed for me last time! My cunning plan was to buy the XP2 in the US and get it developed before I came home so it didn't get x-rayed.

Oh well...

K.

here Kris for next time, simply request an hand-inspection link

I'd never had problems before, Stefan, but then I used to be carrying ISO 64 film not ISO 400. I am plotting to take the Horseman to NY at some point and then I really will get it hand inspected. Sheet film is too expensive to waste.

K.

Coming back from USA Florida (for the second attempt - was stranded ! ) I asked for a 'Hand Inspection' of films and OK the first time-- the security bloke just passed it around the X-ray machine and looked into the plastic slide boxes containing mine and my boy's 35mm cassettes-- the second time a week later I asked again and told them I had already had a hand inspection but this time a security man dabbed every one of 18 cassettes of film with a pad and liquid to see if there was any explosive powder on them .