So, one day I loaded a roll of Tri-X and headed out to take some test photos to see if I still could figure out exposures correctly. I went to New Castle, VA for a walk around as it's fairly level ground in the downtown area. I was able to get images that tested the ability of both the camera and the photographer for a good indication of just how the overhaul went. (It took a while to get this post put-up because I was blocked from doing so by Spamhause for some stupid reason until Mike changed the settings).
I started out with the 35/3.5 Summaron plus a yellow filter, then finished with the 50/2.8 Elmar and no filter. Sent the film off to Dwayne's in Parsons, KS for development and scans as that was where the store that I used to use (before they went out of business) sent my films, and I was always happy with the results. However, when I got my package of CD scans and thumbnails print something was amiss. There were streaks in some of the images that I could not ascertain from looking at the scans where they might have come from.
Sample image with streaks
Lab Fault by P F McFarland, on Flickr
Upon examination of the negatives (cut, not un-cut like I requested), I noticed a strange yellowish contamination that looked like it might have come from a dirty squeegee. The yellow acted like a filter applied directly to the negatives which threw off the exposures of the scanner as the yellowed part of the image would be properly exposed and the non-yellowed part would then be overexposed in the scan, enhancing the streaks.
Oh, and I sent the film to Dwayne's in Parsons, Kansas on August 3rd, they charged my credit card on August 13th, and I received the CD, negs, and "contact" sheet on November 2nd. I was told at my first status inquiry in September that they were really backed-up with orders, and when I asked again in October, I was told they were waiting for "Quality Control" to review them. They never let me know when they were finally shipped, the package just showed up one day. I'm now searching for somewhere else to send my film and have located a lab in Kentucky that will do 6x9 scans, so that is likely where I'll start sending my film after giving them a test roll.
PF
