Yashica Electro 35 Woes

[JstCruzn86]

After installing new light seals, replacement of the rubber "pad of death" cleaned the lens (looks great now)...but when I got my film processed this is what I got.

Terrible. Where should I start?

Is this a camera issue or developing issue?

This is a inverted image of the negative with a DSLR macro shot. The black grain appears white on the negatives.

 

[Derrel]

My guess is that it is a lab issue.
Were ALL of the images on the roll similarly bad? How much experience do you have with this lab? There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding this issue. Are you a film veteran? What kind of film was shot? Was it new, known to be good film, or outdated film?

 

[JstCruzn86]

Oh very much a newb, but I've shot film years ago when you could still get prints and negatives back at the same day, and they were with modern SLRs.

Never seen anything this bad tho.

It was a fresh roll of Kodak "ultra max" , date stamped July 2018 on the back. I bought it just last week. Nothing unusual about it's handling--developed within a week of shooting, not exposed to moisture or anything like that.

All the images are the same way.

I have no experience with this lab, but they are reputable and have been in service for 50+ years--also the only lab in town that returns negatives.

 

[JstCruzn86]

Ah, it's not the lab's fault. It's me being a doofus.

I was using vellum paper to diffuse the light behind the negatives for shooting them with a DSLR. The paper is porous, letting very small pinhole splotches of light through, almost like a coffee filter. Switched it to piece of thick plastic bag like material and works a lot better.

In the rare instance someone else encounters a similar issue, I'll keep this thread up.

Thanks Derrel.

 

[john.margetts]

I shoot a lot of film and use a very reliable lab for colour processing. I once had an entire roll come back a delicate magenta giving me a very nice green print. The other films they developed at the same time were fine so must have been a film fault.

Glad yours are ok.

 

[cgw]

Crisis averted. Still, just be aware that craptastic film processing has never been easier to find in most places. Low volume, pricey chemistry and cheapskate operators can all conspire to ruin your film.

Get yourself a small lighted tracing box--usually not hard to find in well-stocked art supply joints. Do a custom white balance to get things lined up and process away. Consistency, as usual, counts.