Tom Ballard

I recently purchased a second Scoopic at a yard sale. Through the viewfinder, the f/stop numbers are 'smeared'. Before I bought the cam, I removed the pressure plate and with the aperature set wide open and the aid of a flashlight, looked through the front of the lens. By moving the zoom, the light appeared to show no fungus or deterioration on any of the elements. When I zoomed so that the f/stop numbers were visible (far to the right side when looking through the front of the lens- through the viewfinder, the smearing is on the right), I could see the smearing. My question is: In all probability, is this blemish likely to be on one of the lens elements and I'm just not seeing it or is it possible to be in the viewfinder's optical path? Which is more likely? I'm not qualified to disassemble the camera, remove the lens and check it out. Thanks in advance for your response.

Roger doesn't transfer negative filmstock on his Workprinters.

It looks like underexposed film, perhaps given a push in processing if not lightened in telecine, or both. The low light grain curve is much steeper on V2 500T than on V2 200T, but I've shot the former with much better results than what you're getting. The S16 grabs look like they're supposed to. The noise in the 250D further reinforces my belief that all the film was underexposed then lightened or something's awry at the transfer house. How did you meter these shots?