Banding through HS1800 scans

[trevvvor]

Hello, I have an HS1800 that recently started giving me some line through the frames. I would categorize the lines in two ways as they do appear different.

First, there is a thick dark line running left to right across all scans. This line really only comes out in the image in very underexposed negs, but you can clearly see it on the blank frames too. Next, there is some standard banding that also runs horizontal often in the scans too. These lines are much thinner and spread more or less from bottom to top (running left to right, horizontally). Same issues with 120 and 135 from multiple carriers of each.

I have run calibrations for several days, LED light sensor adjustments, etc. I have cleaned the front upper glass on the lens, the glass in the carrier and the bottom light source glass.

 

Any help troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated.

IMG_0199.HEIC

[trevvvor]

[Lizbutterfly]

I’d you find the solution please tell me too, we are about to sell this stupid machine I Am so over the banding 

[Dave S]

Can you put up a sreenshot of the Scanner sensitivity check graph with the shading both ON and OFF.
Just to check it is not from the film processing, have you tried inserting the negative from the opposite direction to see if the lines are in the same place or not?

 

[trevvvor]

5 hours ago, Dave S said:

Can you put up a sreenshot of the Scanner sensitivity check graph with the shading both ON and OFF.
Just to check it is not from the film processing, have you tried inserting the negative from the opposite direction to see if the lines are in the same place or not?

 

Thanks Dave. I can certainly share an image of the sensitivity graph later this weekend. However, when the exact same rolls go into other HS1800 scanners I have, there are no issues at all, so it cannot be a processing issue.

[trevvvor]

On 9/11/2026 at 6:06 AM, Dave S said:

Can you put up a sreenshot of the Scanner sensitivity check graph with the shading both ON and OFF.
Just to check it is not from the film processing, have you tried inserting the negative from the opposite direction to see if the lines are in the same place or not?

 

 

[Dave S]

There is something obstructing the light source. You can see the dip in the green and blue waveform.

Try removing the lens from the bottom of the AFC, then do the calibration without the lens fitted and see if the dip is still there.

 

[oliphaz]

If you've tried carriers from other HS-1800s and it is still present, you likely have dust somewhere in the light path on the scanner itself (not the carrier). Perhaps inside the LED unit, or above the carrier in the scanner unit. 

[trevvvor]

7 hours ago, oliphaz said:

If you've tried carriers from other HS-1800s and it is still present, you likely have dust somewhere in the light path on the scanner itself (not the carrier). Perhaps inside the LED unit, or above the carrier in the scanner unit. 

Ok this is great info. Totally makes sense. I have pulled light sources from the HS scanners a few times, but have never opened up the lens or scanner unit above the carrier. Is everything there safe to start pulling apart for cleaning?

[trevvvor]

On 9/14/2026 at 1:53 PM, Dave S said:

There is something obstructing the light source. You can see the dip in the green and blue waveform.

Try removing the lens from the bottom of the AFC, then do the calibration without the lens fitted and see if the dip is still there.

 

Thank you Dave! This is very helpful and makes total sense, I'll start doing some deeper cleanings