Mystery light leak

[Cher]

This past month, I made my first exposures with my recently acquired Deardorff. Getting some odd light leak sort of thing happening on the bottom left hand corner of the negative. Showed the guy at the lab and he couldn't explain it so was hoping someone out in LFPF-land might be able pinpoint the problem. Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks ~ Cher

[JeRuFo]

Looks to me like a problem with your film holder. The darkslide and the flap where it falls into don't seem to make a light tight seal. The bright part on the image is exactly where that flap would end and the corners outside the image area are exposed as well.

If it is, it shouldn't be on other film holders, unless you aren't using the film holder correctly.

[Andrew]

looks like there's a hard edge to it.. I'd be looking around the back by putting a holder in [even better if it's the same holder] then taking the back off the camera and interrogating it with a torch in a dark room. That way you can see the "inside" aspect. I'd use the same film holder in case the holder's part of the problem

[Steve M Hostetter]

Cher, put your head in the bellows in a brightly lit room and check for a pinhole.. If all checks out then it's more then likely the way you handle your film holders... I have reproduced the same kind of leaks myself till I learned to be more gentle handling the holders while loading and unloading in camera back.. Do not lift the spring loaded back from the film holder till you have the dark slide in and put the dark slide in gently while squeezing the spring back tightly to the film holder.. Be careful to not lift the spring back at any time while the dark slide is pulled.. Common mistake

[MIke Sherck]

Did the film holder seat completely into the camera back? The leak is at the end of the film holder where you load the film into it and, as JeRuFo mentioned, it doesn't look like the film holder's flap is sealing completely. When the film holder is seated into the camera's back, the pressure from the camera back holds the film holder in place and the flap closed but if the holder isn't inserted all the way into the back, there may be some wiggle room for the flap to flip up slightly and leak a bit of light. It's also possible that the springs holding the camera back to the camera's rear standard are weak and not holding the camera back and film holder tightly enough.

Mike

[AtlantaTerry]

Load a sacrificial sheet of film into the sheet film holder in your normal manner. Then take the holder outside but don't insert it into a camera. Develop the film. Is there fog? If so, then there is a problem with the film holder.

This week I am going to be notching all my sheet film holders with a set of small files. There will be small cuts in the end flap - some rectangular, some round and some triangular. With these I can create a code good up to 999. I already have used a label maker to number each film holder with a sticker located up near the dark slide handles, but these cuts in the flap will leave a permanent addition to each image where light can now strike the film.

[Mkillmer]

When I see a double image thing happening in a view camera, my first thought is "pinhole in the bellows"...
I've been burnt from experience
Have you checked your bellows with a flashlight?

[Cher]

Thanks, I really appreciate all your responses. My camera received a recent overhaul by Richard Ritter so I believe the bellows is in good working order. The film holders and perhaps my poor technique are the likely culprits. I will use the above suggestions to test things out. Thanks again!

[Jim Noel]

Keep your dark cloth on the camera while making the exposure. This simple procedure eliminates a lot of light leak problems with all cameras and holders.

[AtlantaTerry]

I think you are right about using a dark cloth. I have been trying to use one of those "tunnel" design fabric hoods with elastic and Velcro. They are very useful to see the image but a pain in the butt when it comes time to load the film. On my Cambo I have to remove the elastic band section from around the back of the camera in order to insert the film holder. Or am I doing it wrong?