Uneven Tray Development or Light leak?

[Jim Noel]

I agree whole heartedly with Sandy. I never remove the dark slide from any LF camera w/o the focusing cloth covering the back and the bellows. MY 5x8 foot cloth does a great job of this on the 7x17. Smaller ones for smaller cameras.

[Corran]

After fogging an 8x20 sheet from light leaks all around the front standard of a "new" camera, I went to town with a pen light and black tape inside and around the camera.

I have successfully exposed 3 sheets now with no leaks. I don't drape the darkcloth over the bellows because I'm apparently insane. Well not really but I use a light jacket instead of a "real" darkcloth most times so it doesn't cover the bellows adequately.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Definite light leak. As Sandy said, know your gear before going off on a big trip. I ALWAYS have my dark cloth over the back of the camera when making an exposure, sun or cloud. ULF film is just too expensive to waste... unless you shoot xray!

[StoneNYC]

Stone,

I would never remove a dark slide and expose a sheet of ULF camera, with any film or holder, without a dark cloth over the holder. In fact, I would never remove the dark slide and expose a sheet of film without a dark cloth over the holder with any view camera and holder, but for ULF I consider it insane. Too many possible sources of light, through pinholes in the bellows, sorry fitting back, lens board fitting, leaky holders and holders that don't fit well. Light is your friend, but also your enemy.

Also, keep your loaded holders in the dark (in black plastic bags) whenever possible, and only remove the bags to insert the holder in the camera and make the exposure. So many things can go wrong to cause film fogs I consider this necessary practice, not just good practice. You know the song, "wherever you have played before, ULF is a whole new game."

Swiss Air went bankrupt shortly after my trip and I got nothing from them.

My knowledge of the practice of ULF was earned through a lot of practical experience from the "University of Hard Knocks." Unfortunately, everyone has to go through that portal.

Sandy

Hmm, with my 8x10 and 4x5 I never cover the camera, even when the slide edge is literally facing the sun.

I've never had any issues with my Chamonix holders, and only had an issue with a grafmatic because I didn't seat it properly, but even my 4 grafmatic's don't have any leaks when out in the sun.

Even with the Chamonix 8x10 when I use the 4x10 half slide, I don't have any issues sliding that in, was worried about the "gap" where the slide stops in the middle, but it seems like there's no issue.

I mostly don't have a great tripod head and the weight of a dark cloth with wind means more shake, so I just don't bother with a cover.

I guess with the ULF that won't be as much of an issue because I'll have good tripod legs affixed to the body and no separate head, so that will take care of that lol

Thanks for the info!

[John Jarosz]

Even with 8x10 I cover the back of the camera with the darkcloth. The 2D is 75 years old, it won't work perfectly.

[Cor]

Most probably above posters are right on the mark, but you might want to check the attachment of the bellows to the rear standard, I had a (much less severe) light leak as yours, and found out with a light from the inside of the bellows in my darkroom that there was a every so minute gap between my bellows and the rear, very hard to see, but it caused a light leak..

good luck,

Cor

[Dignum]

To end this thread on a positive note, the rest of my film came out as expected. Thank you to all who commented. This forum is an invaluable source of knowledge.

Shane Dignum

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Yes, cover the back of any ULF s SOP.

[tgtaylor]

Covering the bellows and the back with the dark cloth is a good idea and one which, I confess, to having recently adapted too. That said just recently I made an 8x10 exposure at high noon - yep, with the sun directly overhead - with the back set in portrait orientation and without covering it with the dark cloth. The sun was directly overhead shining down on the open slot in the holder. However I didn't realize it until I re-inserted the dark slide. So the negative was potentially exposed from the point that I pulled the dark slide from the holder until I re-inserted it. No light leak whatsoever appeared on the negative. I was using a Toyo 8x10 holder.

Thomas

[Tracy Storer]

Just for the education of newbies, some folks(not everyone) in this instance might turn the camera back 180 degrees so the darkslide exits the bottom. (assuming the back can be mounted that way and not parked over the bed for a wide angle shot, where this would not work.)

Covering the bellows and the back with the dark cloth is a good idea and one which, I confess, to having recently adapted too. That said just recently I made an 8x10 exposure at high noon - yep, with the sun directly overhead - with the back set in portrait orientation and without covering it with the dark cloth. The sun was directly overhead shining down on the open slot in the holder. However I didn't realize it until I re-inserted the dark slide. So the negative was potentially exposed from the point that I pulled the dark slide from the holder until I re-inserted it. No light leak whatsoever appeared on the negative. I was using a Toyo 8x10 holder.

Thomas