Help me chase down the many, many light leaks I just found!

[Bob Salomon]

Well, an important routine during shooting/film handling stage outside is to always prevent any direct sunlight from hitting holders/back/during pulling or pulled slides by covering with the focus cloth and having a cover or sleeve over filmholders while handling in bright light...

Keep the case in some shade, or have a cover for it... You should be able to narrow down the problem to camera, back or FS leaks/holders etc... Or possibly something in the loading or processing steps, sometimes using the shallow film storage boxes (if not sealed properly or where they might have been cracked slightly open)...

Steve K

And don't leave the dark slide out of the holder during the exposure. Only withdraw it enough to uncover the film, then make sure the slot is shaded when you pull it out to reverse it and reinsert it. Sometimes light can get into that open slot, especially with old holders.

[williaty]

Ok, I'm going to write the first image off as probably flare. I inspected the lens this evening and, if it's coated, it's only single coated. There's only a tiny color change, if any, to the reflections. Additionally, the inside face of the rear element was badly smudged and I'm sure that wasn't doing any favors to flare resistance!

Image 2:


I think I see two separate issues here: 1) The general light strike along most of the bottom edge of the image and 2) heavy light strike that extends outside the frame caused by the film holder in the lower right corner. My questions here are

a) Since the fogging in the lower right corner extends into the area covered by the film holder, does this mean it has to have been caused before the film went into the holder?

b) The bottom of the image would have come from the top of the camera. Given what I said about the back rattling slightly against the standard when in landscape orientation, does that mean that this is likely sun getting in between the standard and the back or is it more likely it's getting in between the back and the film holder?

[The Joker]

on both images one in portrait and one in landscape show the main problem coming from the top edge of the camera back. Except on this one you have a light stripe down the left hand side too which I can't explain. I think camera back seals are certainly one of the problems. How do they appear to you? are the springs on the camera back holding the film in shot?

[williaty]

Two this time because I think they're related.

Image 3:


Image 4:


Diffuse light fogging on the right side of the image, vertically centered. Also, in the shot of the Bel Air chief's car, in the shadows under the car, on film it looks like there's a wavy curtain or falling rain or something. Just a slight increase in density in sort of a rippled or streaky pattern.



Today, I'm going to go through and check all the film holders for flatness and look at the state of the seal between the film holder and the back (there's no seal between the back and rear standard).

[Doremus Scudder]

I think you're dealing with light-trap or camera-back issues. If you are leaving the holders in the camera for a longer period with the darkslide pulled and in bright light, you're simply asking for trouble. Pull the slide just before the shot and reinsert just after. Keep the top of the filmholder covered if possible. Many use their darkcloth, but that isn't always practical for me. I usually hold the pulled darkslide over the top of the filmholder to block any light getting in.

The other (highly-likely) possibility is that you are pulling the holder away from the camera back when pulling the darkslide. Pinch the body and the back together with thumb and forefinger(s) so the spring back stays tight while you pull the slide with the other hand. Particularly the last two images seem to me to be thusly caused.

The images with the strikes along the "bottom" of the image have the strikes all on the light-trap side (even the one of the Beloit fire engine, since the light getting in from the trap on the right of the image could easily have spread the entire length).

Holders not seating properly in the camera back can cause all of this as well, so check seats for debris, straightness and possible added felt, etc. This latter, often added in good faith by someone making a "repair" can cause the holder to sit too far from the seat, allowing light in the crack. Don't ask me how I know this

If you have old plastic holders, you can often revive a dead light trap by washing. I soak for a while in soapy water then rinse under the faucet making sure to run plenty of water through the light trap. Let dry thoroughly.

Hope this helps,

Doremus