4x5 holder light leaks

**Lon Overacker** · 28-Mar-2006, 12:01

I want to thank everyone for their comments and suggestions.

I will now be numbering my holders and have actually taken one of them and modified the inside of the flap with a notch as mentioned by a couple of people. Thanks for the web link Phil (http://www.jbhphoto.com/articles/filmholder1.htm) what an ingenious idea! I've just marked the one now to make sure my file work didn't screw up the holder and create more light leaks.

I also developed a method for recording information in the field. In years past, I had taken field notes, exposure, lens, film, etc. etc., but got frustrated because in the end I had no idea which slide, went with which holder and with what notes... especially after longer shoots like a trip to the eastern sierra for fall color. I didn't know of a way to track film to holder and all the relevant info, so I eventually didn't bother.

So, while certainly not a perfect system, I created a simple spreadsheet with columns for all the relevant data - date, holder#,film,lens,shuttersp,aperture,filters,location, notes etc. The size is such that I pasted these to some thin matt board and cut out in to 4x6 inch sizes. There's enough lines for 13 entries. Double-side it and I can make entries for 26 shots.... conveniently on purpose because I have 13 holders. The matt base provides a hard surface to write on and the card fits nicely in to one of my vest pockets. So when I've finished exposing the 26 and it's time to unload and load, this info-card goes with this batch. I made up about 20 of these cards, so I'm good for a while. So with numbering the holders and using the notch system, I can now have a reliable system for tracking information about each image that I had previously not been able to do.

Getting back to the leak... I also took several of your suggestions. I set up the camera with lens attached (closed). Took a small maglight, removed the lens, and used a soft piece of foam about 3" square, cut a slit in the middle to hold the flashlight - this way it's not rolling around inside the bellows. With the flashlight inside, I loaded and tested every holder I had and each and every one is light-tight. Oh yeah, I also re-tighted the spring back to original tension, which may solve my problem since I could see no light outside the camera. Of course I did this in the dark...

I'm thinking more and more this was a film holder seating problem caused by lack of tension on the back. Actually, the light leak has to be on more than one holder, because all 3 images were taken on the same day, and I did not reload any film. Also, the location of the leak is NOT in the exact position on each one. If you notice, 2 of them are in the same location where there is no notch at the top of the film. The third image shown, with the sky, has the light leak on the opposite side as the other 2; the film code notch shows in this image.

So, it's time to load some for film and do some testing. With a system for recording information in the field, I will at least have the ability to troubleshoot a holder problem, if I have one.

Thank you again for your help and suggestions!
Lon

**James E Galvin** · 30-Mar-2006, 10:32

I note that the leak crosses over the shadow of the holder film guide rail. I think the leak was not done while the film was in the holder. If the problem was a leak between the holder and the camera, then the guide rail would have cast its shadow. Look rather to film box leak, or some other film handling problem, not the camera or holders.

**John Brownlow** · 30-Mar-2006, 10:46

One of the many advantages of Grafmatic backs is that (in my experience anyway) they are immune to light leaks, as well as holding the film extremely flat, and being very quick to use.