Hello everyone. While at first I thought I'd captured a roving spirit (see staircase photo), I'm coming to suspect it's actually a light leak. I'm really baffled by this one-it is showing up in about a quarter of my negatives. The camera, lens, and holders are all new to me, but seem to be in excellent shape, so I'm not sure quite where to begin in solving the problem. Have any of you ever seen a leak like this?
Austin,
If you look closely, both "ghosts" are the same shape and appear on the same place on the negative.
Could be a light leak at the lens board or the bellows near the front of the camera. Look for a small hole in that area that's projecting light like a pin hole camera.
looks like a dark slide with a hole in it. If you only have 2 film holders, that'd be a quarter
Look at the folds of the bellows. A small pin hole at the angle area of a bellows can do just what you are seeing.
Originally Posted by austin granger
"Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will
accomplish them."
Warren G. Bennis
www.gbphotoworks.com
I think Jim is right; one edge is sharp, and looks just like a broken slide.
Thanks guys. I've done a pretty thorough flashlight test on the bellows (and lens and back) and can't find any leaks. I'll check the holders next. A hole in a darkslide is an interesting possibility; wouldn't that be strange? I mean, how does that happen? They're second hand Fidelity holders, but fairly new ones.
Man, this sort of thing could drive a person crazy. Although I haven't lost any truly good pictures yet, it's to the point now where I'm doubting every exposure. And unfortunately, I don't have the money to be making multiple shots of the same subject.
Anyway, thanks again for your help. I'll let you know if I finally exorcize this ghost.
If you file a notch in your holders, you should be able to quickly identify which holder (& which side), if any, is causing the problem. You could load the holders with film or paper, and leave them out in the sun for a while. Develop the sheets and see if there are any ghosts or gremlins.
Check also that your holders are seating properly (although I'd doubt that is the problem).
Are these all shot with the same lens? What sort of camera is it?
Those dark slides are made of phenolic resin, and I'll be you'll find one of them has a crack in it. This can happen if it is struck by something hard (like a hammer) or wedged under a chair leg. Obviously, it wouldn't be a hammer or a chair leg, but something that applies the same sort of force.
Phenolic is pretty strong, but when it breaks it's a brittle fracture, leaving a jagged edge similar to the sharp line in your ghosts.
The crack may be nearly invisble--try flexing the slide slightly when you inspect it.
I would have suspected a pinhole if the photograph had included clouds or other features of the same shape. The same hard line in both photos undermines the pinhole theory, it seems to me.
Rick "who has seen plenty of unintended pinhole photos" Denney
Or put photographic paper in the holders instead of film and take them out in the sun for a while. Unload one sheet at a time and develop. The source of your problem will emerge from the tray.
Steve
Nothing beats a great piece of glass!
I leave the digital work for the urologists and proctologists.
If it was a slide would there not be 2 ghosts caused by replacing the slide back wards to indicate exposed film.
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