Unexplainable light leak??

[jumanji]

Yesterday I processed two 8x10 sheets that I shot the day before. The first one came out ok, but the second one had light leak that I have no idea why and how it happened!
I feel a bit angry and ridiculous at the same time. Any idea how did it get there?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/669/21508931125_ce9a7650c1_c.jpg

P/S: it's 320 TXP. I did have QC problem with Fomapan 8x10 before, but I dont think Kodak also has it.

[koraks]

Have you used this holder before? First thing that comes to mind is the felt light trap where the dark slide goes in as it appears to be on that side of the holder.

[macolive]

Something similar happened to me and I realised that I did not push the holder down all the way in the back so light was leaking from the top after I removed the dark slide.

[jumanji]

From the light trap? Hmm that makes sense.

[redshift]

I've done something similar especially with 8x10. The light trap can be fine. Inserting the dark slide a little off angle can pry open the light trap.


From the light trap? Hmm that makes sense.

[jumanji]

Actually it's my friend's old Fidelity. Looks like I should handle it with care next time. Thanks all.

[dsphotog]

I like to drape the focusing cloth over the camera and holder, especially if the darkslide will be out for a long exposure.

[ic-racer]

Looks more like the film holder may not have been seated properly prior to darkslide removal.

[Kevin Crisp]

The light leak doesn't appear to be coming from the end of the negative that shows the slots, so I'd say not the light trap. It is SO easy (depending on the camera back and the film holder) to think you've got it fully seated when you really don't. I always tug a little back and forth to make sure the film holder indexing lip is seated in the slot of the camera back. Good luck.

[BradS]

Looks more like the film holder may not have been seated properly prior to darkslide removal.


+1

[Jim Noel]

+1

+2

[Maris Rusis]

I've had a light leak like that even though the film holder was firmly seated. I squeeze the camera back and holder in all four corners to make sure. My problem was opening the camera back a tiny fraction from the forces involved in pulling the darkslide and pushing it back in. Old holders with sticky slides are the worst. Now I grip the camera back firmly closed with one hand while wrangling the dark slide with the other. And for shots where raw sunlight will hit the darkslide slot I'll turn the camera back upside down and insert the film holder from below. Talk about paranoid!

[macolive]

If you took two shots of the same image, compare the two and see if the location of the subject shifted relative to the film. If it did then the film holder was not seated correctly on the this sheet.

[Doremus Scudder]

I've had a light leak like that even though the film holder was firmly seated. I squeeze the camera back and holder in all four corners to make sure. My problem was opening the camera back a tiny fraction from the forces involved in pulling the darkslide and pushing it back in. Old holders with sticky slides are the worst. Now I grip the camera back firmly closed with one hand while wrangling the dark slide with the other. And for shots where raw sunlight will hit the darkslide slot I'll turn the camera back upside down and insert the film holder from below. Talk about paranoid!

Maris is your man here. This is a classic example of pulling the spring back away from the camera when pulling/inserting the darkslide. Notice that the rebate area at the bottom of the image (top of the film when in camera) is still unexposed. It looks like one corner got pulled away (top right) at some point. I, too, pinch the back to the camera body with thumb and forefinger when removing/inserting the dark slide. I also turn the darkslide slot away from the sun, like Maris but not upside-down (my cameras won't let me do that). When there's a chance that sunlight can hit the open darkslide slot, I cover it with darkcloth, my cap or a nifty folding cover I made just for that purpose out of an old film box and gaffer's tape.

BTW, don't feel ridiculous; we've all done this (repeatedly...). It's just one of the things you need to get worked into your routine. I still do stupid things from time to time like: double-exposing, ruining a sheet because I didn't close the preview before pulling the darkslide, not pulling the darkslide in my haste to make a quick shot, etc., etc.

Best,

Doremus

[Jim Noel]

SUch leaks can usually be eliminated with te dark cloth. Mine are always over the camera before, during and after an exposure. Many people attempt to get along with a tiny dark cloth which I think is a huge mistake. Mne are all rather large - 4'x5' for a 4x5 camera, 5'x6' for the 5 x 7, and 6'x8' for 8x10 and 7x17. I learned about huge cloths from Cole Weston who never let his holder be out from under the cloth.