Light Leak?

[Two23]

I've been using my 5x7 Gundlach Korona lately. I started with two older Graphlex style holders (wood with synthetic darkslide & metal pulls). One of them has a light leak on the top of the holder, the other is light tight. I just bought two more modern Fidelity plastic holders that look pretty new. One seems to have a light leak--see photo. The right side of the image was next to the top of the holder (notch code is in bottom right corner.) I took care that the sun didn't shine directly on the top of the holder but I guess you never know. So, is my best bet to try pulling the dark slide out just enough to clear the film, but not all the way out? I'm not sure the leak doesn't occur with the darkslide all the way in for that matter. This is frustrating.


Kent in SD

[Jim Noel]

NEVER REMOVE THE DARK CLOTH FROM THE CAMERA WHILE MAKING AN EXPOSURE!
That said, you do have a leak which could be caused by the holder not being fully seated,or the leak cold be around the lens board, or the bellows may be unglued.

[Two23]

Didn't think of it being around the other end. I have had several shots that were fine. I was assuming that was because one holder leaked and one didn't. I have marked my holders and am keeping track of what was shot in them, until I get this sorted out. I have had some issues getting the holders seated into the back.


Kent in SD

[LabRat]

Putting some old film or photo paper in the holder in question (and leaving it in the light + processing) will rule/rule out that... But as mentioned, something might not be seating correctly... That line of light is pretty clean and uniform, so...

Steve K

[Jim Jones]

Looks like a double exposure to me.

[Two23]

Looks like a double exposure to me.

No, don't think it's that. That elevator on the right was there.


Kent in SD

[David Lobato]

All the right side is out of focus, and the left side is in focus. And my mind can't seem to blend both sides into a coherent single image. Something odd happened.

[tgtaylor]

Hmmmm. Sunday morning I took the 8x10 field out to take a shot with the 610mm lens that I had spotted Saturday afternoon. The bag bellows was still installed from the last shot so I decided to change the bellows before packing the camera into that pack rather than waiting to do it on-site. When I removed the back a strip of thin black velvet came unglued from the right horizontal side on the inside of the back (the side next to the film insertion). I removed it entirely including the even thinner strip on the opposite side but left to top and bottom strips adhered. When packing-up after exposing the negative I noticed light coming through the back exactly where those two removed strips were and no light from where the the two remaining strips were in place. No light leak appeared on the developed negative. This afternoon I took the camera and both reducing backs out in the sun to inspect. No light came into the back except from where the film holder would have been inserted. With the holder inserted, zero light as I could tell. I bought the camera used but in mint condition and the previous owner had black velvet placed around the back and the 110mm adapter plate. Can anyone shed some light on this? Is it a good idea to line the 8x10 back with black velvet? It would appear to be unnecessary with the 5x7 and 4x5 reducing backs as the edge of the back is at some distance from the format entrance.

Thomas

[Doremus Scudder]

To the OP: It looks to me as if the holder were either not seated correctly (which would cause the out of focus area), or that you pulled the back away from the camera when removing/inserting the darkslide. As the overexposed part of the image is on the right of the image, that means it would be on the left when taking, so probably this is on the side opposite the darkslide (unless you're left-handed and insert your holders from the left...). I'd look for leaks/seating problems there.

To Thomas: If the felt strips were added, and I imagine they may have been, then you're better off without them. Anything that spaces the filmholder back from factory position will cause a discrepancy between ground glass focus and film plane focus. I've personally never seen an LF camera where the filmholder rests on felt or material strips. Usually they just seat on the wood or metal surface of the back. You might check with the camera mfg or others who own your brand to find out for sure what the OEM configuration was.

Best,

Doremus

[The Joker]

Looks like a double exposure to me.

+1

You can see the bushes behind the silo on the right. I suspect you pulled the darkslide with shutter still open and moved the camera in the process or you double exposed that particular sheet of film. You can see some banding as the darkslide was pulled.

[Mark Sawyer]

It might be a large pinhole casting that second image...

[The Joker]

It might be a large pinhole casting that second image...

could be but you would expect to see that on all images regardless of which darkslide if you are suggesting its from the lensboard or bellows. It wouldn't be a pinhole in the darkslide.

[Mark Sawyer]

could be but you would expect to see that on all images regardless of which darkslide if you are suggesting its from the lensboard or bellows. It wouldn't be a pinhole in the darkslide.

We don't know enough about how the image was made to say for sure. Agreed it wouldn't be in the dark slide, but perhaps in the bellows towards the front, or the front standard area near an edge to account for the second image being masked off.

[The Joker]

We don't know enough about how the image was made to say for sure. Agreed it wouldn't be in the dark slide, but perhaps in the bellows towards the front, or the front standard area near an edge to account for the second image being masked off.

I suspect some operator error as well as a possible light leak but OP should test a couple sheets of film with the suspect darkslide to be sure.