What the... ?!

[Scott --]

Hi, all -

I'm trying to test out a new lens. Set up and shot with it this morning. Used a holder I know to be good. Ground glass was completely lit up. Exposed for 1/2 second or so. Developed in a Unicolor/Beseler drum. Got this:
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/smpsweeps/wtf.jpg

Any ideas what might've happened?
Scott

[nolindan]

It was in the drum with the emulsion against the wall of the drum?

[Jehu]

I'm no expert on this but it looks like there may be a little distortion as well as light leak. It sort of looks like the film may not have been laying flat in the holder unless the siding on the house is really warped.

[Scott --]

Thanks, guys. I reshot a little while ago. Film came out of the tank looking exactly the same. Used a different holder this time, but the setup was otherwise identical. Made sure the film was loaded in the tank correctly. I'm befuddled.

Going to shoot again this afternoon with a different lens to confirm that it's a problem with the lens and not with the rest of the setup, which has been working fine for me...

[Ash]

Looks like a developing issue to me. I got a few negs like that when the emulsion wasn't getting even development. I'm not sure though. Fresh chems?

[BradS]

Just grasping at wind here but, maybe, the film was damaged prior to use???

[ic-racer]

This is a scan of a print right? Are you asking about print processing errors? What does the negative look like? If the negative is mostly black then this is a film processing problem. Is it fogged right to the film edge? If so does your film processing drum have a working light trap? Also, BradS makes a good point; you unexposed film box may have been accidentally opened anytime in the past.

[Scott --]

This is a negative scan...

Think I may've found the problem: There's no flange on this lens. I have an 1/8" plywood plate screwed to the lensboard that the lens screws into. Thought I had it tight, but there's a clean ring of light almost all the way around the lens. I'm screwing it in further (trying not to break the board...), and will cover the joint with tape on the inside...

Stay tuned...

[Scott --]

That got it:
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/smpsweeps/wray00.jpg

[Ash]

Scott,

Much better!


I think behind one of my lenses I have a cardboard O-ring where I cut the hole in the board a tiny bit too big and needed to plug the light that could get through.

[ic-racer]

I'm a little confused. It sounds like you solved the problem, but how did light from around the lens mount fog the film UNDER the lip of the film holder??

[Scott --]

:D

That's actually stiffeners from the bellows' side impinging upon the image. The film holder rails run along the top and bottom of this image and were cropped off in the scanning...