Help with light leak

[Tim Shawcross]

Just got some film back from the lab and two shots have fogging. At first I thought it might be a holder problem, but after closer examination that doesn't appear to be the case. The fogging on the two sheets are in different locations, relative to the film holder. It appears to be a camera light leak I think?

I'm using a horseman monorail camera, and I've shot easily 150 sheets through this in the last 12 months without a problem.

I've still got a batch of film to be developed from this trip, but there was no other indication on any other sheets of a problem. I've attached a third image that was shot within 10 minutes of the first two and I can't see any indication of a light leak (though it may have been masked by the more subdued lighting.)

Any thoughts where to start looking for the leak?

Thanks

Tim

[Patrik Roseen]

I assume that you rotated the back on the camera for the two first pictures which means that it should not be the film holder. The light phenomena is more or less the same on the two, but it is easy to get fooled because of the different formats.
Is it really a light leak? What lens were you using. Did you use any compendium to reduce lens and bellow flare?

The clouds on the sky can cause very long shadows over water at sunset. The dark area on the right corresponds quite well with the cloud on the same side.

[Joanna Carter]

I'm only guessing but, could this be, not a light leak, but simply the sunlight reflecting/refracting into the camera. If you notice, as the sun gets down below the horizon, what I would describe as flare gets less.

[lenser]

Best way I know to check your camera for leaks is to keep the shutter closed, put in a loaded film holder with the dark slide pulled but not removed, and then shine a very bright lamp or flashlight all around the perimeter of the back...top and bottom and side and side. Then flip the holder and repeat with the same technique all around the front standard. Take another holder and repeat the pull but not remove instructions, but put the camera out in the bright sun for several minutes. Label the tabs on the holders to keep track of what you did and then process the film. If you see leaks, you should be able to track whether they are from the front or rear standards where the bellows join, or if the actual film holder is sprung (unlikely since your images are quite sharp), or if there is a leak from elsewhere on the bellows that will show up in the frame that was in the sun.

Good Luck,

Tim