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Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 3
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 05:42 pm: | 
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I got that sticky aperture fixed on the Oly 35 RC, all the light seals replaced with an Interslice kit and I ran a roll of 200 speed film through it to check it out.
Well, as you can see in this photo I'm getting a vertical white strip. It appears in almost every but not all frames.
Big version on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjornlin/5250475192/
I'm assuming light's getting in but I re-examined my light seal job and compared the geometry of the strip on the negatives to everything that might leak light in the film compartment and I'm stumped. Anyone got any ideas?
This camera is a gift for my wife for Christmas so I'm really hoping I can figure this out soon.
Thanks so much,
Chris |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 14
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 06:40 pm: |
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Questions:
1) What film were you using, store bought, or self loaded?
2) Does the strip show up in the same place on the negative?
3) Does it make a difference if the photo was taken in landscape or portrait mode?
PF |
Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 07:51 pm: |
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Br1078lum,
1) It was Kodak. Bought at the local camera shop. Don't remember the exact type.
2) Strip shows up at the same spot on the negative but all the way accross. That is, it doesn't stop at the edge of the exposed frame. There's also a shape to it that doesn't show up in the cropped scans from the photo shop that developed the film and I don't have a negative scanner.
3) Haven't tried any portrait shots. I can if that information would be helpful.
What are you thinking it might be? |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1118
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 04:23 am: |
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This looks like a light leak at the hinge on the right hand end of the camera. When you did the reseal job, is it possible that you removed the hinge seal and forgot to replace it? |
Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 07:17 am: |
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Rick, I did replace the hinge seal. As far as I can tell the new seal is installed properly.
I exchanged an email with Jon Goodman who sells the seal kit and he suggested that the light leak was likely coming from the front side of the film given that the strip is white and not orange to red or yellow. Given that the strip extends all the way across the negative,, beyond the exposure area, I don't think it could be caused by a leak between the film and the lens.
Thanks for bearing with me as I screw up terminology and struggle through this. I'm new to camera repair (obviously) and appreciate your patience as I come up to speed. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 185
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 08:40 am: |
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What I find interesting is that one edge is very sharp, and the other is fuzzy. Could the fuzzy edge be caused by the seal on the film cartridge?
If it was a foam seal, I wouldn't expect it to look so fuzzy.
Just guessing. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 186
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 08:46 am: |
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I just had a thought...Is there a leak from the top of the camera, around the area of the viewfinder, down into the film chamber? |
Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 08:53 am: |
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Waynemel, I think your on to something.
I just got an email from Jon suggesting that the fuzzy edge might be from the film cartridge and the sharp edge from the pressure plate. That is, the portions of the film under the pressure plate and in the cartridge are protected but the portion between the cartridge seal and the pressure plate is being exposed to a light leak.
That theory gives me something more specific to look for tonight when I get home from work. I might just run through a half roll with that end of the film door taped up and a half roll without it. If the strip goes away on the half roll with that side of the film door taped up then at least I know where the leak is. |
Monopix
Tinkerer
Username: Monopix
Post Number: 179
Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 09:42 am: |
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I often find it helps to put the film back in the camera and look to see if you can align the exposed area with parts of the camera and see what matches up.
If the hard edge of the exposed section aligns with the edge of the pressure plate, that means the light is coming from the back of the film so the pressure plate shades the film. If the light is coming from the front, the pressure plate will have no effect. If the light is coming from the edge then it depends... But this looks too even to be coming from the edge. Hope that makes sense. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 16
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 07:06 pm: |
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Chris, I'm kinda in agreement with the others as to this leak is showing up in the exposed area between the pressure plate and film cartridge. My original queries were to eliminate the possibility of the light strike having happened before the film was loaded into the camera. And sometimes when you hold the camera differently, it may block the leak.
Too thick sealing material, or some of it not seated right may be holding the back open ever so slightly, or the back itself may be bent somewhat. Light leaks from the top of the chamber, as suggested by Wayne, or one side of the back, would result in a fanned out look to the leak. Yours is straight across, and very strong. Is there a film canister window on the back of this camera?
PF |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 872
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - 08:23 am: |
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As Peter has already stated you must reload the film, or at least align a negative in the correct orientation across the film gate, in order to start to resolve this. To do otherwise will only have you running about like a headless chicken.
You should also try and ascertain what is different about the few negatives that you state do not exhibit this problem, ie camera always in shade, length of exposure or even position of rangefinder mechanism at time of exposure. Sounds daft, but the movement of internal mechanisms has been known to allow light through un-blanked holes in certain cameras, especially when DIY has allowed small sealing strips to fall out un-noticed.
Be aware that it is not only the pressure plate that is capable of producing a hard/sharp edge - in some cameras the edges of the film gate, which are actually the rear edges of the sides of the shutter/lens box, will produce a sharp image when stray light enters from the front of the camera body.
I assume that you have already checked the fitment of the camera back - especially the 'extension' that retains the cassette? Whilst this type of back is very useful if one wants to change cassettes wearing boxing gloves, it is prone to damage if the camera is dropped. |
Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - 01:20 pm: |
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Thanks all for the good comments and advice. I didn't get a chance last night to do more investigation but I will tonight and will report back. |
Crookedchris
Tinkerer
Username: Crookedchris
Post Number: 8
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 07:32 am: |
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Bingo! I took a closer look at how the strip ont he negatives lined up inside the camera. The fuzzy edge is definitely the seal on the film canister and the hard edge is not from the pressure plate but another internal feature.
That told me where to look: in the film cartridge side of the film chamber.
The hole was clear as day. The camera came missing one of the bits of hardware that you fasten the camera strap to. The hole that bit of hardware threads into is a through hole so with the hardware missing, light can pour in. I should have noticed that way sooner.
Thanks again for the advice and direction. |
Monopix
Tinkerer
Username: Monopix
Post Number: 182
Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 09:29 am: |
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Another happy customer... :-) |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 873
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 04:22 pm: |
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Yes - and it just goes to show that the simple, logical methods are the ones that bring the quickest solution to problems like this. |
