Keith (M) Posted December 8, 2012 Share #1 Posted December 8, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have put four b&w films (self-processed) through my 1957 IIIg and 1951 Elmar 5cm f3.5 pairing, with excellent results. Today I received the negs of my first roll of colour film (Fuji Superior X-Tra 400) from AG Photo Lab. It is disconcerting to find twenty frames exhibiting what might either be flare or a processing error - I know not which! First example is real flare and no surprise why. Second is the worst example and as can be seen from the shadows, the sun is behind me. Example three is without any sign of the problem. Obviously I do not have a lens-hood. All shots are from the same roll. Is the middle image and the other similar ones due to a processing error or what? All answers gratefully accepted! Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/193703-5cm-elmar-flare-or-processing-error/?do=findComment&comment=2185062'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 8, 2012 Posted December 8, 2012 Hi Keith (M), Take a look here 5cm Elmar - Flare or Processing Error. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
UliWer Posted December 8, 2012 Share #2 Posted December 8, 2012 While the first example looks like what you have to expect from an Elmar - a lens rather flare resistant - the second gives me the idea of the camera suffering from a light leak. May be the film got some light when it was handled outside the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted December 9, 2012 Share #3 Posted December 9, 2012 Keith I agree with Uli. To me what you're seeing in the second image appears consistent with a light leak. Many years ago I had a similar issue with my Contax G2 new out of the box. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted December 9, 2012 Share #4 Posted December 9, 2012 Did you maybe leave the uncapped lens facing a bright light and the shutter has leaked? Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted December 9, 2012 Thanks for the feedback. Examining the negs more closely, it does begin to look like light leakage. The image below shows the worst frame (21 - the second image in my original post) and the frames either side, No. 20 being portrait orientation. Frames 20 & 22 are affected but to a lesser extent. The puzzle is that not every frame is affected e.g. No. 1 is not, No. 2 slightly, No. 3 not. Similarly with camera orientation, some portrait are, others not and ditto for landscape. I guess I will just have to run another roll through and see how that comes out. PS - Mods, if this would be better placed in a different forum, please move it - thanks. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/193703-5cm-elmar-flare-or-processing-error/?do=findComment&comment=2185539'>More sharing options...
pop Posted December 9, 2012 Share #6 Posted December 9, 2012 This looks like light entering the camera from the bottom. It seems to be camera related as the area which is exposed occurs at the same place relative to each frame, if the pattern holds true for a longer part of the film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted December 9, 2012 Share #7 Posted December 9, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Can you see where the sprocket hole's have masked the film as it is wound, showing a sequence of dark overlapping rectangle's. This suggests to me that the light leak is from the film chamber on the take up side of the camera (the right). Perhaps check the tripod bush hasn't been popped, although I've only heard of Rollei's that can have that problem, but somebody may have tried to force an extra long screw in there. The variability of the leak could be due to the times when the camera goes more quickly back into the bag, or how you hold it etc. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted December 9, 2012 Share #8 Posted December 9, 2012 Odd. I wouldn't rule out a light leak during the processing stage. I think you need to 'waste' a film, load as usual and expose all frames subjecting the camera to bright light in all directions (and keep notes of each frame). Get the film processed and see what you find.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share #9 Posted December 9, 2012 Thank you both for the suggestions. Apart from during the loading and unloading processes, the camera was in a Mr Zhou half-case all the time. I'll unload the new film and check the camera base etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share #10 Posted December 9, 2012 Odd. I wouldn't rule out a light leak during the processing stage. I think you need to 'waste' a film, load as usual and expose all frames subjecting the camera to bright light in all directions (and keep notes of each frame). Get the film processed and see what you find.... Thanks. Our posts crossed in the ether. There does not seem to be a pattern in terms of the sequence of affected frames. When I rewound the film I rewound the leader all the way in and when I posted it I used AG Labs mailer without putting the cassette in a plastic tub. When light leakage was first suggested, I did vaguely wonder if the cassette had perhaps been 'squished' in the mail and perhaps the light-trap slightly affected. Anyway, I''ll unload, check the base and if there is nothing obvious, pop the film back in and use the roll as suggested. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted December 10, 2012 Share #11 Posted December 10, 2012 I did vaguely wonder if the cassette had perhaps been 'squished' in the mail and perhaps the light-trap slightly affected. If it was that, one would expect the effect to be strongest at the beginning of the film, declining to little or nothing by the end, which doesn't fit with frame 21 being worst affected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted December 10, 2012 Share #12 Posted December 10, 2012 Maybe there's something wrong with the camera's back or bottom plate, and the leaking depends on how you grab and hold the camera when shooting or when winding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share #13 Posted December 10, 2012 Thanks for further comments. Prior to receiving the film back from the Lab, I had loaded another colour-neg roll. Have now replaced this with a roll of Tri-X which I will dev at home, so that I will have the test result rather more quickly than having to send it off to a Lab (Christmas post and all that). No visible problem with the camera's base-plate. Will update the thread when the test is complete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted December 11, 2012 Well, I ventured forth Mon afternoon in similar conditions to when I shot the colour film (i.e. bright early afternoon sunshine). Finished off the film this morning, developed it and have just taken it from the shower cubicle. Bummer! A small number of frames are affected and the attached image of the leader shows the typical areas. The other frames are Nos 4 and 7. The colour film had 30% frames affected. At the risk of embarrassing myself, I have just looked at the films previously put through the camera and found that the last one (April) has 50% affected. In my defence, at the time and in my ignorance, I put this down to something going wrong when I developed it. Films previous to that are OK. The consensus seems to indicate a light-leak from the base, but I cannot see any likely light-path. I did notice that the number engraved in the base-plate is different to the camera ser. number. Below are some images of the base plate etc. If anyone can point a finger at a potential culprit, please do so! Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/193703-5cm-elmar-flare-or-processing-error/?do=findComment&comment=2187330'>More sharing options...
pop Posted December 11, 2012 Share #15 Posted December 11, 2012 What I find striking are the ghosts of the perforation. They are more visible on the color film than on the B/W one, but they are there. This would lead me to suspect the environment of the take-up spool. I think there is light entering such that the film blocks the light while the perforated holes let it pass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted December 11, 2012 Share #16 Posted December 11, 2012 May be you need to have your camera checked about the shutter speeds may be some are not accurate and have some fadding causing in some place a surexposition by beeing braked during the course of the curtains .... just my opinion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted December 11, 2012 Share #17 Posted December 11, 2012 The self timer lever sits just about where I would mount a lamp if I wanted it to shine onto the take-up spool for the effects we observe. Is there any chance at all of any light entering there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted December 11, 2012 Share #18 Posted December 11, 2012 Keith, Having eliminated a processing error, can I suggest you load another film, inside and in lowish light (you don't need to waste it all). Use a flash gun and 'expose' a few frames by pointing the flash at close range at various points of the camera, the base plate, the film advance knob, the viewfinder and in the lens throat. That should then tell you where the light is entering. Almost certainly a repair is required but at least you should be able to pinpoint the issue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted December 12, 2012 Share #19 Posted December 12, 2012 LOT of years ago I had a similar problem with my IIIg of that times, which looked a perfect item but had been serviced, probably by local lab(s) : at the end, it was indeed a problem related to the baseplate (but it was not the standard one... it had the Leicavit device)... an issue of light leaks in certain points... which depended on position of light source, small plays of reflections etc... at the end, I find a very experienced lab which fixed the issue with a well made "reshape" of the matching surfaces of the body-baseplate. Looking at your negs, I cannot be sure is the SAME problem as mine... ... my "light stripes" were thinner and, also, not always in the same position along the neg's border....they "wandered" along a 15mm about length, where , in the lab's opinion, some unperfect repair/maintenance had been previously made... In the usual act of mounting/dismounting the base for film loading I did not notice any issue/play or so... but indeed the problem was there... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted December 12, 2012 Share #20 Posted December 12, 2012 If I had this base plate in hand I would repaint with mate black, using a Q tip, all this shining part of the base plate..... and it looks also but may be it is rhe picture that this base plate is not straight on the part that is on top on the picture check with a marble or a metal rule Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/193703-5cm-elmar-flare-or-processing-error/?do=findComment&comment=2187994'>More sharing options...
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