mgc2010 Posted June 16, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 16, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi I know there are many posts regarding possible light leaks but I wonder if anyone can confirm my suspicions from the attached images that this is the problem with my newly acquired 1938 II (D) with Elmar 50mm 3.5. The attached images are all from the first (& only - so far) roll which is Tri-X developed in Rodinal 1+100 for 60 mins. Almost all of the pictures on the roll were affected - except for a few taken indoors in subdued light. The affected area is along the top of the negatives therefore if I'm not mistaken does that mean the baseplate is leaking? Thanks in advance for any help. Colin 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/154440-leica-ii-light-leak/?do=findComment&comment=1704435'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 Hi mgc2010, Take a look here Leica II Light Leak?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
too old to care Posted June 16, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 16, 2011 I am going to throw out a guess here, if it is not leaking through the baseplate, than I think the light must be entering through the film advance. Can you see any problem there? Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted June 16, 2011 Hi Wayne Thanks for your input. However, I've just scanned a second roll of Tri-X which I shot in my Bessa R4M and developed in the tank with the roll from the Leica II and it has exactly the same problem. The films were both part of a 10-pack which I bought and are dated 09/2013. I haven't exposed any of the others yet. Could it be a dud batch?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 16, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 16, 2011 Hi Wayne Thanks for your input. However, I've just scanned a second roll of Tri-X which I shot in my Bessa R4M and developed in the tank with the roll from the Leica II and it has exactly the same problem. The films were both part of a 10-pack which I bought and are dated 09/2013. I haven't exposed any of the others yet. Could it be a dud batch?? Unlikely check your tank, and then if you can't find anything wrong dev a roll, loading in dark and pour in dev in dark and dont switch lght on until after washing and adding fixer. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted June 16, 2011 Thanks Noel If it was a problem with the tank, which has worked perfectly since new a few months ago, would the films (which were both done at the same time) display only a thin strip of overexposed edge along the top edge? Surely if there was a light leak in the tank it would affect one roll from top to bottom before reaching the second one? I don't know. Seems odd to me. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
too old to care Posted June 17, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 17, 2011 I am guessing here. My suggestion was not the film canister, but the camera itself. Since the film advance is on top through the case of the camera to the take up spool, I was thinking that the light seal in the camera may allow light to sneak through it to the exposed film in the camera, not the unexposed film still in the canister. Am I thinking wrong here? Look at the large knob on the attached bootlegged image. Could this be loose or damaged? Or maybe the shutter release? Wayne 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/154440-leica-ii-light-leak/?do=findComment&comment=1704719'>More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted June 17, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi Wayne Good theory but I'm now disregarding the camera as being at fault as another roll of film from the same batch has the same problem & it was exposed in a different camera. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted June 17, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 17, 2011 Hi, Are you sure no one else might have been around and were curious to see what was inside the funny looking tank? It can't be a leak from the camera unless by some very odd coincidence both cameras are faulty, so it points to an error in the processing or - possible but unlikely - damaged film. Are you sure it's not a scanning issue? Does the strip appear on the negatives? (it will look darker than the rest of the negative of course). If you can eliminate a possible scanning error, I'd shoot another roll and process it to see - if it happens again you can be pretty sure it's the film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
too old to care Posted June 17, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 17, 2011 Glad to know that the camera is ok. Let us know what you find, it could be something as simple as not enough solution to cover the film in the canister, and the only time the top portion of the film gets wet is when you agitate it. Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted June 17, 2011 Glad to know that the camera is ok. Let us know what you find, it could be something as simple as not enough solution to cover the film in the canister, and the only time the top portion of the film gets wet is when you agitate it. Wayne I had thought of this at first but as there were 2 spools in the drum (both affected) and the chemical volume was 580ml I don't think this is the problem. I'll have a proper look at the negs later and see if I can rule out the scanning. (thanks Earleygallery) Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted June 17, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 17, 2011 Folks, please pause and think things through a bit more before posting: "Are you sure no one else might have been around and were curious to see what was inside the funny looking tank?" Opening a film tank for even 1/100th of a second would cause far more intense and wide-spread fogging than this (Been there, done that ). Especially with ISO 400 film. I doubt any human can open and close a tank in under 1/2 second, even discounting the reaction time needed to notice the reels are loaded and think "UH-oh!" "it could be something as simple as not enough solution to cover the film in the canister, and the only time the top portion of the film gets wet is when you agitate it." If the edge of the film was underdeveloped (which can indeed happen as described), the film would be LESS dense there and mgc's positive images would have DARK edges, not light. Right? I respect both you guys, but I also think you "rushed to judgement" on this one. __________________ mgc2010 - when looking at the negs, check to see if the film base outside the image area (the sprocket hole area) is darker on the fogged side. Also compare the factory imprints on the film from one side to the other (film name, frame numbers, arrows, etc.). If the base doesn't show fog (darkening) but the numbers are darker on one side than the other, I'd suspect uneven processing. If the base IS fogged or darker, and it's consistent across different cameras, then I'd suspect a problem with the film batch. If you still have any unexposed rolls from your 10-pack, you might check the end-caps on the cassettes. This kind of edge fog shows up sometimes with bulk-loaded rolls in less than perfect cassettes. Less likely but not impossible with factory-loads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted June 17, 2011 Share #12 Posted June 17, 2011 Just trying some lateral thinking Andy, my comment about the tank wasn't meant to be taken literally but - unless it's a scanning problem (more likely) or damaged film (rare but happens) then 'something' happened to the film from canister to developing tank. As suggested the OP should just shoot and process another roll - very carefully. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted June 17, 2011 Hi, Are you sure it's not a scanning issue? Thanks for your help on this Andy. I think James may have solved it though - partly. The negs don't have any signs of darkened edges but what I did notice, especially with the roll from the Leica, is that the images have slightly gone onto the sprocket holes on the lower edge of the strip. This means that there is a gap of about 3mm "bare" along the top edge. This alows the scanner light to shine through and (I think) is causing this problem. Strange it has never happened before now with the other films I've been using. This is my first time with Tri-X. I'll shoot another roll this weekend & see what happens. Thanks for all of your valuable comments. Regards Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted June 18, 2011 Share #14 Posted June 18, 2011 Mmmm - again, with negatives, if there is a leak of scanner light, the leaky area will appear DARK. Because the scanner is reversing the tones from a negative to a positive, light = dark and vice versa in the final image. And in fact that gap you mention is visible - as a thin BLACK line right alongside the foggy white area in each picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJohnE Posted June 18, 2011 Share #15 Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for your help on this Andy. I think James may have solved it though - partly. The negs don't have any signs of darkened edges but what I did notice, especially with the roll from the Leica, is that the images have slightly gone onto the sprocket holes on the lower edge of the strip. This means that there is a gap of about 3mm "bare" along the top edge. This alows the scanner light to shine through and (I think) is causing this problem. Strange it has never happened before now with the other films I've been using. This is my first time with Tri-X. I'll shoot another roll this weekend & see what happens. Thanks for all of your valuable comments. Regards Colin Check Leica Historica section of the forum "Sprocket holes........" re cassette alignment. John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgc2010 Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks John That is a very interesting thread. I'll see how the film which I shot today comes out & possibly try the paper spacer trick if the images are still going onto the sprocket holes. Watch this space... Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhild Posted June 19, 2011 Share #17 Posted June 19, 2011 I´m sure it can´t be the camera. The way the wind-on mechanism is constructed makes it most unlikely to me that any light can enter through there. The film window could be more likely as this is a not so light tight part of the old screwmounts.But if that would be true the overexposed part of the neg would look different, much more overexposed. However, following the discussion, there seems something to be wrong with the film/canisters itself. Jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 19, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 19, 2011 Glad to know that the camera is ok. Let us know what you find, it could be something as simple as not enough solution to cover the film in the canister, and the only time the top portion of the film gets wet is when you agitate it. Wayne That would cause a dark area in the print (under-developed, less dense area on negative). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
too old to care Posted June 19, 2011 Share #19 Posted June 19, 2011 That would cause a dark area in the print (under-developed, less dense area on negative). Yes, been told that. Thanks, I guess I an not too old to learn something. I guess I have been away from film too long. Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 19, 2011 Share #20 Posted June 19, 2011 Thanks Noel If it was a problem with the tank, which has worked perfectly since new a few months ago, would the films (which were both done at the same time) display only a thin strip of overexposed edge along the top edge? Surely if there was a light leak in the tank it would affect one roll from top to bottom before reaching the second one? I don't know. Seems odd to me. Colin Hi Do you mean it is a 120 capable tank and you had two reels in it? And the film from the other camera is the same? If so dev a cassette without loading it into a camera. It is necessary to look at the film rather than scanning for a print as the rebates will have information beyond the edge of the print. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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