M6 light leak?

[nick110776]

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Recently purchased a classic M6 and got my first few tolls of film processed. In some photos, I find blue streaks of light that always appear in the same area. wondering if this is light leak?

If yes, any idea where is it coming from and how to fix? It's giving me nightmares. Thanks

 

Photos attached

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0ihecog7roinzzh/AADBdDF0E9DcUe8l8BmDnrbZa?dl=0

Edited April 23, 2016 by nick110776

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[tobey bilek]

You are going to have to hunt & experiment.

 

Could be a reflection from a filter

 

Could be a hole in shutter curtain or another place in the body.   Sit in a dark room with camera back removed ( hinge pin top left).  Shine a light around to see of you see hole in shutter, but first and second.  Look around the film advance and shutter dial.

 

Last put some black tape around the back door and see if you can recreate the problem in bright sun keep your hand away from points of entry,  Remove tape and try without.  

 

Shutter curtain holes can be patched if small.   Anything else is pro help.

 

And buy a proper lens shade if you do not have one.

[AAK]

Recently purchased a classic M6 and got my first few tolls of film processed. In some photos, I find blue streaks of light that always appear in the same area. wondering if this is light leak?

If yes, any idea where is it coming from and how to fix? It's giving me nightmares. Thanks

 

Photos attached

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0ihecog7roinzzh/AADBdDF0E9DcUe8l8BmDnrbZa?dl=0

The spot seems to move position, which I don't think is consistent with a pinhole light leak in the curtain.

[LocalHero1953]

What film is that? The last time I used film (more than a decade ago) light leaks were orange.

[adan]

Check the rewind lever (the clutch lever marked "R" on the front of the camera, not the crank on top!). It may not be flush and tight over the hole there in the camera body.

 

I had an M4-2 leak light through there due to a loose-fitting lever - light hit the film post-winding as it lay across the gap between the film sprocket and film takeup fork. Intensity of the spot varied with how long the film sat there before the next wind-on.

[adan]

What film is that? The last time I used film (more than a decade ago) light leaks were orange.

 

Well, leaked light doesn't carry around a special orange filter in its pocket. It should produce a spot the same color as the light source - i.e. if it is sunlight, it should produce a white spot. If the leak occurred while the camera was in shade, it may be more bluish.

 

However, leaks through the back of the film (i.e. through the slits around the back door on an M, or through the film-cassette window on the back of an R) will pick up a tint (usually orange) because the light is going through the film backwards, and picks up orange from the (usually) brownish-colored backing on color film.

 

http://www.tuexperto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/carrete.jpg

 

And if the leak is tungsten indoor light, that can be orange also. Although indoor light is usually pretty dim, and takes longer to produce a spot.

 

However - it is a good diagnostic point. Since these spots are not orange, IF they are leaks, the leak is not through the film base or the camera back, but through a shutter pinhole, or some other source from the front of the camera.

Edited April 25, 2016 by adan

[Guest NBF]

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Well, leaked light doesn't carry around a special orange filter in its pocket. It should produce a spot the same color as the light source - i.e. if it is sunlight, it should produce a white spot. If the leak occurred while the camera was in shade, it may be more bluish.

 

However, leaks through the back of the film (i.e. through the slits around the back door on an M, or through the film-cassette window on the back of an R) will pick up a tint (usually orange) because the light is going through the film backwards, and picks up orange from the (usually) brownish-colored backing on color film.

 

http://www.tuexperto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/carrete.jpg

 

And if the leak is tungsten indoor light, that can be orange also. Although indoor light is usually pretty dim, and takes longer to produce a spot.

 

However - it is a good diagnostic point. Since these spots are not orange, IF they are leaks, the leak is not through the film base or the camera back, but through a shutter pinhole, or some other source from the front of the camera.

Thank you so much for the competent explanation! This erases some possible causes for my light leak as well. 

Mine are blue / white (from sunlight), too. Though much larger stripes, not dots, like in the previous case. I guess they occur when I reload and walk around in bright day for some time. I tried to look through the shutter curtain from behind, shining a strong lightsource from the front - nothing! It's totally black. Next I watched the rewind "R" lever, not sure what you meant, but it looks flush to me. 

 

What else can I do? I "believe" whenever I carry my M6 on my body, instead of my hand, there's less leak. But that would oppose your theory.  

 

[Guest NBF]

No suggestions? 

[skucera]

You didn't answer the all-important question about what type of film that you're using.  Is it negative film, or slide film?

 

If it is negative film, then some orange substance shaded your exposure in the two bluish foggy bands.  If it is slide film, then extra blue light exposed the film in those foggy bluish bands.  What could that have been? 

 

Or, assuming it's negative film, have you checked if the film substrate is of uniform thickness?  If it is slide film, were exposures before and after also affected that way?  The explanation might be from uneven manufacturing tolerances of the film itself, or from uneven processing at your lab.  It's difficult to determine without seeing the negatives or slides.

 

Scott

[Marwin3000]

I had the same exact problem on my M6 Classic.

 

I sent it in for a CLA. I was told there was no light leak, and the only problem with the camera was the slow shutter speeds. So could be that. The problem disappeared after the CLA.

 

I was told by the repair man that there is a common light leakage problem with the early M6's. Apparently there's some problems with the sealing around the circuit that goes to the back door electrical contacts. On later M6's this is adressed by Leica with a light seal.

[Guest NBF]

You didn't answer the all-important question about what type of film that you're using.  Is it negative film, or slide film?

 

If it is negative film, then some orange substance shaded your exposure in the two bluish foggy bands.  If it is slide film, then extra blue light exposed the film in those foggy bluish bands.  What could that have been? 

 

Or, assuming it's negative film, have you checked if the film substrate is of uniform thickness?  If it is slide film, were exposures before and after also affected that way?  The explanation might be from uneven manufacturing tolerances of the film itself, or from uneven processing at your lab.  It's difficult to determine without seeing the negatives or slides.

 

Scott

Are you talking to me or to the OP? If so, OP linked a lot of sample photos. It looks like OP was using negative film, as do I, exclusively. 

Anyway, I find your explanations about the manufacturing tolerances highly improbable. The lab explanation makes more sense but I didn't get the blue leaks on the shots with my other cameras. 

 

What Marwin3000 said makes absolutely more sense, since I have an early M6, too. 

[TomB_tx]

I got an early M6 in 1985, and within a few years I did have the occasional blue streak light leak. Life then got very busy, and I mainly went back to my M4 for RF use. Then the battery leaked in the M6 and caused other issues. Much later I had it serviced, replacing the meter circuit, curtain brake, etc - and no more blue streaks. I assumed it must have been the curtain brake, but it sounds like the early M6 light leak.

I also just had DAG upgrade the finder with the flare fix and multicoated windows, and he did some lubing  and adjusting, and it is like new again. One advantage of so little use for so long, is that it looks new also!

[callmedave]

Did your light leak look like this? I'm desperately trying to find the cause of my leak on Early M6 classic

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Never mind I was able to see your photos. How did you get yours gixed?

Edited December 15, 2017 by callmedave

[Subiluru]

On 12/15/2017 at 5:51 PM, callmedave said:

Did your light leak look like this? I'm desperately trying to find the cause of my leak on Early M6 classic

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I have very similar light leaks. I'm sure such leakage is after the exposure once the frame has been shifted to the right and I've been away from shooting for a long while. If I take another picture at once - there is no leakage.
 

 

 

Any idea of the source of the leak?
This is negative and leica m6 from 1986

Edited June 27, 2023 by Subiluru