Strange dark patch on the image with my XA?

[SimonK]

The last two or three films I've put through my XA have resulted in a strange dark patch on some of the images (towards the top left corner). I'm tempted to say that it is random, as it is not systematically there all the time, though I guess it is not. I thought at first it was a problem with the lab', but I put a roll of B&W through and had it developed at a different lab' with the same result, but as before only on some of the images, I can only imagine it is linked to aperture. There is nothing to see on the lens or inside the camera through a magnifying glass.

Any ideas or suggestions would be very welcome.

 

[Jack Conrad]

I'm wondering if this is a light leak.

I just dismantled and put back together an XA recently and found a possible light leak issue that might be easily overlooked.

Deep in the film holding well on the right side while the film door is open there is a philips screw that helps hold the front plate onto the camera. It's about a quarter of the way up from the bottom of the camera.

If that screw loosened up a little it's possible that a scant amount of light might get in under the film as it's being wound onto the spool. So as each shot is taken, the film sits there and the longer it sits the more of a light leak occurs.

I'm wondering if the dark spot is a silhouette of the screw.

Check it out. Even if the screw seems tight, it's possible the hole in the plastic body might be reamed a little too wide for the screw to completely fill.

Maybe just take a small piece of black tape and stick it over the screw to eliminate the albeit remote possibility.

Just a thought.

 

[John Hermanson]

Look for a large blob of dirt on the back of the lens. A light leak would be dark patches on the film, light / red / white patch on the final print. John

 

[SimonK]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found the screw you mentioned - it is tight enough but I'll try a film with some black tape over it. I'll try to clean the lens - but it is so tiny it is difficult to get in there.

 

[not_in_good_order]

That reminds me of the way dust looks on a digital sensor at smaller apertures. I would suspect some sort of debris has found its way into your lens.