flare ?

[LChanyungco]

hey guys, this is the second roll through my "newest" M3 and there is this strange purple ghost in most of the shots. i've tried two different lenses (hexanon & summilux) and ive gotten the same result. also the negatives show that the marks extend in between frames. im baffled... my repair tech says its flare but does flare show up in between frames ? is this perhaps mishandling of the negatives by the lab ? is it my shutter ? pardon the mediocre test shots and thanks for your time.

 

[TJV]

looks like either a small hole in the shutter or something of that nature. Both my old M3's has the original shutters and started leaking light like this due to warped curtains and deteriorated light traps. The fogging got worse to the point of it spanning across the entire length of the film. An easy fix for someone like DAG.

 

[Avotius]

hm...looks to be a light leak somewhere in the shutter, doesnt look to be a hole but maybe a bad light trap like said above.

 

[oscroft]

It's in the same place in every shot regardless of the position of the light source, and you get the same with different lenses, so I don't see how it could be flare. And mishandling by the lab would be very unlikely to put the same mark in the same place on every frame.

As the others have suggested, it looks like a light leak in the camera.

 

[Blank288]

(...) As the others have suggested, it looks like a light leak in the camera.

Maybe you could check this by opening the back door and fire + transport the shutter with a bright light source against the lens mount.
Since the flare is extending the frames I would especially suspect the transporting sequence.
Study the light leaks on the negs before you check the shutter and realize that the original upright image is mirrored on the negative. Doing this you can locate the spot where things should go wrong while tripping/transporting the shutter.
For more convenient access you can remove the back door by pushing the small lock-pin on the upper rim.

Good luck!

 

[LChanyungco]

thanks for the help everyone. looks like another expensive and annoying episode in Leica life. stay tuned for more.

 

[Tom A]

I agree with Avotious here. Probably one the metal bars on the shutter curtain. Look at the second curtain, top right with the back door open. The flare has a distinctive edge to it - a burned hole would be more fuzzy at the edge. Also check that you dont have a loose strap-lug on the right hand side of the body (from the back) - that can give a similar fogging.

 

[LChanyungco]

many thanks Tom, your trouble shooting is extremely valuable and highly appreciated !

 

[LChanyungco]

here's a shot of the negative showing the leak spanning the frames.

 

[colyn]

Shutter is not properly capping..

I would suspect one of the curtain lathes is bent which then allows light to enter between the curtain edges..

 

[colyn]

Take the lens off and open the back. Partly advance the shutter to the point where you can see both curtain edges. Turn off the lights and with a small flashlight shine it into the front of the camera while watching the rear. You will probably see light between the curtain capping edges once your eyes are accustomed to the dark..

 

[LChanyungco]

thank you Colyn, i've already sent the camera out but do you know how to fix this ? it could possibly speed repair and turn around. i guess bend the bar back into alignment ? or will it need a new shutter ?