Hasselblad SWC light leak issue

[Larry Kellogg]

Hello,
I know this is not technically a rangefinder, but was wondering if people could help me. I recently bought a mint condition Hasselblad SWC/M, a SuperWide. The back of the camera where the back attaches is in great condition, not banged up like the ones where people slam the backs on the camera.

Unfortunately, I seem to have a light leak problem. The back does seem kind of loose to me. At first, I thought the lens was flaring in bright sunlight but it seems to be more than that, as the flare is in the same place, and shows up even in scenes that are not in sunlight, like the street scene.

Please see these pictures:

Thoughts?

Larry

 

[bobbyrab]

Do you know anyone you could borrow a film back from, the light trap for the backs dark slide is the most likely culprit, the foam that keeps it light tight does eventually lose it's powers of recovery and has to be replaced. Diy Kits available on eBay.

 

[johannielscom]

New light seals on the back is what you need. The back probably has been stored for years with the darkslide in it, as a result the seals aren't sealing 😉 when you remove the slide.

It can be a DIY job, not very difficult. There's a Flickr discussion that describes it in detail, I found it through Google.

Happy shooting!

 

[Larry Kellogg]

Thanks guys, you're probably right. I'll try to test with another back.

The back moves a little, side to side, is that normal? Is there a way to tighten up that connection?

 

[gbealnz]

Agree with the above. If you suspect the seals where the slide goes, take the slide out and tape up the slot. Try it in sun, then take the tape off.
Gary