Image of Light Leak on Rollei 2.8

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topaz

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Hello all. I bought a used Rollei 2.8C recently from an auction site. The Xenotar glass is so perfect. Being rather busy with work these days, I decided to send it to Harry for overhaul. He did an excellent job on the shutter rebuild. Also, the transport is like butter now after his work. He aligned and cleaned everything, and noting aberration with the back, he charged a small fee to straighten it. It took two months. After receiving it two weeks back, I ran my first two rolls. Tmax 100. Unfortunately I have a light leak. I emailed Harry an image of the leak. He advised me to send the camera to him for an estimate on repair. Nice man. But sorry, I can't spend any more than the $412 already spent with him. I am going to post the scan of the neg here. Leak is seen on the left of image as a long rectangle. Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for some advice. Robert
 
On the left of the image, there is a bar of rectangular light. Where the small gear intersects the larger one. This is on every image shot, whether overexposed like this one, or exposed correctly.
The same rectangular shape, especially when camera front faces light source
 
Ok i see it now, at first i saw it as a piece of metal.
Now that you know where the leak is it should be possible to find the problem on the seal. I have film in both of mine now so i can't open and make any good recomendations.
 
The leak is in the exact same place each time. Knowing that the image meets the film plane upside down and reversed, I placed the negative in that position and marked it. Today I will tape the back and shoot, to see if this is coming from the back.
 
topaz said:
The leak is in the exact same place each time. Knowing that the image meets the film plane upside down and reversed, I placed the negative in that position and marked it. Today I will tape the back and shoot, to see if this is coming from the back.
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Does the dark (on the neg) fogging extent past the edge of the image? if not, then it isn't light coming in though the back.
 
Also look at the film on either side of the film gate itself. Many times the leak happens when the film is coming off the feed spool or ont othe take-up spool but not in the film gate itself.

Check that there are all four screws holding the focus hood in place. And that each film spool knob has three screws. Look inside the back to check for any holes that could be letting light in. The crispness of the rectangle makes me think that the leak could be very close to the film.

Open the back and put the focus at the closest setting- most extended. The 2.8C has a cloth bellows around the back of the lens. See if this looks to be in decent shape. If Fleenor did a focus overhaul or shutter overhaul, the bellows would have been removed and should have been checked over. But maybe they missed a pinhole. Well, as mentioned above, if the leak extends outside of the image area then it wouldn't be from the bellows.

Good luck. Be methodical. Light leaks can drive you crazy.
 
Dan Daniel said:
...
Good luck. Be methodical. Light leaks can drive you crazy.
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Agreed, though I would have said "will drive you crazy".

If tracking down this evil menace becomes difficult, try this:

  1. Load the camera but once you close the back move the camera into total darkness.
  2. Wind and fire up to roughly frame 3
  3. Move the camera into bright light and take one somewhat underexposed picture but DO NOT WIND the film afterward.
  4. Once back in the dark, wind and fire through the rest of the roll.
When you process the film cut a strip leaving at least one frame's worth of clear film on either side of the one exposed frame. You can no align this one frame with the film gate and see exactly where the leak is occurring.
 
Before going through the roll of film and blank frames, which is a good way to help locate leaks, you can put the film already exposed back in the camera as if it was loaded. Just put frames with the leak in the proper orientation as if they are coming off the source spool and going onto the take-up spool.
 
Thanks so much for these responses. I will methodically go through and check. The leak , bleeds half way through out of the image to the acetate outside the image. However, it is strongest in the very middle of the rectangular bar. I will report back once I have checked some of these possibilities from the list.
 
You could me also try shooting a roll of color film. The leak will be tinted red/orange if it's hitting the back of the film and will be white if it's coming from the front.
 
Brian Legge said:
You could me also try shooting a roll of color film. The leak will be tinted red/orange if it's hitting the back of the film and will be white if it's coming from the front.
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120 film = not much chance of light hitting from the back?

Here's the result of me chasing down a leak in a 2.8C-
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106282&highlight=light+leak+2.8c
It still makes no sense to me or anyone else, yet the baffle is the only solution that worked. Your leak in on the wind side of the camera, so pay attention to the interior of the camera on that side. Also check the feet and the tripod socket. Feet can get bent enough to break the aluminum. Tripod socket is shallow and can be cracked with too long a screw.
 
So, today I will experiment. The leak is within the frame. Had some bleed over outside of frame I think due to slight overdevelopment. I have taped the whole back after loading last night. I will place camera in leather case also., then shoot at various angles to the sun. I will remove that film, and then try the firing 3 in the darkroom, one in bright light , then fire off rest in darkroom. I will develop those rolls today. I looked at the bellows material and there are kinks, it is not smooth. I will post a pic later. I will use a very bright flashlight in the darkroom also, and then, yes, the plastic canister piece up in the viewing area. I have a piece right here. Should have a better idea after these tests today. Will post.
I appreciate all the ideas.
 
Well, I tried a few things today with the Rollei. I loaded the camera last night. I applied black tape along all edges of the back, including where the clasp is, in front. I then placed the camera in the leather case. This morning I experimented. (please excuse that some of the images are not horizontally parallel as I was not composing the images, just shooting). I took 4 images, shading the camera from the sun, 4 unshaded, and 4, camera shaded, with a 52mm orange filter, using a bay3 mount adapter.The 1st was good, no issue. The second(11) towards the sun, big issue, however, same position, camera unshaded, no issue. Two of the last set of 4 with the filter, the light showed again.(10) Not consistent. I will post the 3 images with the leak apparent, and a shot of the bellows too. I am beginning to think I will try shielding the ground glass as was suggested, Otherwise bellows perhaps?
Also, I loaded the camera, and in the darkroom, light out, advanced 3, went outside, and shot the wall, away from the sun, very bright white though. Went back in to the darkroom, and advanced 3, then, with lens caps on, I shone a bright flashlight down to the groundglass, then to one side of the back, then the other, and bottom. All shot caps on, light against the back seams,and finished the roll Nothing at all. Even the image outside was clean. Inconsistent.
 
If you put the film in the camera, and have the leak mark on the ffilm just coming off of the feed spool- lower chamber- and another frame aligned in the opening, does the leak fall just ahead of the Automat rollers?

Reminder, feet and tripod socket checked for cracks?

Inside the lens area, on each side should be the end of a small bolt just poking out along each side wall. Just about where your leak is if the film was lined up there?

You can try the baffle on the viewing lens like I did. But my leak was so much more diffuse than yours. The crispness of your leak is a significant clue, I just don't kow how to read it.
 
I had the same light leak a couple years ago when I got my Rolleiflex E3 with Xenotar 3.5 back from the other noted Rollei repairman (on the East Coast). I discovered after much examination and pattern mapping that the light leak came from a missing screw in the vicinity of the take up spool, the inner wall of that chamber. After I saw the missing screw hole I put a small piece of electrical tape over this screw hole and that solved the mystery. I related my finding to the noted Rollei repairman and he quickly sent me two or three different sized screws for Rolleiflex. I was so happy my repair worked I have yet to replace the screw (I still have all the screws he sent me in the envelope in a place a see every day so I know where they are). Hope that helps. I keep wanting to believe that in shipping from the repairman, the screw vibrated out and got lost.
 
I really appreciate all of your replies. So, the back looks good no cracks. I could also take the back of of my $108 beater,(works well though) and it will fit right on. Now to the meat and potatoes. Yes, when the film is inserted, and negative lined up with the camera frame, the light leak image/neg (now coming off film spool,) is just at the roller which senses the film to set counter in motion.
Also, there are 3 screws in the take up area. I see some slight damage to the threads on the right, minor, but ragged. The screws/bolts are there. The light leak area is exactly where the ragged worn area is. Exactly there.
So I may try some electrical tape there, and what should I be looking for in the area of the sensing spool? Or, what would this signify. Thanks in advance for your replies gentlemen.
 
So you have an idea, in the Automat film sensor area, look at the wind side. You'll see a black lever, sort of a foot-shaped thing. If you push that toward the front of the camera, you'll see the lower silver roller raise up. This is the film sensor. That area where the black lever comes through has two different light baffles- a cast piece that tucks into a nd around the lever and opening, and a brass sheep that sits just under the side panel itself. O nlater Rolleis, there is sometimes another layer of metal sealing off this earea.

All of this tells me that Rollei saw this as a problem area. Look at the leather on the wind side of the camera at the bottom. Is it in place? Lifting or torn? In my leak hunt I ended up sealing this area isnide and out without any effect. But as Stewart says, your light leak is from some sort of point source.

Well, if interior taping doesn't work, try blacking the bottom part of the wind side.

And then just because it worked for me after everything else failed, put a baffle on the viewing lens to reduce light bouncing around? Makes no sense, but it worked. Light comes down through the focus screen and there are amny openings for light to move into the side areas of the camera. And from there fid its way... oh geez, it really doesn't seem reasonable, I know....
 
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