Is it a camera light leak?

[arseniii]

I found two negatives next to each other that have this strange dark stripe on their sides. I am trying to figure out if this is coming from a bad agitation/development or a camera light leak. I cannot seem to find any other shots on this roll, (nor other rolls) that has similar issue. The camera is a Leica so the shutter traveled along the stripe line. May be only a certain light situation causes it... What else could it be?

Your help/ideas are appreciated!

Thank you

 

[Bill Clark]

Just my 2 cents.

Is the shutter traveling vertically or horizontally with reference to this photo?

Looks like shutter could need a CLA. I had this on a Leica IIIF and noticed it even more when turning the camera vertically.

W/O film, try taking the lens off, wind the camera, press the shutter button. Try this at slower speeds. Does it slow down more as the curtains near the end of travel?

I had mine worked on by Youxin Ye and he was very prompt with service. I had a CLA, new shutter curtains and new beam splitter installed. Camera is due at my door any moment! Took USPS a wee bit longer because of the weather.

Take a peek at Youxins site:

http://www.yyecamera.com/

If the shutter is traveling top to bottom of this photo or botton to top this may not be the issue.

Hope this helps you.

 

[arseniii]

Thanks for the input Bill.

In my case I don't remember which way I held the camera ( I am bidirectional) but the shutter traveled either from top to the bottom or from bottom to the top. Either way I cannot imagine what with the shutter could cause such an even overexposure

 

[rodinal]

The stripe is underexposed, so no light leak.
Do you remember if these shots used a high shutter speed?
At higher speeds the slit width of the shutter is minimal, so any imperfection (or debris) on the border of the curtains will produce an exposure unevenness.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Not a leak, definitely, but I don't know what it is. I've seen leaks and this isn't one.

 

[Roma]

Doesn't appear to be a leak. I would go through a new roll of film with a couple of shots at different shutter speeds and see if there is any consistency.

 

[Steve M.]

Since the problem isn't left to right (the way the shutter travels) and is darker than the rest of the shot (leaves out a light leak problem), about all that's left is a developing issue or a bad roll of film. I wonder if you had enough developer/fixer in the tank?

 

[arseniii]

Thank you guys for your help!

I am definitly considering a shutter issue, will email my tech to see what he thinks about it.

It could be not enought developer/fixer but then wouldn't it show all across the whole role?

Those curious to find out stay tunned!

I will go through a test roll nowish...

 

[arseniii]

It doesn't appear to be a camera issue. the test roll came out just fine at all speeds. Most likely the film was defective or I screwed something up during the development process.

 

[rodinal]

It is very unlikely that a development problem (or a manufacturing defect) affects just two frames of an entire roll, as you informed in your original posting.

If the problem didn't show in your last roll, that's great news, but test a little more and make sure there is nothing extraneous inside the camera.

 

[Steve M.]

Oops, I didn't see that the problem is on only two of your negs. True, it would be doubtful that it's a development issue in that case. You'll have to reshoot another roll (from another source) and see if it repeats.

 

[j j]

It looks very much like a development issue: not filling the tank fully or putting several rolls through and losing some of the developer leaves similar results to this. Is it possible that the effect is there on the other frames but the subject/content makes it harder to see?

 

[Bill Clark]

Yes, I agree it maybe a development/agitation issue.

Since the shutter curtains travel in horizontal, to be a shutter problem the line would need to go along the vertical
part of the frame.

For my Paterson tank it states 290 ml(cc) are need for 35mm film. I use D-76 1+1. So I take 200 ml of stock, add 200 ml of water for a total of 400 ml. It's a little more but I've got plenty of D-76.

Hope this helps you.

 

[johnamazement]

I had a similar problem with my M4-P which may be related to yours especially if the dark band appears at faster shutter speeds. See this thread for the solution in my case.

 

[Ronald M]

if it extends between frames, the light shields around the shutter need repair. This shows intermittently.

If not, you did not have the film fully covered with developer in tank.