Is my Electro 35 leaking light?

ywenz

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This came out of my first roll. There were quite a few instances of the white mark that covers the entire width of the film. Looks like light leak to me. Can you confirm?
 
"the entire width of the film". You mean the entire roll, or just the frame, across the frame (not across the whole roll) only? If it's on every frame, just like above, then you may very well have a light leak, but I don't know how though, for the shutter does not "travel" side to side, but opens and closes as an iris.

You may have a bad light seal. I'd ask Dave (greyhoundman).
 
the entire width of the film meaning the height of a frame when looking at it in landscape orientation. It's not showing this on every single frame though.. Perhaps the back door is not closing tightly and whenever I didn't apply enough pressure on the door, light was let in?
 
Use a few layer of dark colour plastic tape to seal those potential light leaking gaps after you have loaded a roll of film then do a test roll and you will konw if it is leaking.

It might still leak a bit even after taped but you can take the tape off after say 15 exposures to contrast the differences and hence determine if it is letting light in.
 
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It might be a light leak. If so, I can send you a kit + some instructions specifically for that camera to fix it for only $6...but before we decide that is what the trouble is, here are some important things to remember:

1) please remember the image is always "flipped" when imprinted onto the film. So, damage at the bottom of a developed picture took place at the top of the camera, right is left, etc.

2) light striking the back side of color film will make a damage mark that is yellowish, reddish or orange...every time.

3) light striking the front side of color film will make a damage mark that is grayish to white (exactly like an overexposed condition).

4) be careful to notice if the damage extends all the way to the end of the film...past the sprocket holes. If it doesn't, look first to a faulty shutter instead of a light leak.

5) the most common place a camera will leak light is at the hinge seal, followed by the long thin slots at the top and bottom of the film door, and lastly followed by the latch end.

Good luck...please let us know what your detective work reveals.
Best regards,
Jon Goodman
 
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