Is this a light leak on my M2?

[analogish]

8 pictures of my last roll show a mysterious light leak that overlaps over two prictures. The other pictures are ok and don't show any anomalies.

Is this a light leak, or is it possible that something happend in the lab during processing?

 

[brusby]

Hmmm, that's an odd one. I'd guess light leak in camera as the most likely way that same pattern could be caused in four sets of images and occurring in exactly the same position. Most probably the leak is in the upper right hand corner of rear flap when looking at the rear of the camera facing forward - cause the image would be inverted top to bottom and left to right.

I can't imagine any way in processing that the anomaly would occur in the same position over several frames.

What's strange is the brightest part of the leak is in the four images on the right, nearest the vertical line. So the leak must be strongest there at some vertical mask in or associated with the rear flap.. Then there's a gradient pattern, more pronounced in the top two pair of images, flowing up and to the left where the light falls off.

The pattern is the same and in the same position for all images on the right, and a different pattern is shared by all images on the left. Seems most likely the right image was in the taking position and the adjacent left image was next to it.

What's perplexing is the vertical line doesn't look perfectly vertical, as I'd expect from a light leak around the rear flap, but seems slanted. But on closer inspection, maybe it's just an illusion cause the bottom part seems almost purely vertical and the top part veers off to the upper right.

 

[analogish]

The pictures are 5 & 6 (row 1), 36 & 37 (row 2), 27 & 28 (row 3), 25 & 26 (row 4). So the order I took them is always left to right.

I walked around in the city and there are about 10 - 20 Minutes between each picture. However, the light leak looks very consistent as if it is one piece or leaked in one moment (in my opinion).

 

[Pál_K]

Looking at the negatives, does the leak extend outside the image frame?

 

[brusby]

I'd expect to see the light leak extend between the two adjacent images.

 

[brusby]

Thinking about it a bit more, the edge of the rear flap is probably not above the image in the taking position, but farther out to the side, above the next image up. So, probably the left images above are in the taking position and the right images above are next in line, to the left of it, but underneath the edge of the flap, hence the vertical line. I think that would comport with the numbering scheme you mentioned.

But then the leak would be top left corner as viewed from rear of camera. Just imagine each pair above rotated 180 degrees clockwise.

 

[analogish]

@Pál_K & @brusby : the leak is consistent between the pictures. It forms a triangle.

The pictures in my initial post show single scans, not the film.

(I don't have a light table so I used the screen of my Macbook as a workaround)



So the leak happens when I advance the film?

I cannot remember if I had the lens cap on or off when I advanced.

The base plate and the backdoor are sitting tight, there is no "rattling" or whatever, the camera is in a "like new" condition. Everything "feels" the same as with my MP.

Only 8 out of 37 pictures show this leak.

Thank you for all the answers so far!

 

[JSteed#2]

I have made every mistake at least once. One lesson learned: Make sure that the camera bottom is completely flush with the body after loading. Otherwise.....light leaks. Don't know if this fixes your problem, but hope it does.

 

[brusby]

So, that pretty much confirms that each pair of negatives received the light leak at the same time or at least from the same leaking source.

But what doesn't make sense about a rear flap light leak is the position of the leak vertically. It's closer to the middle of the frame than the edge. That seems inconsistent with a rear flap leak which would tend to be at the periphery of the frame - unless the leak occurred when winding the film. This seems like it could be something like shutter curtains that are becoming threadbare and passing intense light such as when your lens is pointed at the sun or other very bright source.

Or maybe the act of winding the film is slightly warping the body and opening the rear flap just enough to let some light in.

Sorry, don't mean to ramble, just discussing possibilities.

 

[Saganich]

I would test the backdoor first by using electrical tape to seal it up and see if that remediates the issue. If not then check leaking from rangefinder windows with a flashlight in the dark; shutter on B. The M2 RF light baffles are known to disappear.

 

[maddoc]

I would test the camera with removed lens and back door. Hold the lens mount as close as possible to one eye, point the camera against a bright light source and fire the shutter at different speeds. To me its look like as if the shutter curtains occasionally separate slightly when winding on.

 

[analogish]

Thank you for all the answers, they are all helpful.

I found this post, this light leak looks similar to mine (from my point of view): Strange Light Leak

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Is this a light leak ...

Yes, it's a light leak through the rangefinder assembly. This is a rare but known issue with M2's.

Post #15 by Larry Cloetta (with pics from Don Golberg) in this thread explains the problem: M2 light leak

 

[Freakscene]

Yes, it's a light leak through the rangefinder assembly. This is a rare but known issue with M2's.

Post #15 by Larry Cloetta (with pics from Don Golberg) in this thread explains the problem: M2 light leak

So frustrating when linked photos disappear…

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

So frustrating when linked photos disappear…

The photos are still in Larry’s post in the link aren’t they?

 

[Freakscene]

The photos are still in Larry’s post in the link aren’t they?

Yes, absolutely, but the original photo of the light leak struck images is gone. I remember what they looked like (Who remembers RFF when it started ?), but there is a frustrating loss of continuity in the thread with them gone.

 

[analogish]

Post #15 by Larry Cloetta (with pics from Don Golberg) in this thread explains the problem: M2 light leak

That sounds reasonable, thank you. I will report here as soon as I have news.

 

[analogish]

A short update: I exposed one more roll. Same lens, similar subjects (up to the sky into sunlight). All frames are 100% OK, the triangular "light leak" that overlaps two pictures is not visible on any of the pictures. I didn't expect this to happen but that's how it is.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

A short update: I exposed one more roll. Same lens, similar subjects (up to the sky into sunlight). All frames are 100% OK, the triangular "light leak" that overlaps two pictures is not visible on any of the pictures. I didn't expect this to happen but that's how it is.

Fwiw I dealt with that issue for a few years before finally finding a fix. Sometimes the leak would be visible on half a dozen frames on a roll, sometimes none. Actually had one tech return the camera a bunch of times ‘repaired’ because test rolls didn’t show the leak. But it always reoccurred eventually…

 

[Freakscene]

Agree. Unless you get it repaired, it will keep happening. Unpredictably.