Lens Flare, Light Leak, or Film Handling?

[st. paulitan]

I just got some B/W shots back from processing. I was trying out a new used camera. Some frames have an overexposed strip at the bottom edge of the frame while other adjacent frames are fine. Posted below are the first three prints in order. The next one in the series is fine (like the first). Caused by lens flare, light leak in camera, or poor film handling in processing. Thanks!

 

[michaelwj]

What do the sprocket holes look like? Are they overexposed or not at all exposed?
It looks like in camera, the seal on the top of the rear door likely needs replacing.

 

[Arbitrarium]

Looks like a leaky door, yep. Check the negatives to see how far the light burn goes outside the frame of the photo and maybe see about posting a photo of the negs.

What camera is it?

 

[st. paulitan]

Thanks, guys! I haven't gotten the negatives back. I'll have a look when I get them and see about posting them. I suppose it can change frame to frame depending on, for example, if I'm gripping the camera more tightly?

The camera is a Konica FC-1. A recent foray into SLR's. I was able to pick up that body along with a bunch of Hexanon lenses. I mainly shoot with my Voigtlander Bessa R.

 

[Arbitrarium]

Does that camera have a vertically travelling shutter? Could maybe be something to do with that?

Just a possibility if the light leaks don't extend beyond the frame.

 

[st. paulitan]

Wow. Great tip. Manual says it's a "Digital-controlled, vertically travel electronic metal focal plane shutter." Thanks!

 

[st. paulitan]

Checked the negatives. The light leaks do NOT extend past the frame.

 

[michaelwj]

Checked the negatives. The light leaks do NOT extend past the frame.

Then the lights coming from the front, which is shutter. The problem is probably speed dependant which it appears intermittent. Perhaps a little bit of research on the camera and common issues and fixes might yield something? Good luck!

 

[jim_jm]

It's possible you've got one shutter curtain dragging at certain speeds. Just as the closing curtain completes the exposure, it slows down enough to overexpose that last area of the frame. The fix could be as simple as lubrication, also look for any debris like film chips around the shutter curtains. Since it's an electronically-controlled shutter, I doubt there's anything to adjust like a mechanical shutter has.

 

[Arbitrarium]

As the previous posters mention, it's a shutter problem. And as that vertically shot photo has no light leak, I guess debris in the shutter's path makes sense. Give it a good blast with some canned air and then check how it looks through the back of the lens, pointed at a flat white surface.

 

[monopix]

Since it's an electronically-controlled shutter, I doubt there's anything to adjust like a mechanical shutter has.

The early electronically controlled shutters are actually mechanical shutters but with electronic timing of the delay between the release of first and second curtain. The curtains are still driven by a spring. There is typically some adjustments for the spring tension of each curtain and probably some overall adjustment as well. Not sure which shutter the camera uses. Konica did pool info with Copal to produce the Copal square shutter but not sure if this would have been prior to that.

 

[monopix]

Give it a good blast with some canned air

I wouldn't. Unless the camera is dismantled so you can blow out the workings then the only part you're likely to blast is the curtains and you can easily damage the curtains by blasting them with a can of air.