Needs some opinions on my pictures

[Krnome]

Hello! Just got my pictures developed. On some of the pictures there is some bright field on only the right part of the picture.

The picture is from a Kodak Ektar Fine Grain film, shot on my 1929 Leica II.

Is this a light leak? I think it's strange if it is, since most of my pictures does not have this flaw. Could it arrive when I change my lenses in too bright light? Or is it the developer? Or is it my old uncoated elmar who is the reason for this? I can't remember if I used sunshade...

Hope anybody could give me some opinions.

 

[Sparrow]

... light coming past the edge of the shutter curtain.

 

[Krnome]

... light coming past the edge of the shutter curtain.

How can I fix this?

 

[Sparrow]

I take mine to a technician, I don't have the skill to do that sort of thing

 

[johannielscom]

The light is over the long edge of the photograph. Either is your shutter curtain dragging on one end, or you are suffering a light leak from the top plate end or the bottom plate end.

Light leaks mostly occur from a bottom plate not closing completely, but sometimes it's a leak from the top side.

Try to remember, did you take this shot with your right hand (and shutter button) over the camera, or under the camera?

The image inside the camera is reversed since it passes through the lens. So top is bottom and left is right. If it's shot with your right hand over the camera, that light leak was on the top plate. If you shot it with your right hand under the camera, it was a bottom plate leak.

Bottom plate leaks can be a DIY fix, a top plate leak (especially on a vintage 1929 Leica, converted to a Leica II) would need a tech to look after.

 

[Krnome]

Thanks for respons Johannielscom. I am quite certain that I took this shot with my right hand over the camera. I usually use the same hand on the shutter button.

 

[Sparrow]

The light is over the long edge of the photograph. Either is your shutter curtain dragging on one end, or you are suffering a light leak from the top plate end or the bottom plate end.

Light leaks mostly occur from a bottom plate not closing completely, but sometimes it's a leak from the top side.

Try to remember, did you take this shot with your right hand (and shutter button) over the camera, or under the camera?

The image inside the camera is reversed since it passes through the lens. So top is bottom and left is right. If it's shot with your right hand over the camera, that light leak was on the top plate. If you shot it with your right hand under the camera, it was a bottom plate leak.

Bottom plate leaks can be a DIY fix, a top plate leak (especially on a vintage 1929 Leica, converted to a Leica II) would need a tech to look after.

... I would think the light is coming from the lens side, not from the back of the camera, as the edge of the frame is casting a shadow on the film

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Looks like uneven curtains. Remove lens and check visually at different shutter speeds.
Sometimes you could see it.

 

[Particular]

The leak is definitely hitting the film from the front, as it would have a color cast if it was exposed through the film base. If you happen to have any screws missing on the front or holding the top plate, that could cause a light leak, especially around the take-up spool.

 

[Dez]

... I would think the light is coming from the lens side, not from the back of the camera, as the edge of the frame is casting a shadow on the film

I agree. As you were shooting a vertical with your right hand on top, the leak is at the top of the frame, which is quite unusual. If this was at a very high shutter speed, it may be that there was some interference with the top of the shutter curtains causing overexposure, but if that were the case, I would expect the lighter patch to go all the way to the edge of the frame.
Is there any exposure of the film outside the frame? If that happens, there is a possibility that the light leak is in the film cassette itself, which would be nice. Another possibility is a poor seal of the body shell where it fits into the top of the camera, but such damage should be obvious.

It is very unusual to have a leak around the shutter curtains from the front of the film plane. There is black baffling in front of the channel in which the shutter tapes run, and if this is damaged, I suppose this could cause the problem, but I have to say I have never seen this occur.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Krnome]

The leak is definitely hitting the film from the front, as it would have a color cast if it was exposed through the film base. If you happen to have any screws missing on the front or holding the top plate, that could cause a light leak, especially around the take-up spool.

Okay, the only thing I know about is the missing collar guard for the shutterbutton and a tiny hole on the rangefinder right behind the wind-up spool, maybe that can cause it? I have not checked the inside of the camera. I have film in it now. So I will check the shutter after I have exposed it.

 

[Krnome]

I agree. As you were shooting a vertical with your right hand on top, the leak is at the top of the frame, which is quite unusual. If this was at a very high shutter speed, it may be that there was some interference with the top of the shutter curtains causing overexposure, but if that were the case, I would expect the lighter patch to go all the way to the edge of the frame.
Is there any exposure of the film outside the frame? If that happens, there is a possibility that the light leak is in the film cassette itself, which would be nice. Another possibility is a poor seal of the body shell where it fits into the top of the camera, but such damage should be obvious.

It is very unusual to have a leak around the shutter curtains from the front of the film plane. There is black baffling in front of the channel in which the shutter tapes run, and if this is damaged, I suppose this could cause the problem, but I have to say I have never seen this occur.

Cheers,
Dez

Okay! I bought 3 rolls of Kodak Ektar Fine Grain film on ebay. Could they been affected by the X-ray when the package was shipped?

 

[PatrickCheung]

My M3 had the same leak patterns, I was told mine was a shutter problem, something about one of the curtains letting the light in. It only happened when I left the shutter cocked and camera untouched over some time, the curtain that covers the opening when the shutter has been fired was fine, so nothing happened when I left the camera uncocked!

Maybe you could have the same issue, a single faulty curtain?

 

[BLKRCAT]

My M2 has this problem.


Untitled by nownownownow, on Flickr

Its caused from the curtain curling and not sitting flat within its curtain guide. In my case the curl isnt as bad on the second curtain compared to the first. So when I store my camera with film in it I always leave it uncocked, Which is what you should be doing anyways. Always use a lens cap to prevent exposure of the film.

I find that even with the camera cocked you wont get any contamination with any less than an hour between shots.

To test for this I took the back door and lens off my M2 and shined a bright light in through the front of the camera while looking around the curtain at the back of the camera. If you see light of any kind then you've found your leak.

My camera was serviced very recently and this issue wasn't fixed then. It doesnt bother me if I follow my regiment and don't leave my camera out with no lens cap for storage periods of time.

 

[Krnome]

My M2 has this problem.


Untitled by nownownownow, on Flickr

Its caused from the curtain curling and not sitting flat within its curtain guide. In my case the curl isnt as bad on the second curtain compared to the first. So when I store my camera with film in it I always leave it uncocked, Which is what you should be doing anyways. Always use a lens cap to prevent exposure of the film.

I find that even with the camera cocked you wont get any contamination with any less than an hour between shots.

To test for this I took the back door and lens off my M2 and shined a bright light in through the front of the camera while looking around the curtain at the back of the camera. If you see light of any kind then you've found your leak.

My camera was serviced very recently and this issue wasn't fixed then. It doesnt bother me if I follow my regiment and don't leave my camera out with no lens cap for storage periods of time.

I see. I always leave my camera uncocked, it has happened maybe a couple of times that I have forgotten it. I have forgotten to use the lens cap several times, that might be the reason?

 

[Dez]

Okay! I bought 3 rolls of Kodak Ektar Fine Grain film on ebay. Could they been affected by the X-ray when the package was shipped?

I doubt it. I think ZF1 has the right idea.

Cheers,
Dez