Olympus stylus epic very strange light leak

[jbharrill1]

I've been having the typical light leaks that the stylus epic is known to have from deteriorating light baffles (at least I'm pretty sure that's what I have read is known to go bad first) but on the last two rolls I got back have these very strange spots in the same spot on each frame. The lower right, almost looks like some sort of digital computer chip haha but honestly I don't even know how to describe what this looks like.

I'm getting light leaks on probably 4 or 5 photos on each roll but you know how it goes, they seem to happen only on the photos that I would rather not have them on.

It looks like I'm probably just going to chalk this camera up to a loss seeing as I only paid 4 bucks for it, but I would like to know what you guys think is causing this.

 

[charjohncarter]

That is the best light leak I have ever seen, it should, you would think, be easy to find. But in my experience none are that easy to find. I have an Olympus Stylus Infinity which I really like, but like you I would be reluctant to pay to have it fixed.

 

[f16sunshine]

Looks more like a multiple exposure.
What are the chances ?

 

[jbharrill1]

I'm almost positive it's not a multiple exposure.

Yeah I kinda figured that something like that would be easy to find but i couldn't not find anything that looked like it would cause an image like that.

I almost want to say that it only happens when the flash is used, but I'm not 100%

 

[f16sunshine]

Did you get these developed at a lab or self developed ?
I'm thinking a lab had some sort of hickup and exposed your films to this object.

 

[jbharrill1]

lab.

I have absolutely had issues with this lab before ruining black and white film with surge marks from hell, I've gotten awful scans, etc. I definitely thought this scans were very strange how there is the soft black border at the top and bottom of the frames. I dropped off three rolls, 2 rolls came back uncut and the third came back cut into strips of 5 frames like normal. The rolls that were not cut are the problematic rolls with the strange black lines at the top and bottom and the weird computer chip looking thing. After further inspection I have found that the black bars are indeed on the negatives.

I hate to say it but after at least 5-6 rolls more or less ruined (I know these are technically ruined, I would say it's not acceptable if I'm paying 24 bucks for 3 rolls) I'm going to stop giving these guys my color film. They are the reason why I started developing my own black and white actually because of the awful experiences I had.

I know that it is not a for sure fact whether or not the weird chip looking thing was their fault, I do know that the black bars are their fault

 

[p.giannakis]

The clarity of it in the second picture which is taken with not so much available light makes me suspect the minilab too.

Are these scans of prints or scans of the negatives? Do those appear on the negative? It must be the lab.

 

[charjohncarter]

Run a roll of B&W through the Epic, and develop yourself.

 

[t6un]

Could it be that something has been knocked out of it's place on the date imprint system, if the camera has one?
Edit: This is definitely an image of a silicon chip (in a clear plastic package, probably)

 

[PRJ]

That is happening in your camera as much as everyone is trying to blame the minilab. No way a minilab could cause an exposure like that in the same spot.

Your inclination that it might be happening when the flash fires is probably the thread to pull on. Shoot a roll of film without using the flash, or keep track of the frames that you use the flash.

I just popped open the Epic I have on my desk and the leak pretty much correlates with the date window so my guess is that the flash is leaking through to that area somehow.

 

[jbharrill1]

Yeah my first thought was that I may be from the date imprint but sinxe I've never used the date imprint function I don't know where it would be located on the frame or camera. I know with my canon sure shots you can see it right on the pressure plate but I did not find it on the stylus epic.

These are scans of the negatives and the chip looking thing is on the negatives.

Also the black fuzzy bars at the top and bottom are on my negs as well? What could cause that during c41 processing? Ordo you think that may as well be a camera malfunction. The fact that these negs weren't cut like the other roll that had no issue whatsoever (but shot in a different camera) makes me wonder what exactly the lab saw wrong and decided that they weren't worthy to be cut.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Suggestion: black tape over the date-imprinter-port inside, where it should hit the film. I'm betting the date imprinter flash is broken and firing.

Buzzy black bars: Scan has included some unexposed areas, showing the rectangular aperture through which light hits the film. The transition edge is always a bit fuzzy.

 

[johannielscom]

Those cameras can develop a light leak from the front when foam deteriorates. Seems you got a good one, where there's a little chip on the PCB exposed and well-lit, so its image is included on the film frame!

I'd say it's a signature look, better than some corny photographer's logos at the bottom corner, I'd keep it like this 😉

 

[farlymac]

I've had labs that if they found problems with the film would not cut it so you could inspect the entire roll to see how the problem manifests itself. Sometimes it has to do with the film cutter not being able to detect the frame edge.

I don't let any lab cut my film anymore because the cutters can scuff the film up to where it's impossible to get a good scan of it anymore.

I'm currently looking for another lab that I'll have to mail the films too because I was getting to much variation in how it was handled at the last place. Everyone there did something different from all the others, so you never knew how it was going to come back, and I got tired of driving all the way to Charlottesville to get things straightened out because their scanner malfunctioned and nobody caught it, or getting phone calls where I had to explain that yes, I did pay for the service before I left the store. I just hate sending it off in the mail, but that's how it's going to have to be I guess.

BTW, that has to be an internal issue with the camera. It's too clear to be something the lab did. And the dark bars could be slight misalignment of the film loading.

PF