Troubleshooting: multiple exposure on right half of frame

[dufffader]

Processed a roll from a newly purchased Canon F1 (old) SLR and I've got about 3 frames out of 36 with this look. The left side of the frame looks ok, while the right half has double exposure.

Its not the scanner, I first scanned this with a KM5400II and later with a Epson X970 and I get the same image.

Now, the F1 has a metal shutter that slides sideways, like a Leica M. It goes from right to left when I'm looking at the shutter with the back opened. Since the double image appears on the right half of the image, physically it should be on the left when the film is still in the camera, which brings me to think that it has to do with vibration when the shutter is closing. Or poor technique on my part. The second image always shifts sideways, never vertically. By the way, I don't have this issue with rangefinders.

I'm just wondering if I'm shooting at 1/125s on a 50mm lens most of the time, if it is possible to have a coincidental 3 frames where double image appears only one half of the image. Any speculation on what could have happened?

Sorry but the forum doesn't seem to allow me to upload images more than 600px across.

 

[Livesteamer]

Very strange. I have never seen that before. Are you sure it is a double exposure and not some kind of vibration problem? Joe

 

[monopix]

Could be the film is moving during exposure but the effect would be different with different shutter speeds. Does this show up mainly with slow shutter speeds?

 

[dufffader]

The frames that had this effect had two distinct images overlaid on top of one another and always horizontally spaced.

If it was camera shake I guess it should be on the whole frame and not just half and I wouldn't expect it to look the way it did (I've got my share of handheld attempts at 1/8s and 50mm lens, lets say it didn't work that well). Its the first time I've seen something like this too. The F1 is a heavy camera with a distinct mirror slap (but that would move the camera vertically), I am guessing it has to do with the shutter momentum? This calls for more test over the weekend.

I was shooting an ISO100 film and in an overcast sky, so I'm guessing the shutter speed was around 1/125s and f5.6-ish.

 

[nikongod]

Older canon cameras are somewhat notorious for their shutter bounce. I had an AE-1 that did it, and a quick use of the google shows that the F-1 does it too.

This problem can also happen if the second curtain is traveling slower than the first.

In either case, it sounds like its time for a CLA with a well trusted Canon-guy.

The doubled exposure is on the right, because that's the opposite of left 😉 negatives are flipped top-to-bottom and left-to-right.

 

[John Hermanson]

Looks like film movement. Shutter bounce would create more density at the end when the shutter would bounce open and give more exposure. John

 

[dufffader]

I didn't know about shutter bounce on the F1. There you go, learn something new every day. I have a second roll that will be processed soon, I'll see if its still there.

 

[monopix]

Definitely nothing to do with shutter bounce, tapering, capping or any other such shutter deficiency. The only way you can get a double image is if either the film or the image moves. And bear in mind the movement has to occur during the exposure. If the film moved slightly at the end of the first curtain travel, you would get this effect so, maybe, the film isn't being held properly and the vibration of the first curtain coming to a stop is causing the film to move. There should be a braking system on the curtain and maybe this is at fault.