Weirdness out of the FED-2
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wolves3012
Veteran
Not so much the straightness, leaks can cause all manner of shapes and patterns. The fact that it goes at right angles to the shutter travel makes the shutter less likely as the culprit.
schmoo
Member
No worries about the hijack. I just hope that the info that the folks here gave me help you, too. 🙂 I did some more Googling last night and I found this guy who did a repair job on the light leak caused by the seam on the right side of his FED5:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/josh_larsen/4489964556/in/set-72157623599916133/
I thought that might help anyone else coming in this way. I am gonna try that, too, and the link to Microtools in the last comment seems to have everything I need.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/josh_larsen/4489964556/in/set-72157623599916133/
I thought that might help anyone else coming in this way. I am gonna try that, too, and the link to Microtools in the last comment seems to have everything I need.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
That's a good idea, Schmoo. I just picked some of that stuff up from ebay (cheaper to get it from a seller in this country!), so we'll have to wait and see if it does the job.
At any rate, even if it doesn't work on the Feds, I'll have so much I'll be able to fix any problems I have with any other cameras in the forseeable future, so I'm sure it won't go to waste.
At any rate, even if it doesn't work on the Feds, I'll have so much I'll be able to fix any problems I have with any other cameras in the forseeable future, so I'm sure it won't go to waste.
fanshaw
Well-known
One point that hasn't been made so far is that if the light leak image is in the same place on each negative then it is almost certain to have occurred in the camera while the camera was in use. Hence Labs and cassettes can be exonerated and the leak is probably not in the take-up spool area.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hmmm(2), interesting that the leak is straight one side and fuzzy the other. And wider at the top. Anyway, the FED 2 is an excellent camera once sorted out with a wide range of decent lenses available. So I guess the answer is don't give up and,perhaps, return it again for the final sort out.
Regards, David
Regards, David
Brian Legge
Veteran
Hah, too funny. I just shot a test roll with a FED 2 which had consistent light leaks. They occur in similar places every frame, moving about 1/2 of the way across the frame by the end of the roll. Outside the frame. Anyway, I was searching for possible sources when I found this.
Josh is a friend of mine. He'll be happy to know his shots have been helpful to people. I may have to try the same thing with my FED 2.
schmoo
Member
Hey Brian! Let us know if the baffling works for you. I actually did another experiment over the weekend, taping up all the seams around the back plate and sides with black electrical tape. And there was no change, so I am not convinced that I pinned down the issue.
I'm wondering now if my issue is something odd with the curtain, or the baffling around the lens (not sure if that's the right term, but I see posts in this forum referring to that area being leaky too). More investigation coming...
I'm wondering now if my issue is something odd with the curtain, or the baffling around the lens (not sure if that's the right term, but I see posts in this forum referring to that area being leaky too). More investigation coming...
Brian Legge
Veteran
Here is an example of the leak I'm seeing:
It extends well outside the frame area so I'm sure it isn't a curtain issue. I'm thinking its a leak on the takeup side since the position of the leak seems to change slowly per frame over the course of the roll. The back looks relatively snug so I'm skeptical that it is the source of the leak but I'll try taping it to be sure. I looks around a bit last night but didn't see anything obvious. I'll have to spend some more time looking soon.
It extends well outside the frame area so I'm sure it isn't a curtain issue. I'm thinking its a leak on the takeup side since the position of the leak seems to change slowly per frame over the course of the roll. The back looks relatively snug so I'm skeptical that it is the source of the leak but I'll try taping it to be sure. I looks around a bit last night but didn't see anything obvious. I'll have to spend some more time looking soon.
Proteus617
Established
Hey Schmoo! If you guys were still in Bmore I would lend you my Fed2 while you sorted yours out.
Light leaks on color film negative film from the behind the film plane are often red. I might be seeing a bit of this at the bottom of your frames (two flares, right and left). Leaks in front of the film plane are often white. I could swear that the "threads" are the ragged edge of a curtain right up against the film plane. Have you checked that the curtains are capping correctly during advance?
Light leaks on color film negative film from the behind the film plane are often red. I might be seeing a bit of this at the bottom of your frames (two flares, right and left). Leaks in front of the film plane are often white. I could swear that the "threads" are the ragged edge of a curtain right up against the film plane. Have you checked that the curtains are capping correctly during advance?
nzeeman
Well-known
@schmoo - fuzzy lines along whole film reminds me on felt in film cassete - so probably you have some leak around rewind knob...
@Brian Legge since leak is on the bottom of photo light comes from top of camera - try and tape with black tape all along where the back of the camera meets body. probably leak is somewhere on that connection...
@Brian Legge since leak is on the bottom of photo light comes from top of camera - try and tape with black tape all along where the back of the camera meets body. probably leak is somewhere on that connection...
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
Well, I found the leak in my Fed 5, anyway. I put light seal foam all around the join between back and body, shot a roll of XP2, and still found the flaring that's on the pictures on the last page.
But thanks to Proteus' hint that "Leaks in front of the film plane are often white", I did a bit of investigating and probing, and - lo and behold - the issue for me is the little prong that resets the exposure counter. Somehow - and I don't know how, but I've definitely seen it very faintly - light is bouncing down the channel that the little prong runs down when the camera is held at just the right angle to the light, and as such, it's getting onto the wound-up film on the take-up spool; the next question is merely what to do about it.
Obviously, the Fed 2 doesn't have the automated exposure counter, but maybe that little bit of info will be of help to someone at some point.
But thanks to Proteus' hint that "Leaks in front of the film plane are often white", I did a bit of investigating and probing, and - lo and behold - the issue for me is the little prong that resets the exposure counter. Somehow - and I don't know how, but I've definitely seen it very faintly - light is bouncing down the channel that the little prong runs down when the camera is held at just the right angle to the light, and as such, it's getting onto the wound-up film on the take-up spool; the next question is merely what to do about it.
Obviously, the Fed 2 doesn't have the automated exposure counter, but maybe that little bit of info will be of help to someone at some point.
schmoo
Member
You guys are full of good info! Glad to hear that you found the source of the leak. Obviously it doesn't take much to have a big effect...
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
No, obviously not. It was quite surprising how such a little hole could do such damage.
I just hope I HAVE found the source of the leak. I'd be pretty annoyed if I clogged that hole up only to find I'm still getting that damned flare from somewhere!
I just hope I HAVE found the source of the leak. I'd be pretty annoyed if I clogged that hole up only to find I'm still getting that damned flare from somewhere!
ErnestoJL
Well-known
Schmoo:
I think your camera was disassembled at some time, and perhaps reassembled without taking care of the light traps. Maybe, there are too other issues with the shutter itself.
I have a Zorki I (which is basically the same camera, a close copy of the Leica D or II) which had problems with the shutter (broken curtains) as well as some light leaks.
I would suggest to test for leaks as said before, with ISO 400 film, shutter closed and a very bright light passed over the camera left to right, top to bottom, front and rear in different negs, capping the lens and shooting before every test. Later a test of the shutter may be done using an evenly painted surface, shooting at every shuitter setting.
This way, hopefully you can detect any problem.
Hope it helps.
Cheers
Ernesto
I think your camera was disassembled at some time, and perhaps reassembled without taking care of the light traps. Maybe, there are too other issues with the shutter itself.
I have a Zorki I (which is basically the same camera, a close copy of the Leica D or II) which had problems with the shutter (broken curtains) as well as some light leaks.
I would suggest to test for leaks as said before, with ISO 400 film, shutter closed and a very bright light passed over the camera left to right, top to bottom, front and rear in different negs, capping the lens and shooting before every test. Later a test of the shutter may be done using an evenly painted surface, shooting at every shuitter setting.
This way, hopefully you can detect any problem.
Hope it helps.
Cheers
Ernesto
schmoo
Member
So at the behest of many people here, I've done more than a few passes with the flashlight in a dark room, but never found anything. Then after nzeeman and coldkennels' comments, I checked the opposite side of the camera. I think I found the leak:
It looks like there is a very slight gap between the (silver) top plate and the body, possibly caused by something loose around the rewind knob or diopter. I shoved some foam in there and will run a test roll through it tomorrow.
Hope that fixes it. 🙂
It looks like there is a very slight gap between the (silver) top plate and the body, possibly caused by something loose around the rewind knob or diopter. I shoved some foam in there and will run a test roll through it tomorrow.
Hope that fixes it. 🙂
Armoured
Well-known
I just discovered the light leak on a Zorki - missing screw on the front of the body. Couldn't believe how simple that was. Testing now.
schmoo
Member
Stuart John
Well-known
Try cocking the shutter with no film in the camera and the back open and check that the shutter remains closed. As you cock the shutter you will see the blinds move across the film gate hold the camera up to a bright window with no lens on as you do this and see that no light enters between the shutters. The fire the shutter and check that the shutter is not stalling during the exposure cycle. If all is fine with the shutter next time you load film tape every joint up on the outside of the camera with black electrical tape and see if that fixes the problem.
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