What causes a building to vanish?

[Whateverist]

I've done some nighttime shooting and just developed the film. On a roll of decent frames are two shots, both of the same building, that show nothing but a dark (so positive-bright) smudge, like a giant flare over the frame. Film is Fomapan 400. It's not a dev error as the shots before and after are fine, and I definitely shot the building. What happened?

 

[p.giannakis]

I am not sure what to suggest. Can you post a pic to see what you mean?

 

[sevo]

For example, a light leak, exposure error or flash reflection.

 

[Whateverist]

I am not sure what to suggest. Can you post a pic to see what you mean?

Yeah, a picture'll probably work better. The film's drying, I'll try to get a scan up tomorrow.

 

[mpaniagua]

How long was the exposure? probably camera moved when exposing?

Regards.

Marcelo.

 

[Whateverist]

I snapped a pic of the negative before going to work just now, scans will follow:

 

[tunalegs]

What kind of camera? If it is a leaf shuttered camera, looks like the blades didn't close completely.

 

[Whateverist]

What kind of camera? If it is a leaf shuttered camera, looks like the blades didn't close completely.

Leica IIIa, focal-plane shutter, serviced recently.

 

[maddoc]

Leica IIIa, focal-plane shutter, serviced recently.

Possibly coll. lens not extended?

 

[Whateverist]

Possibly coll. lens not extended?

That actually sounds plausible.

 

[Jockos]

Possibly coll. lens not extended?

As a former coll. 'cron owner, I second this opinion :bang:

 

[sevo]

Seeing that it is not just a central part of subject that got covered by a flare, but a more or less circular entirely out-of-focus picture, it is either that - or he entirely forgot to put a lens on...

 

[Jockos]

Seeing that it is not just a central part of subject that got covered by a flare, but a more or less circular entirely out-of-focus picture, it is either that - or he entirely forgot to put a lens on...

I tried that as well; the whole negative was completely black (as in exposed) and it also had severe light bleed into the adjacent frames!

 

[peterm1]

What makes a building vanish?

I am tempted to be glib and say this works pretty well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOWK72i8bCU

Oops that was naughty.

 

[sevo]

I tried that as well; the whole negative was completely black (as in exposed) and it also had severe light bleed into the adjacent frames!

In low light conditions at sufficiently short shutter times you can get exposed frames like the example, if the illumination is mostly from point light sources that cast shadows of the mount neck onto the film. Best visible on early AE SLRs, which adjusted the exposure properly even when the lens is missing.

 

[Whateverist]

in this case the lens was definitely on, but in all likelihood I collapsed it after the last shot and forgot to extend it.

 

[sepiareverb]

As a former coll. 'cron owner, I second this opinion :bang:

And a third.