What is causing this Flare?

[ferider]

I'm still 90% convinced it is flare from the lens (strong light hitting the front element from the side), where the "un-ghosted" part of the image is the shadow of the hood. Tom's experience with specific lenses only does confirm this.

I should do a comp with and without hood on my Canon 50/1.4 that once did this for me. Next time I have test film in a camera ....

Roland.

 

[rogue_designer]

Do you use a vented lens hood rogue?

No - it's a solid hood.

 

[micromontenegro]

Micromontenegro said:
"
Surely most (if not all) the light leaks seen here come from the bottom... either of the camera or the lens mount."

So why the random randomness?

If it were light leaks from the bottom, I'd just leave the camera out on a sunny day and each frame would have fog. But no - just a few frames per roll. No rhyme or reason. Look at my last three pics (above). Two in artificial light, one in broad daylight. The other frames on the same rolls were fine!

I don't have a rational, good-for-all answer to that, but experience has shown me that light leaks can be like that- random, that is. Maybe the bottom just leaks when one holds the camera this way, pressing the body; or when the floor reflects light just so. Full snow is best to test for leaks, because light is refelcted everywhere.

My take at this problem: the light leaks from the bottom of the lens mounts, and only when the photog is holding the lens in a specific way. Or with a lens of a specific weigth.

Edited to add: Of course, it could also be shutter-related. This armchair repairing would become meaningful only by going hands-on

 

[LeicaTom]

I'm still 90% convinced it is flare from the lens (strong light hitting the front element from the side), where the "un-ghosted" part of the image is the shadow of the hood. Tom's experience with specific lenses only does confirm this.

I should do a comp with and without hood on my Canon 50/1.4 that once did this for me. Next time I have test film in a camera ....

Roland.

Roland,

See if one of your Nikkor SC`s will do this as well, (I haven`t used the "Tokyo" one at all still waiting to fix that dented rim) But, the "Japan" SC is what your seeing in the pics, I know you have one of these.

I was using the solid factory Nikkor hood, soon I will be going to all vented (as soon as I can find a vintage Walz or Kenko 43mm one) I can`t compose photos well with the factory hoods they get in the way of everything.....those Nikkor factory hoods are good for nothing but collectors! 😛

Thanks

Tom

PS: I still think if there was damage/light leak in my camera, it would do this with ALL the lenses I use, and not just TWO of them, I`m really starting to believe this is stray light......

 

[flyingoko]

Lens or body issue?

Lens or body issue?

67 posts and we're nowhere near resolving this.

Two avenues of investigation: Lens or body. Nothing else (or isnt' there?)

I use two lenses with my M6, a black 50mm Summicron with integral lenshood, and a silver 35mm Summicron (Canada, screwmount factory retrofitted with M-bayonet mount). This has the cut-out style lenshood. I'd not like to place money on it, but I feel that the 50mm lens is more prone to the mysterly flare.

I've also been considering light source position, but looking at pic two and three, there's strong sunlight but from two different directions, pic one has artificial lighting (the Rosetta Stone, British Musuem).

I'm really not at all convinced by the body light leak theory.

 

[LeicaTom]

I`m going to load up the 45' IIIC K/IIIFBD and shoot the 52' Nikkor SC"Japan" lens again this weekend and see if I can get more of these strange ghostly effects to show up? I`ll also shoot part of the film with another lens (my "Hacked" 38' CZJ f2/50 Sonnar) just to show there`s no light leaks on my body!

I know though oddly it didn`t happen when the 52' was on my M6?

Maybe the camera`s haunted? oHHH Great!!!! 😛 (i`m pretty sure a CLA won`t cure that)

Tom

 

[Sparrow]

Briefly reading through what’s been posted ltm/M adaptors seem to be a being mentioned a lot. Is it possible it’s something to do with that? they do introduce some bright bits into the body

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Until a repairman (or repairwoman) gives the definitive answer, I would just add the following observations in the hope they may trigger some fresh ideas:

Although the fix in my case of my early M6 – which fogged exposures in exactly the same way as flyingoko's – seemed to be fixing the bayonet mount, it never did fog a frame years ago when used with the dread motorwinder. I think this was nothing but coincidence – at that time, the fogging happened very infrequently – but it did have me wondering if the camera's none-too-well-fitting base plate was the culprit (the winder was a nice, snug fit). Remember; light reaching the top of the normal landscape image must come from the lower part of the camera body.

Bear in mind that the M-mount lens is secured by a spring plate operating on the bayonet lugs, firm spring pressure holding the lens mount against the outer face of the mounting ring on the body. Is there any way these springs can become misaligned or tired? Seems unlikely, but just a thought!

Having studied dozens of fogged frames, I never could link the problem to any single lens, point at which a lens change was made, type of lighting conditions or period of leaving the camera in direct sunlight. There was no real pattern to this hugely annoying problem.