Yashica T4 light leak blues - advice?

[wayneb]

About a month ago, I purchased a T4. Shot a few rolls of photos and everything looked good. Now on closer inspection I notice a subtle light leak.

I'm going to post a few examples so that maybe one of the knowledgeable people on here can help me diagnose where the leak might be. I have already taped the film info window, in hopes that will be it, but I don't think it is.

First example:

I've really bumped up the contrast of this image to highlight the leak, on the right side. (Much larger size is here)

As you can tell, the Yashica loads the film upside down. The second image may or may not be useful. It shows the light leak again, but also shooting into the sun and how the light leaks from one frame to the next:

Having used other versions of this camera (and other cameras), I'd expect the direct sun to perhaps leak between frames, but not so much into the next frame.

Has anyone replaced the foam seals on a T4 (or comparable p/s)? I see the how-to guide and foam sold by interslice. Since he doesn't sell one for this camera, which should I buy?

thanks!

 

[Dave S.]

Did you check the pressure plate? The pressure plate pushes against the film gate and keeps your film flat. Possibly one or more of the springs underneath may have lost their temper? Just a guess. The light leak in your photo above does look like it's coming through the lens.

 

[Pablito]

I have two T4's and never had this problem, but they are ,after all, plastic cameras and before their current cult status they were basically a cheap point and shoot with a well-above average lens. What's that stripe on the right of the first photo, though?
Other than performing the work you suggest, I don't know what else you could do.

 

[Justin Smith]

wayneb, that first shot looks like a similar internal reflection problem I had with a Smena 8M - I can make out a fainter line on the left of the frame that looks to be roughly equidistant to the line on the right side.

No idea about the leakage on the second posting. Maybe the pressure plate is not holding the film tight against the gate, causing light leakage into the adjoining frame.

I would not worry about the Jon Goodman/interslice kit not having a specific application for the T4; just get it and use a thick seal in the kit. As long as you can still shut the door, you should be OK.

 

[Dave S.]

If you have questions about the Jon Goodman Interslice kit you should email him. He's very responsive, knowledgeable, and super nice. Oh, and his light seal kits are great too! 😀

 

[wayneb]

Thanks for all the responses - after you pointing it out - on some photos I do notice another line. But this one is much much fainter than the first, which is already somewhat subtle.

I'm not too worried about the second example, shooting directly into the sun, it doesn't happen that often, I posted it as the 'worst case' I could find. But I think it's related. I will get both of my T4's empty and compare the pressure plates. I'm not sure how I would increase the pressure?

Pablito - the stripe in the first photo is what the issue typically looks like. The second frame is only when shooting into the sun. I guess I am victim of the cult, maybe it's time for an XA 🙂

Justin - your problem, was it solved by doing a reseal? Looking at the light seals, there is really only foam around the viewfinder and the film info window and what looks more like a waterproofing seal around the door. I will also tape up the viewfinder window.

 

[Dave S.]

Is it possible that the origin of your light leak problem in the first frame you posted is in the scanning process? I've had that same light line on photos I've had developed and scanned at a one hour lab. It turned out to be not apparent on the negative, just in the scans. This can happen if the registration is off on the mechanism that pulls the film through the scanner (I think).

 

[btgc]

Light leaks leave red areas, aren't they?

 

[FrankS]

Light leaks leave red areas, aren't they?

If the light leak comes from the rear of the film, light passes through the orange mask and is recorded as green on the colour neg film/ red on the positive print.

If the light leak comes from the front of the film, it is white on the positive print.

This is a useful light leak diagnosis tool.

 

[wayneb]

Dave s. - my scanner doesn't pull the film (it's flat bed) and I have scanned film from another camera that is fine.

FrankS - thanks for that tip!

 

[btgc]

FrankS, you are spot on. I had front/rear thing in mind, but you put it very clearly.

 

[FrankS]

thanks. the other thing to remember when trying to find a light leak is that the image on the negative is upside down in the camera. This means that if there is evidence of a light leak in the sky in your typical landscape photo, then the leak is coming from the bottom of the camera.