Ciro-Flex TLR problem

[athanasius80]

My Ciro-Flex is getting a light leak that looks almost like light is bouncing from the inside of the camera and fogging any negatives taken in direct sunlight. All I see are a couple scratches on the paint inside the viewing chamber. Should I touch it up with flat black, do I need a lens hood, or is my logic just nuts?
Thanks guys!

 

[colrehogan]

Where on the neg is the fogging occurring? Are you certain that you closed the window cover on the back of the camera?

 

[Nathan Smith]

I doubt that the paint is your problem, though Diane may be right about the window. I have a simple rig to test this sort of thing out: a battery and flashlight bulb. Put this setup inside the camera and go into a dark room. You may have to sit in the dark for quite a while until your eyes adjust enought to discern tiny leaks.
Nathan

 

[athanasius80]

Here are scans of two frames. Sorry about the crappy quality, but I think it shows what I'm talking about. If anyone knows what sort of light leak this would be, please let me know.

 

[Foto Ludens]

I'm just taking a guess here, but perhaps its leaking from around the lens (the upper side of the taking lens). Try shining a light through the inside of the camera like Nathan recommended, and see if any light leaks from around the lens.

André

 

[Donald Qualls]

I'd agree -- the semicircular unfogged area is a shadow of the inside end of the lens, most likely. The shutter is probably not tight on the camera; open the back and you can see the retaining ring that should hold it in place. You'll need to hold the shutter (to keep it from rotating) while you use a spanner to tighten the ring. Then you may need to reset the focus (or maybe not, depending on what was done).

Either way, this is a strong indicator that someone has attempted to repair the camera, which could point to stuff being screwed up in other ways; it would be very prudent to check the focus and verify that the taking and viewing lenses are matched. Also, if there's a flash synch on the body (either shoe or socket) you should test where it's functioning, as the wire from the shutter might have been broken or disconnected.