Developing problem or light leak?!

david-procter · Jul 25, 2010

I'm experiencing some problems using my Rolleiflex and if any one can help diagnose my condition it would be greatly appreciated. Basically when using colour film I often get a yellow band when negs come back from the lab - see picture. It's often not all the way through the film, on this particular roll it didn't feat ire on the first pictures but did on the following five. Obviously it is far more prominent on colour film/slide and it's driving me crazy!

Some people have said it is the fault of the lab, others say it could be a light leak.I need to check the b/w negs taht I have developed myself but while I do any explanation for this would be greatly appreciated.

Hope I've posted this in the right place!
Thanks in advance and thanks also to Kal for suggesting I post here.

david-procter · Jul 25, 2010

Here is a link to the picture...

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6529292&id=625835217

Ian Grant · Jul 25, 2010

I doubt it's the lab, more likely the light seals on the back are perishing and starting to leak light. How bad each frame is depends on how much time & the strength & direction of light fell on the bad section.

Look at the left side with the back open, towards the bottom. Seal kits are available and easy to fit you need to do then all..

Ian

Q.G. · Jul 25, 2010

David,

The link to a picture on Facebook will only 'work' if people wanting to see the image have a Facebook account and log in.
I.e.: not.

So i'm guessing here, but if the band is across the width of the film, at the beginning/end of the film, it will be due to the way they attach the film to a clip or other films in the processing lab.

perkeleellinen · Jul 25, 2010

The band is running vertically along the right hand edge and to a much lesser extent along the left hand edge. It actually looks like what happens to my prints if I don't mask the rebate well enough in the darkroom - light leaks in from the edge of the negative carrier. But in this example, I think it's a lab scan and therefore probably a camera fault.

Perhaps this direct link will enable the picture to be viewed by non-facebook members:

Dead Link Removed

Q.G. · Jul 25, 2010

Those are scans that show the problem? Or actual physical negatives?

If scans, it could indeed be because of what you say it is: light leaking past the edge of the negative during scanning.

If on the negatives, it can't be anything but a processing error.

I think you can strike a camera problem off the list of pausible causes.
A light leak would not happen to be the colour of the film's mask.

My bet is it is that scanning thingy.

Ian Grant · Jul 25, 2010

Q.G. said:
Those are scans that show the problem? Or actual physical negatives?

If scans, it could indeed be because of what you say it is: light leaking past the edge of the negative during scanning.

If on the negatives, it can't be anything but a processing error.

I think you can strike a camera problem off the list of pausible causes.
A light leak would not happen to be the colour of the film's mask.

My bet is it is that scanning thingy.

Err . . . . . . colour of the film mask ? The colours have been reversed whether it's a transparency or a print/scan of a negative

So light leak.

Ian

Q.G. · Jul 25, 2010

Well, yes.
If white light leaks past the edge of a negative during scanning, the result has the colour of the mask.

How would a light leak acquire that colour?

david-procter · Jul 26, 2010

This is a wonderful forum and I really appreciate everyone's feedback as so far.
Apologies for those who can't see the picture I've re posted it here on my blog Dead Link Removed
with a summary of quotes about my troublesome negative. The yellow band is on the negative and not the result of scanning.

I've just been going through a load of b/w that I and a couple of others developed and there is evidence of a band every now and again. Nothing on slide film but quite often on colour neg.

Thanks again for all your thoughts!

Ian Brodie · Jul 27, 2010

What you have here is a light leak from the edge of the camera. It is more or less noticeable depending on how long the time period between shots. The longer the period, the more light gets in, and the more intense the mark.
You do not see it so easily in B&W because it will show up as a light haze.
Replace the seals on your camera. In any case these usually deteriorate after about 10 years anyway.
If it was the lab at fault, a lot more people would be complaining, and professional labs do not make this kind of mistake on a regular basis.
Cheers
Ian

Developing problem or light leak?!

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