Film fogged from holder question.

[kjsphoto]

How can you tell if light leaked on the 4x5 holder?

For example I have a neg and all the edges around the negs are clear but I cant tell yet as I just developed the negs and I am not sure if it is fog (light leak) or really bad lens flare. It looks like light leak but the edges around the entire neg are perfectly clear.

I am seen 120 and 35mm light leak but never 4x5 and want to know what to look for.

The other side of the holder neg is perfect. Any adice here would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Kev

 

[Francesco]

With the outer boundaries of the negative being clear then what you have is lens flare (it looks like the sun glaring in from the edges does it not?). Do you remember where the sun was when you took the shot? Do you remember if you used a compendium or other type hood? Do you remember shielding the lens from the glare of the sun with the darkslide?

 

[kjsphoto]

I used the dark slide as I dont have a compendium yet. The sun was in front but I really tought I had the slide in the right position to block the sun. Guess I didnt have it in the right position, luckily the second shot of the same scene does not have this problem. This is the second time I got bitten but lens flare. I will have to get the lens shade as I do not want to have this happen again especially after hauling the gear for 3 miles! I will now start taking 2 images of every scene as a backup neg.

Yes, the sun was glaring in from the top of the scene and the flare goes about halfway into the neg.

Man that bums me out.

I guess I didnt have the holder in the hand blocking right but I could have sworn that the sun was blocked.

Thank you very much for the feedback.

Kev

 

[Francesco]

Your welcome Kevin. In addition, do you remember which lens you used for that shot? No coating, single or mutil?

 

[kjsphoto]

It was the Rodenstock 150 N, the one that came with the Shen Hao kit.

 

[Francesco]

Modern multicoated lens. One surely cannot take for granted the strength of direct sunligh on ANY lens.

 

[Ole]

I have yet to see an image ruined buy lens flare, despite using mostly older single-coated lenses. I also often shoot into the sun, even with uncoated lenses. If anyone remembers my solar eclipse shot, that was done with a single-coated 360mm Tele-Xenar. No flare.

But I have had several negatives ruined by a light-leak between the camera and the holder!

 

[Donald Miller]

How can you tell if light leaked on the 4x5 holder?

For example I have a neg and all the edges around the negs are clear but I cant tell yet as I just developed the negs and I am not sure if it is fog (light leak) or really bad lens flare. It looks like light leak but the edges around the entire neg are perfectly clear.

I am seen 120 and 35mm light leak but never 4x5 and want to know what to look for.

The other side of the holder neg is perfect. Any adice here would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Kev

Kevin, If you have an area of low film density (clear boundaries you indicated) then this would not be lens flare or the effects of intense light infiltration/diffusion onto the film. The effects of light flare would manifest as areas of higher film density (darker film) and reduced negative contrast.

Along the same lines, it is perfectly normal for the edges of the negative to be clear (film base plus fog density only). This is normal since not all of the film sheet is exposed because a retainer must be incorporated into the film holder design for film flatness considertations.

If you used the dark slide as a shade for the lens then it is probable that you inadvertantly allowed the dark slide to be incorporated as a part of the image that you were photographing. This would manifest itself as the region of low film density you indicated.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I have yet to see an image ruined buy lens flare, despite using mostly older single-coated lenses. I also often shoot into the sun, even with uncoated lenses. If anyone remembers my solar eclipse shot, that was done with a single-coated 360mm Tele-Xenar. No flare.

But I have had several negatives ruined by a light-leak between the camera and the holder!

Excellent point, Ole. I recently had that experience with my 4x5 Shen Hao and an improperly seated film holder.

I also recently left the bail lever open on my new Wehman 8x10 - and blew a sheet of Efke 100.

Take an extra few seconds to make sure that the film holder is properly seated on the camera before pulling the dark slide, Kevin.

 

[kjsphoto]

I just shot a test sheet from the same holder front and back and no leak. Must have been bad flare caused even worse by the dark slide reflecting back into the lens.

Gives me an excuse to go back up

Thanks again,

Kev