Hasselblad C-12 back - rear door question

[IloveTLRs]

Hello

I just picked up a cheap Hasselblad 500/C (C/M I think) with an old C-12 back on it (you know, the one with the peep-hole.) The problem is, the little peep-hole door is very loose, and pops open quite easily.

If that door opens mid-shooting, will it expose the 120 film to light? Maybe I'm being stupid/naive here, but I was thinking the backing paper would keep that from happening. Is it safe, or should I avoid that happening? I won't be able to pick up a modern back for a while, so I'm using this setup for the time being.

 

[Q.G.]

It will not immediately ruin your film, no.
But not something you will want to have open all of the time.

It's best to put a short end of sticky tape over it, the end folded over so it can serve as a non-sticking tab to grip, so you can open the peep hole when needed. That tape will need replacing now and again, whenever it starts losing its tackiness.
I have a roll of paper masking tape in my kit bags, which would do this job well. (Also usefull to scribble notes on about the film in a magazine, which then can be stuck on the magazine.)

 

[Len Robertson]

One of my backs has the peep-hole door completely gone. I bought it that way as a parts back, but decided to try a test roll though it, just to see if a rather beat looking back can still be used. I taped the peep-hole over with a couple of layers of gaffers tape. The back works fine, in spite of the way it looks, and I continue to use it all the time. The tape needs to be lifted at the start of each roll, and new tape put on now and then, but it does the job. Someday I'll find a door, but until then I'm getting along fine without it.

Len

 

[IloveTLRs]

Thanks for the answers!

Originally mine had no door, so I taped over it with simple black tape from a $1 store (which worked fine.) I yanked the door off a semi-dead C-12 back, but as I said the door pops open. I think a little bit of tape to hold it closed will work fine. I don't think light seals around the door will be a problem.