Help - can you tell what this is?

Viggi · Jan 17, 2009

Hi, after shooting a bit with an Olympus 35RC I couldn't resist a Konica Auto S3 on ebay. When I got it, the meter was dead and the seals needed replacing. Had that fixed and shot my first colour film. Camera handled well and I liked the results. I went to India over Christmas and took the old Konica with me. I shot b&w 400, took great pleasure in walking around, watching people and snapping a few frames.

But it seems like the Konica has a light leak... a bright band running down the frame, usually to the left, but sometimes in the middle. I shot two films and both were affected.

The light in India was pretty strong but not sunny (cloud cover most of the time) but I felt the photos were a bit washed out, and of course, ruined by the streak of light.

Does this look like bad seals or something more sinister? The olympus and konica tc have been absolutely fine but I really like using the S3 and would like to get it fixed.

The colour photos seem just fine...

archphoto · Jan 17, 2009

It is a light leak.... could it have been the cardridge ???
If you shot color with the S3 aswell....
or could it have been a lightleak when developing the B&W yourself ????

A bit puzzled with the camera not in my hands....

Peter

Viggi · Jan 17, 2009

Thanks for the reply. I shot agfa and hp5 films and the problem appeared on both (but not on all frames). I shot colour a few weeks back. Didn't use it for a few weeks then took it with me to India and shot 2 films. The developing was done by professional outfit here in Edinburgh - I don't have a developing tank yet (but will soon). I guess I could run a cheap film through and have it developed somewhere else, to see if I'm getting the same problem.

marsbars · Jan 17, 2009

I don't now what kind of shutter that particular camera has but I have and Nikon F2 that has a small tear in the shutter and I have the same streaks on many of my frames. But not all. I think the ones that are good are the ones where I didn't take the lens cap off until right before the shot or hadn't rewound the frame till ready to shoot. But I could be wrong to, as I often am.

nickandre · Jan 17, 2009

That looks like a light leak in tank when developing.

Viggi · Jan 17, 2009

... if it is from a developing tank, then it must be a problem with the developer I use. I will send the next film to a different place, see what comes out. As for the rift in the shutter, that's an interesting suggestion. I started thinking if the photos that did not have the streak were shot in quick succession, hence not exposed to the rift for as long. But I can't be certain.

Thanks for the replies. I hope it is an issue with developing, because I like that little camera.

archphoto · Jan 17, 2009

The Konica has a leaf-shutter, not a focal-plane one. A light-leak in the shutter (it closes not propperly) would show up as a white dot in the middle of the frame.

Peter

John Koehrer · Jan 18, 2009

Check the light seal around the back if they're the least bit sticky or gummy replace them.

phc · Jan 19, 2009

I don't see how it could be a light leak if it only affects the B&W films. A couple of things spring to mind:

Did you shoot more than one B&W film (i.e. what are the others like - could it be a fault with the film)?

Did you leave the B&W film in your checked luggage on the flight (could be x-ray damage)?

Cheers, Paul.

Viggi · Jan 19, 2009

phc said:
I don't see how it could be a light leak if it only affects the B&W films. A couple of things spring to mind:

Did you shoot more than one B&W film (i.e. what are the others like - could it be a fault with the film)?

Did you leave the B&W film in your checked luggage on the flight (could be x-ray damage)?

Cheers, Paul.

I shot two films, different brands. Both had issues. I had my films in my carry-on bag. I'm taking another film in for processing tomorrow. I loaded it after I came back from India. If that one has the some issue, then it must be the camera going wrong between shooting the first colour film and the b&w stuff.

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. I'll update the forum once I get the film back and if I have to work on the seals or fix the camera.

Cheers,
Vignir

Viggi · Jan 19, 2009

By the way Paul, really enjoyed looking through your photo galleries. Some excellent photographs and I like the presentation (the 'grabbed' quote from a conversation in the beginning of each slideshow - sets the mood). Your approach is something I've been working up to - take a camera you are comfortable with (that doesn't leak!) and go on a walk-about; keep it simple but work thoughtfully.

phc · Jan 19, 2009

Thanks Vignir, it's always good to hear when people have enjoyed the pictures. You're dead right about the approach.

I'm updating the website right now (about time!) to incorporate a blog, and also to publicise my new book "The Constant Eye, Vol.1" which should be available any day now...

Have a look back soon!

Cheers, Paul.

haclil · Jan 19, 2009

I'm shooting from the hip here, but the streak does resemble one that plagued my OM4Ti. Well, I thought it was a flaw in the camera. What it was though was light coming in through the eyepiece and somehow reaching the film!

This occurred only when I made long exposures while I stood aside tripping the shutter with a long cable. In your case, could the culprit have been India's very strong light? I wonder.

Anscojohn · Jan 19, 2009

Looks like light leaks because the film cartridge was loaded into the camera with the light trap facing the sun--obviously, a very bright sun.

leicarfcam · Jan 19, 2009

Have you checked the rear door hinge seal??

Usually if it is light bleeding through the felt trap on the cassette it gives an uneven edge appearance instead of a straight edge..

Thomas Bertilsson · Jan 19, 2009

I don't think the camera is the common denominator here, since the color film is fine.

The common denominator is black & white film. Where does the process differ between color and b&w. In developing the film.

So, it's a problem somewhere in the process of processing the film:

1. It's a problem from when you load the film onto the film reels, or
2. It's a problem with the tank, or
3. It's a problem with how the film is processed.

Analyze these three, and I'm sure you'll find your answer. I would start by checking how you load your film and see if there are any light leaks in that process. Then if that doesn't help I'd try a different tank. If that still doesn't help - let someone else brain storm.

- Thomas

Viggi · Jan 20, 2009

By the end of this week I'll hopefully know if the camera is wonky. I've had a look at the seals but nothing obvious there. I'm getting another b&w film developed (Pyramid Imaging in Edinburgh) and tomorrow I'll 'waste' a colour film - shoot through it quickly and get it express developed at Jessops. If both are fine, then I know it was the developing. On top of that, my Nikon dslr is also out of action. But there is no romance to that - just an 'err' message and new internals required. It's like owning a laptop. Thanks all.

lhaggman · Feb 5, 2009

Help can you tell what this is

I had the same problem with vertical light streaks over the pictures. First I thought that it was the camera, an Olympus mju, but after having the same problem with my Nikon F 100, I went to the photo shop where I had the films developed. The light leaks were always on the first and the third neg on the film. The personnel and I found out that it was the little apparatus on their desk that caused the leaks. This is the thing with a crank on the side where they load the film from the cassett into the lighttight box that they then put into their developing machine. The tightening lips of the slit where the film goes in were worn. After noticing this they bought a new loader and the leak was gone, but they got a new problem, the metal tongue that catches the film in the cassette scratches the film, sometimes on the first negative shot.

Help - can you tell what this is?

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