Is my film holder leaking?

[Ariston]

Is this a light leak, or a processing error (on the left side)? I have heard of foggy film from insufficient fixing - should I put it through the fix again?

 

[Doremus Scudder]

You most likely pulled the spring back away from the camera body slightly when pulling or inserting the filmholder or the holder wasn't seated properly in the grooves. This happens often, especially to beginners (not to say I don't do it more than I like...). The solution is make sure the holder is seated properly and to pinch the spring back to the camera body with your free hand when pulling/inserting the darkslide.

Best,

Doremus

 

[Ariston]

You most likely pulled the spring back away from the camera body slightly when pulling or inserting the filmholder or the holder wasn't seated properly in the grooves. This happens often, especially to beginners (not to say I don't do it more than I like...). The solution is make sure the holder is seated properly and to pinch the spring back to the camera body with your free hand when pulling/inserting the darkslide.

Best,

Doremus

So no chance this is in processing? The dark slide is in when I put the film holder in, and I am always careful about removing the dark slide. This is a new (to me) film holder, so I was thinking maybe the light trap is bad. I took three other variations of this scene, with no problems...

EDIT: Also, this appears to be just the center of the left side, not top to bottom, that is why I was considering it wasn't fixed enough.

 

[shutterfinger]

Check your camera back. Dust and lint builds up in the light trap grove and the ends of the film holder seat preventing the holder from fitting in fully.

 

[Ariston]

It has to be a light leak, or user error in taking the photo. I put it back in the fix, with no effect. My other film holder that leaks shows a much more gradated leak - hard on the edge and tapering. This looked more like a homogenous fog, so it threw me.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

So no chance this is in processing? The dark slide is in when I put the film holder in, and I am always careful about removing the dark slide. This is a new (to me) film holder, so I was thinking maybe the light trap is bad. I took three other variations of this scene, with no problems...

EDIT: Also, this appears to be just the center of the left side, not top to bottom, that is why I was considering it wasn't fixed enough.

I doubt it is a processing error unless you've exposed the negative to light during processing somehow. The pattern is typical of a light leak from the spring back.

That said, you can easily check the light trap by loading the holder (with paper is cheaper, but film works better), inserting the holder into the camera (make sure it's seated properly), and exposing the light trap area to light by pulling the slide and letting light strike the trap area for a while. Re-insert the slide and develop the sheet. Be careful that the spring back is not pulled away from the camera body during this process or you'll end up with ambiguous results.

Best,

Doremus

 

[Bob S]

What camera? Which film holders?
For instance, the last series of Lisco Regal 45 holders had very sharp, and rough, bottom edges that would not let the holder slide all the way into a Linhof 45 until those edges wore down or were sanded or filed smooth. Result, holder felt like it was fully inserted but wasn’t and resulted in edge fogging.

 

[Ariston]

It is an older Wista 45 camera, and Fidelity Elite holder. I think Doremus is right about me pulling out on the holder. It clicked firmly in place when I inserted the holder, so I must have inadvertently pulled on it when I removed the dark slide, even though I've never done that. I've inspected the camera and holder and everything looks okay, but I will be redundant when using that side of that holder on my next trip.

I am not new at 4x5, but I am not seasoned, either. I am still learning. I am happy, because it could have been a lot worse. And man was it a fun outing.

 

[Bob S]

Then take a fine file and the suspect holder. File a small notch on one side and two on the other. Then you can easily ID which, if either, side is bad.

 

[Vaughn]

The film was in the holder when it was fogged -- the clear rebate indicates that. Since the fogging is at the end of the holder where one inserts the darkslide, the fogging mostly occurred (if it happened during exposing) while just removing the darkslide or just starting to reinsert the darkslide. It is possible, but usually it is all the way across the end of the film. As you mentioned a bad light trap is a possibility.

Possibility: Load a piece of photo paper in the holder and play with it in the sun for awhile -- and/or loaded with paper, put the holder in the camera and pull the darkslide out while in the sun -- and develop the paper(s) and check for fogging.

Or do the equivilent of a bellows check and put the holder in the camera, remove darkslide, turn off the lights and shine a flashlight through the light trap -- check thru the front to see if any light visible inside the camera.

 

[Ian C]

It’s possible that the light trap where the slide is inserted/removed isn’t sealing properly. I have a couple of very-old holders that had to be scrapped for this reason.

You can test them in the dark with a small flashlight. Remove the slides and hold the lamp-end of the flashlight facing against the septum and the OD of the light against the shoulder of the holder (just inside the film area). Each slot must be tested separately. You should see no light coming from the slot in the top end of the holder in a dark room. This was how I discovered that two of my old holders had leaking light traps (not repairable).

 

[Ariston]

Thanks everyone. I will be following all the advice. I have my holders labeled, so I know which holder and which side it is.

 

[George Collier]

Something I think I see - the fogged area appears to be only midway up the left side, a soft area, and doesn't go all the way to the top or bottom. Reminds me of what might happen when "pinching" the holder when out of the camera, slides in, maybe when pulling it out of or putting back into whatever you carry them in (or pulling out of the camera). It's always best to pull or carry the holder at the sides, not the front or back. The fogged area not going too far up or down makes me think that it's not opening the spring of the back, which would fog along the whole edge.
I agree, though, not in the processing.

 

[Ariston]

I've checked the holder with a light and checked the camera (it would be on the insertion side), and everything looks okay. I assume I did something wrong. Both photos from that holder have the fog, so maybe I pinched it. They were duplicates from the same position (one polarized, one not), where I did have to reach to insert the holder, so maybe I did inadvertantly pull on it.

I don't know. I'm going to try the camera and holder again on a bright day for a test. We'll see.

Thanks again, everybody.