Is this a light leak?

gone · Feb 22, 2015

These few frames on my Nikkormat baffle me. I haven't had any issues w/ the camera before this, but these sure look like light leaks. The odd thing is that these bad frames were night shots. All the daytime shots are fine. There MAY have been a street light above me at the time, but would that do this? Wouldn't the day shots be more prone to a light leak?

snapguy · Feb 22, 2015

Kinda hard to tell but my guess is that you have issues with the film development/fixing, not light leaks.

480sparky · Feb 22, 2015

I'd say it is. It's roughly in the same place for each frame. That's hard to do when during developing / fixing as the chemicals don't know where the frames are.

Next time you're out shooting, try to take a quick shot after another. Make note of what the first what was of, then fire off another as fast as you can. My guess is the second shot won't have that dark spot.

gone · Feb 22, 2015

Thanks. I'm still wondering how I got a light leak when shooting at night, and not when I was in the bright sun, but when I think back I may have been standing under a street light when I took these bad frames. The leak seems to have come in from the bottom of the negs and sort of peters out by the time it gets to the top.

The film image is actually upside down in the camera right? I remember this from shooting LF, but is that so in 35mm? If so, that's probably it. If the image isn't upside down, then the light leak would have to have come from the bottom, which is unlikely, as all that was there was the sidewalk.

MartinCrabtree · Feb 22, 2015

It moves a bit. Like the shutter speeds have changed. How long since the camera's seen a CLA?

Sirius Glass · Feb 22, 2015

MartinCrabtree said:
It moves a bit. Like the shutter speeds have changed. How long since the camera's seen a CLA?

A CLA and light seals might be a good investment whether or not it has to do with development would be a good investment.

MartinP · Feb 22, 2015

It looks as though the affected area is outside the frame and repeated on each one? So all the usual flare possibilities are rulled out, as is a leak in the processing tank (as it would be extremely unlikely to match the frame spacing).

A Nikkormat always has a metal-bladed Copal style shutter doesn't it? I just double-checked on my FT2 and it runs vertically, so this probably rules out a sticky shutter.

If these are only in night-time pictures than it suggests that the exposures were longer, plus perhaps more time between shots, with the camera in a similar position on a tripod perhaps and the mystery mark is strongest at the top right of the camera -- all that might suggest a tiny leak which is from the top of the camera but which is usually not enough to be a problem with normal use/movement of the camera in daylight (which sounds not possible, but...) ?? How about a leak via the stop-down button, or maybe via missing seal on the back? Does the tripod mounting press on the back of the camera at all?

It is a puzzle indeed.

Dr Croubie · Feb 22, 2015

Yeah, it's outside the frame, and looks to be coming in from the edge, not from the lens.
Back not shutting properly? Not sure why it's on these and not others then.
If these were long night exposures, was it on a tripod? And the rest of the film handheld?
Could the tension from screwing into the tripod but opening up a crack somewhere?

gone · Feb 22, 2015

I just checked the camera, and the back has a rusty spot on the bottom where the paint is missing, on the lip that fits into the light seal channel of the body. That spot is also in line w/ the edge of the shutter, about where the leak shows on the neg.That may be the issue. I'll tape the back up and re shoot the shots at night under that street light and see what happens.

Thinking about it (I don't have another roll of film to load into the camera), the image would have to be reversed and upside down, just like a LF view camera. So the street light must have been bouncing off the sidewalk, or otherwise coming in at some sort of angle, and hitting that rusted out area on the bottom of the back.

MattKing · Feb 22, 2015

Were you using a re-loadable cassette? If so, I would check it.

gone · Feb 22, 2015

Nope, no reloadable cassette.

Here's one that came out pretty OK. I took these during the half time of the Stupid Bowl, and was just wandering around late at night in Daytona Beach by the oceanfront. Handheld at about 1/4 second, braced on a lamp pole. Arista Ultra EDU 100 w/ Mic-X at 1:2 for 20 minutes at 68 degrees. First time I ever tried night photography.

Ian Grant · Feb 22, 2015

Light seal I think, it's not constantly spaced but maybe worse when you rewind, that's the top edge of the film in the camera and maybe you turn the camera over slightly, As the edge is fogged the worst it's fairly conclusive, a very small light leak only showing upwhen the camera's held with it's back facing upwards.

Ian

albada · Feb 23, 2015

momus said:
These few frames on my Nikkormat baffle me. I haven't had any issues w/ the camera before this, but these sure look like light leaks. The odd thing is that these bad frames were night shots. All the daytime shots are fine. There MAY have been a street light above me at the time, but would that do this? Wouldn't the day shots be more prone to a light leak?

Yep, that's a light-leak. I just examined the take-up area of my Nikkormat, and the take-up spool rotates clockwise while winding, leaving the emulsion facing outward, where it's vulnerable. In addition, there's little sheet-metal around there to baffle light, so the camera is relying heavily on the foam seals, which have deteriorated badly on my camera (and probably yours too).

Next time, after closing the back, try taping-over the hinge and nearby slots with black electrical tape.

Mark Overton

Doremus Scudder · Feb 23, 2015

I'll put my money on a light leak in the camera back too. Keep in mind that your image is upside-down in-camera. it would appear that the leak is on the top of the back on one side (hard to tell the orientation of the film in your photo, but once you figure out how it sat in the camera, the spot should be obvious).

Best,

Doremus

Sirius Glass · Feb 23, 2015

Doremus Scudder said:
I'll put my money on a light leak in the camera back too. Keep in mind that your image is upside-down in-camera. it would appear that the leak is on the top of the back on one side (hard to tell the orientation of the film in your photo, but once you figure out how it sat in the camera, the spot should be obvious).

Best,

Doremus

+1

Is this a light leak?

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