Light Struck Film

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

I don't know if this is the best place for this but after shooting a test roll of slides I found out of the 36 exposure roll there were about 12 that appeared to be light struck usually in the upper left corner of a horizontal exposure. It mattered not the lens used. This is a pristine Nikon F2A from a collector so I doubt it's the camera. I've never had a Nikon do this.

The slide film was developed by Dwayne's and I suspect, thought just a guess, light may have struck those areas some way during development. Here's a few examples. I made no attempt to color correct, sharpen, etc., I just wanted to show what I'm talking about. Any guesses where the problem could be?

Bub031 by David Fincher, on Flickr

Tom032 by David Fincher, on Flickr

If you were to turn this one horizontal the light leak would be n the same place as the others.

Flow033 by David Fincher, on Flickr

MattKing · Aug 1, 2015

Most likely a problem with a light seal that needs renewal.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

There are no light seals that I can see...none on the door area. My Nikkormat FT3 doens't have them either.

Sirius Glass · Aug 1, 2015

MattKing said:
Most likely a problem with a light seal that needs renewal.

My first suspect. Then Dwayne's would be next. I stopped using then because they were sloppy.

shutterfinger · Aug 1, 2015

The light leak on all images is occurring on the lower right corner of the film plane of the camera when looking at it with the camera back open. Check the foam around the mirror box especially the top. Make sure the focus screen is properly installed. Check that the mirror is seating fully when in the up position. With the mirror up shine a bright light in through the viewfinder eyepiece while checking the mirror for light leaking from around it.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

All seems well except for the seal that's at the door latch. It's partially deteriorated so, I just scraped it out to have a clean channel for a new seal. Could that have been the problem?

jimjm · Aug 1, 2015

David -

First question: does the light leak extend to the rebate areas of the negative, outside of the frame? If so, I'd suspect a leak around the back of the camera, or faulty processing. Shoot a second roll and take it to another processor, or develop yourself, and you'll probably be able to eliminate lab error if it happens again. It's also possible you had a faulty film canister that allowed light to leak in from the cap end or slot - but since the leak appears in the exact same area on certain frames, I doubt it.

All my F2 bodies (old and new) do have foam seals in the door channels on the body. If yours does not, or they are crumbling or compressed, you may have light leaking in from here. Even a pristine body needs new seals after a certain number of years. Holding the camera a certain way may have pushed the back shut so that you did not have this problem on some frames. Even a tiny leak from the back can cause this if the frame sits in the gate for an extended period of time. If you took several shots in succession, some frames might not have been "paused" in the gate long enough for the leak to show up. Also check for any bright reflective areas in the film chambers or on the back, like scratched paint, that may be causing a reflection when the shutter opens.

If the leak is only within the area of the frame, I'd look at a leak or reflection that's coming from the mirror box or lens mount area. Remove the back, fire the shutter on B and inspect this area from the front and back for any scratches or surfaces that could be causing a reflection. Even a missing screw from the lens mount area could be a problem. Make sure there's no light coming thru the curtains when they're closed or around the edges of the film gate, when the shutter is cocked and not.

Mount one of the leneses you used, and try the mirror box inspection again, holding the camera against a bright light. Stop the lens down and look for any leaks around the lens mount area, or reflections inside the mirror box.

Otherwise, F2's are pretty bombproof and the cause is probably a simple one. I have an old F2 that looks like it was dragged behind a truck - operates perfectly and smooth as silk.

Good Luck!

Jim

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

I took a pic of the two curtains together, half cocked film adavace lever. I don't know if this is normal or not.

_DEF5144a by David Fincher, on Flickr

I then took the lens off, locked the mirror up, cocked the shutter and opened the back. I then took a small light and shinned it through the front and saw no light leak. However, when I tripped the shutter and shined the light again you could see a bit of light at the far left corner running top to bottom where the metal tab would be.

jimjm · Aug 1, 2015

Looks like you found your problem.

Those should be overlapping so that there's no gap visible. At minimum you'll need a shutter adjustment, possibly an overhaul just to be safe.

shutterfinger · Aug 1, 2015

Horizontal travel focal plane shutters have 2 curtains with a light sealing edge between the two curtains. The only time there should be a gap between them is during shutter release, the gap width will vary according to the speed selected. The most likely cause of the pictured problem is the lubrication on the curtain drums dried out preventing them from turning smoothly.

You should have the camera serviced by an experienced Nikon technician.
P.S.
Your camera may need new shutter curtains. The curtains should be smooth and wrinkle free, yours show early stages of the rubberized coating on the cloth drying out.

jimjm · Aug 1, 2015

shutterfinger said:
Horizontal travel focal plane shutters have 2 curtains with a light sealing edge between the two curtains. The only time there should be a gap between them is during shutter release, the gap width will vary according to the speed selected. The most likely cause of the pictured problem is the lubrication on the curtain drums dried out preventing them from turning smoothly.

You should have the camera serviced by an experienced Nikon technician.
P.S.
Your camera may need new shutter curtains. The curtains should be smooth and wrinkle free, yours show early stages of the rubberized coating on the cloth drying out.

F2 curtains are titanium foil. Likely improper tension or adjustment of the right curtain is causing the gap and the wrinkle you see here.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

The camera is as new. It's never been used. These problems shouldn't be there. As mentioned, it was owned by a collector not a shooter. The shutter curtain should be as new.

If it looked like this I wouldn't question a shutter problem but it doesn't look anything like this.

http://soverf2repair.webs.com/Shutter_curtains.htm

jimjm · Aug 1, 2015

David - The curtains themselves don't look damaged to me, but something's definitely mechanically wrong with the second curtain. Most likely someone fiddled with it or stuck a finger where it doesn't belong. I've never seen this specific problem with an F2 before ... these shutters were built to withstand extended professional use.

I'd ask the seller for a refund as the camera is not functional in this condition. This damage could only be caused by some type of abuse. Sometimes it's better to buy a camera that has seen regular use - it's possible this one has been like this for decades and no one's known.

You can try contacting Sover Wong or Cameraquest to get a quote on the repair cost. It may or may not be more than the value of the body.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

This camera was mint when I received it. You could have pulled one out of the box in 1977 and it would have looked no different from this one. That's why all this doesn't make sense. If it were a curtain problem looks like the light strikes would be on every frame.

F2APristineBack by David Fincher, on Flickr

F2APristine by David Fincher, on Flickr

bdial · Aug 1, 2015

Aging lubricants don't particularly care of the camera was used or not, if anything, that it sat idle for an extended time is probably a worse situation than if it was used.
I don't remember the specs. but I'm sure that an F2 has a titanium shutter, all the other F's do. If it sat for years all that time coiled, I suppose it may have distorted the shutter curtains some.
I agree with the others that it should have a trip to a technician for evaluation, servicing and fresh lube.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

If someone hadn't advanced the film and left the shutter cocked for years the spring wouldn't' be coiled. I don't know, it's puzzling to me and I'm grasping at straws. I've had maybe ten Nikons over the years to include another F2A and F2 Photomic and none of them have ever done this...not even the FTN Photomic as old as my three are.

Sirius Glass · Aug 1, 2015

ColColt said:
This camera was mint when I received it. You could have pulled one out of the box in 1977 and it would have looked no different from this one. That's why all this doesn't make sense. If it were a curtain problem looks like the light strikes would be on every frame.

F2APristineBack by David Fincher, on Flickr

F2APristine by David Fincher, on Flickr

New or used a camera that has sat unused for years will require a CLA. That has been my experience.

Xmas · Aug 1, 2015

The F2 cameras don't need any back foam but you can replace any you removed with mouse mat and double sided pressure sensitive tape or a package from Jon Goodmann Google.

They need foam in mirror box!

If you have a gap between curtains the shutter tapes have stretched they should over lap about 2mm at mid frame. I not fire the shutter again myself until after a rebuild.

An F2 will work after it hits ferro concrete or falls down a flight of stairs don't recommend but they really do, never tried sitting on a shelf for forty years...

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

If someone has an F2 look at the curtain with the film advance lever half way like advancing the film and see if the curtains look like the one I posted in post #7. I'm awfully curious if here's a gap in any others like this.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

I was hoping this would be something I could fix myself but all indications lead me to believe it won't be. Very odd, this problem on such a "new" camera. If fixing the door latch seal doesn't work I guess it's off to Sover when he gets back from vacation. I didn't want to do that but, you do what you have to do.

I do greatly appreciate those that have helped in trying to analyze this problem, sight unseen.

John Koehrer · Aug 1, 2015

You're rationalizing the problem in your mind. It shouldn't/couldn't be, but yet it is.
The reason it's like that doesn't matter. The problem IS the gap between the curtains.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

You're right. Is this something I could fix?

Chan Tran · Aug 1, 2015

ColColt said:
You're right. Is this something I could fix?

Something you can try. Use it a lot it may fix itself. Remember your camera is about 40 years old and not new.

jimjm · Aug 1, 2015

There's definitely some type of damage to the shutter mechanism, whether from mishandling or being left cocked on a shelf for years. There should be no gap in the curtains when advancing to the next frame.

This may not have affected all frames if no light was coming thru the lens when you advanced the film, like if you had the lens cap on. It's also possible the gap is intermittent, maybe depending on the shutter speed you have set.

Here's a shot of my beater F2 with the shutter half-way advanced.

shutterfinger · Aug 1, 2015

Go to: http://arcticwolfs.net/ click on the F2 under cameras then download the resulting PDF repair manual when it finishes loading.
Now do you really want to attempt to repair the shutter? If not put the repair manual on a thumb drive and take it to the repair shop along with the camera.

Light Struck Film

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