Mamiya RZ67 Light Leak

digicam10 · May 15, 2020

I recently purchased an RZ67 and I'm having trouble figuring out whats causing a light leake in it. It was missing a light seal on the film back door which I've now replaced but I don't think that would have caused it.

I've also noticed that the last photo on both rolls doesn't have the light leak leading me to now think that the leak is towards the front of the camera / the mirror?

Heres a few photos from both the rolls

https://imgur.com/a/wyaQrV9

https://imgur.com/a/MQ2baoN

awty · May 15, 2020

You could get a LED torch or use your phone torch and go into a dark room and shine it inside and out and see if you can find the leak.
I have had leaks in the film holders, they have been diagonal leaks.

Sirius Glass · May 15, 2020

Possible shutter problem. Is the camera returnable? Otherwise I see a trip to camera repair.

MattKing · May 15, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
Possible shutter problem. Is the camera returnable? Otherwise I see a trip to camera repair.

As it uses leaf shutters, I wouldn't be looking there.
Don't forget that the rotating adapter can also be a source of leaks.

roblopes · May 15, 2020

digicam10 said:
I recently purchased an RZ67 and I'm having trouble figuring out whats causing a light leake in it. It was missing a light seal on the film back door which I've now replaced but I don't think that would have caused it.

I've also noticed that the last photo on both rolls doesn't have the light leak leading me to now think that the leak is towards the front of the camera / the mirror?

Heres a few photos from both the rolls

https://imgur.com/a/wyaQrV9

https://imgur.com/a/MQ2baoN

Weird to see such a defined straight line and in the middle. I thought I read that the RB67 SD and the RZ don't have light seals. Since it's in the middle of the image and not the edges, I'd guess there's a crack somewhere on the film back on the slide side?

awty · May 15, 2020

roblopes said:
Weird to see such a defined straight line and in the middle. I thought I read that the RB67 SD and the RZ don't have light seals. Since it's in the middle of the image and not the edges, I'd guess there's a crack somewhere on the film back on the slide side?

The shots are in portrait, so could be on the hinge door. Pretty easy to redo the light seals on the film backs.
If the last exposure is good then the leak would be on the feed side as you roll the last one away and doesn't sit in the leak.

digicam10 · May 15, 2020

awty said:
The shots are in portrait, so could be on the hinge door. Pretty easy to redo the light seals on the film backs.
If the last exposure is good then the leak would be on the feed side as you roll the last one away and doesn't sit in the leak.

Awesome, I’ll go about redoing all the seals on that side and take some shots in landscape, as well as taping the dark slide for a few of the shots.

awty · May 15, 2020

That would be the opening side, so make sure there is no buckling of the clip and the clip is holding the door tight. I have been known to tape up the outside especially when using faster film.
The RZ is a love hate relationship for me, most have been used by professionals and are knocked about, the camera itself is a pain to use, but the lenses are beautiful. I keep mine just because of the great lenses, otherwise it would be in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean by now.

shutterfinger · May 15, 2020

When doing your test with film make note of where the mail light source is with respect to the film plane.

digicam10 · May 18, 2020

shutterfinger said:
When doing your test with film make note of where the mail light source is with respect to the film plane.

I’ve just got my roll back and theres light leaks even on the photos that I had the back taped up, the leaks are stronger when shooting a bright subject, and some of the darker subjects have a straight white line through the photo. Could this be a lens issue or bellows issue at this point?

digicam10 · May 18, 2020

Both leaks also do not change with orientation, here is some more photos
https://imgur.com/gallery/SldnWK0

chris77 · May 18, 2020

The only objectif i could imagine to cause such a straight line is the mirror. Have you tried expose with mirror lock up and cable?

digicam10 · May 18, 2020

Wo

chris77 said:
The only objectif i could imagine to cause such a straight line is the mirror. Have you tried expose with mirror lock up and cable?

Its identical on all images though despite changing shutter speed is that possible?

MattKing · May 18, 2020

digicam10 said:
Wo

Its identical on all images though despite changing shutter speed is that possible?

The shutter is, of course, in the lens, so a change in shutter speed won't normally have any effect on a problem arising from a mirror that is not moving eentirely out of the way or into the correct position.
I'm wondering if the light could be coming from the viewfinder.

John Koehrer · May 19, 2020

Is it there in a vertical?

digicam10 · May 19, 2020

Yea it is John.

Only reason I thought the shutter speed might effect the line is because it being faster may cause the line to be lower down. That line was also not on the first two rolls I shot. As for it coming from the viewfinder, is that possible?

shutterfinger · May 19, 2020

In total darkness with the back removed, mirror up, lens shutter closed shine a bright flashlight in through the rear of the camera while observing the view screen moving the light around the perimeter of the mirror frame then at the lens and around the edge of the lens. Anything other than pure black is a light leak. A bent or warped shutter blade can cause a light leak. Any area of the image path that is not flat black can reflect light onto the film. The rotating adapter on Mamiya cameras is a common source of light leaks.

MattKing · May 19, 2020

digicam10 said:
As for it coming from the viewfinder, is that possible?

Yes, if there are problems with the mirror not being positioned correctly.

roblopes · May 19, 2020

digicam10 said:
Both leaks also do not change with orientation, here is some more photos
https://imgur.com/gallery/SldnWK0

The image is exposed based on whatever shutter speed and then re exposed somewhere in transit to the next frame without exposing the next frame ready to be exposed. Once the frame is on the pickup spool, it's no longer possible to expose to light because of the paper backing and, well, it's spooled.

The images you linked, the angle towards the light determines how much light is getting in. One is brighter than the other.

I had something similar on my Canon F-1 and the issue was fixed by just getting the light seals all removed, but I think the light was coming in near the top right and some angles of the soccer field made the image leak brighter than other angles. I say it's similar because I saw that it was properly exposed and then light hit the image somewhere else down the line. I had light at the edge of the frame to help figure out where it was coming from.

monopix · May 20, 2020

digicam10 said:
Both leaks also do not change with orientation, here is some more photos
https://imgur.com/gallery/SldnWK0

They don't change relative to the back but they do change relative to the body so the problem is in the back, not in the body. If this was coming from the body then the leak would stay horizontal regardless of the position of the back.

Put in a film. In a darkened room, wind on a couple of frames but don't expose them. Wind on another and give an exposure. Before winding on again, expose the camera/back to strong light all around. A flash fired at close range usually works. Now wind on a couple of more blank frames. Use the rest of the film if you want. Develop. You'll get one frame with a couple of blank frames either side. Hopefully, you'll also get the leak appear. You can now tell exactly where the leak is relative to the single exposed frame. This is my standard procedure for finding leaks and it works every time. Fixing them may not be so easy.

digicam10 · May 20, 2020

The one thing throwing me off is that I had the film back taped up for the first 3 photos of the recent roll I took, and they all had light leaks. Would this point to the problem being the rotating adapter? I can't see any dents in the rotating adapter either though.
I'll have a look for light leaks again in a pitch black room, replace all the seals on the film back and take another test roll

awty · May 20, 2020

Do you have just one film back?
Still think its a Leakey film back. Hard to tape it all up and use and tape isnt always light proof.
The dark slide can leak as well.
I would suggest replacing all the seals.
Best way to test the film back would be to load it with film, take the dark slide out completely cover the back with light proof material take some pictures in strong sun light, then take the cover off and finish the roll. This will prove whether its the film holder or camera.
I have two film holders one which I replaced the seals and get no light leaks and one I hadn't which occasionally leaks even though the original seals look good.
Not sure if its possible to test the film holder for leaks with a torch. Can test the camera and bellows with a torch.

digicam10 · May 20, 2020

Unfortunately the other one I was given was broken and the guy wasn't sure what was wrong (it feels like a cog is broken, it wont advance when using the winder).
I've replaced all the light seals and will shoot another roll

digicam10 · May 22, 2020

So I got a message from another user to check the baffle and mirror. It looks like the baffle isnt going all the way up.
Is this tough/expensive to repair and if so should I try and get a refund from the original owner? I think I paid a pretty
reasonable price for the camera so if getting it repaired isnt astronomical I may go that route.

Image of the baffle
https://imgur.com/kSeAnBJ

Ian C · May 22, 2020

When I looked at mine over several cycles in the shutter-fired position, the baffle appears to be horizontal and well clear of the lens. I have to look upward from the rear (back removed) to see it.

Anytime a camera of this complexity has to be disassembled or partially disassembled, repaired, and reassembled by an experienced technician, the charge will be significant. The biggest problem at this point is finding a competent technician with the experience to do the job. Parts are likely to be scarce, since the RZ67, Pro II, and Pro IID are out of production. I don’t think that Mamiya has much of a business in photo products at this point.

I just checked the B&H website in NYC. B&H is the largest photo dealer in the U.S. It has very little Mamiya equipment listed.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/Mamiya-Medium-Format/ci/5295/N/4232860588?origSearch=mamiya

I don’t know if the baffle is your problem, but it seems a possible explanation.

This is a complex camera and repair should only be attempted by a QUALIFIED technician with experience with this model. Good luck in finding one.

https://mypages.unh.edu/sites/defau...iya_rz67_repair_manual-part1_reduced_size.pdf

Mamiya RZ67 Light Leak

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