So where is my light leak?

[mark]

The last time I used my field camera I got my chromes back showing a clear lightleak at the top of the film back, but a little ways down from the top. It has been a long dry spell for photography around these parts so I never got around to really identifying the source of the leak. I assumed it was loose springs, and the weight of the Fuji QL holder was letting the light in.

Well, last night insomnia hit pretty hard and I figured, since it was dark and I was not sleeping, that I would see where the light leak was.

I took the lens board off. Blocked the ground glass with some cardboard and peered through the front while holding a flashlight above the back.....No light leak.

I put the Ql holder in the camera and held the flashlight over the back....No light leak.

Where the hell is my light leak?

Every chrome shot with the camera and the QL hlder on that outing was in the vertical position and showed a light leak in the same spot.

Could light be coming in from the top of the QL holder when the QL light shield is raised? How would I test for this?

 

[Richard T Ritter]

What Type of camera?
Can you post a picture of the leak?
From reading the post I would say the QL holder is not sitting right. Try a film holder.
Check the lock groove I found a manufacture made a run of cameras with the lock groove at the wrong depth and would cause problems with quick load holders.

Richard T Ritter
www.lg4mat.net
www.finefocusworkshops.com

 

[bazz8]

light leak

Put some cut to size pieces of photographic paper and expose that to the light for 10 minutes or so, then drop the paper in to the dev and check it out each holder,on my cambo the springs on the back were loose so I placed a spacer around the spring ( 1/8th por rivett and cut of the head and the back holds bach so much better as long as i place the dd in properley.
hope you get on well my problem lasted for a year blaming every thing else exept the real problem,go jigure
regards
BarryTreleaven

 

[mark]

What Type of camera?
Can you post a picture of the leak?
From reading the post I would say the QL holder is not sitting right. Try a film holder.
Check the lock groove I found a manufacture made a run of cameras with the lock groove at the wrong depth and would cause problems with quick load holders.

Richard T Ritter
www.lg4mat.net
www.finefocusworkshops.com

Camera-Prinzdorf
Can't post pictures because I have no scanner to do that.

Lock groove, Hadn't thought about that.

Bazz,
If it was was the springs I assume I would have saw some light when the QL holder was in....Right?

I was just thinking....
If I take the spring back off and replace it with My Sinar back, since they are both graphloc (I think that is the word) then I should be able to shoot and see if I get the light leaks. My Sinar does not leak.

 

[Struan Gray]

I had a similar but subtle leak when using Fuji QuickChange cartridges with their holder in my Sinar. After much fruitless searching for static light leaks I eventually decided I must have been flexing the back away from the camera body when operating the various push-pull mechanisms. I started engaging the Graflok slides without bothering to remove the gg frame: i.e. I would slide the film holder into the camera under the gg, and then engage the slides. It takes little time and effort, and I haven't had a leak since.

 

[mark]

Now there is a thought. Thanks Struan.

 

[edebill]

Could something have gotten on the QL holder that kept it from getting a good seal?

I had a problem for a while with one of my film holders, where the darkslide didn't want to go in and engage fully. It took me a while to realize a few grains of sand had gotten under the loading flap at the bottom and were keeping it from going all the way closed. Maybe something similar could have happened to you.

You may now know if it's working again without running more film through it