What Happened to this sheet of film?

[sruddy]

I can’t imagine what happed to the two 4x5 exposures I took outside today. They both were in the same holder. The other one I took in the studio to see how small dof was at 5.6 and 3’ with 150mm lens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Leaking film holder. It leaks on both sides.

 

[shutterfinger]

The film holders are not seating fully into the camera back, clean the edges of the film holding area.
The other possibility is you are pulling the film holder out of the back as you pull the darkslide. By the time you get the darkslide 3/4 the way out the flexibility of the darkslide allows the film holder to set back into the camera back engaging the light seal ridges of the film holder. Weak focus panel springs can be a contributing factor also.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

+1

Make sure the ridges on the filmholder fit into the recesses in the camera back. Check to make sure the holder is seated properly and that no one has added extra gaskets, etc. to the seat. When photographing, pinch the spring back to the camera body with your free hand while removing/inserting the darkslide to prevent your pulling the back open inadvertently.

Doremus

 

[sruddy]

Ok Thanks all, I have only shot about 15 sheets of film so far. 4x5 is new to me. I havent had this issue before and was thrown off that it happend to both sheets of film in the same holder with the same amount of leak. I wrote off the holder being bad as I feel I should be able to see a defect that caused it. I use a polaroid viewer which stresses the spring a bit but weird it would be the same after flipping the holder. I put a rubber band on the part that had a very slight sag and will try again today.

 

[shutterfinger]

http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf

The View I has base movements and a shorter rail than the View II. https://www.graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/GraphicView.html
The operate basically the same. your camera has a Graflok back. Slide the Graflok sliders against the film holder snugly to help hold it in place.
Push in on the ribbed areas of the arms equally and slide the focus panel to the right to remove it. Inspect the corners of the film holder seat and light seal grove for dust or other debris. Clean as needed. To reinstall the focus panel sit the focus panel flat the the camera back with the arms to the right of the locking pins then push the panel to the left until it locks in place.

 

[sruddy]

http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf

The View I has base movements and a shorter rail than the View II. https://www.graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/GraphicView.html
The operate basically the same. your camera has a Graflok back. Slide the Graflok sliders against the film holder snugly to help hold it in place.
Push in on the ribbed areas of the arms equally and slide the focus panel to the right to remove it. Inspect the corners of the film holder seat and light seal grove for dust or other debris. Clean as needed. To reinstall the focus panel sit the focus panel flat the the camera back with the arms to the right of the locking pins then push the panel to the left until it locks in place.

Thank you, I have both and put together a II with the best parts and longest rail.

 

[shutterfinger]

http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphicView2Service.pdf

 

[Doremus Scudder]

How hard is it to remove that reflex viewer before inserting the filmholder? That would solve your problem if, indeed, the viewer is pulling the spring back open.

And, if that is what's happening, it may be affecting focus as well, as the ground glass may not be in the proper position when viewing. Most of us are fine with the upside-down and right-to-left reversed image on the ground glass. Do you really need the accessory?

Best,

Doremus

 

[bluechromis]

As a test, you could take a film holder w/ one sheet and not put it in the camera, not remove the dark slide and expose to light. Then develop the sheet. That would tell you if the problem is limited to the film holder or if there are issues with the camera.