What's wrong with my Nikon FE? Shutter problem, light leak?

[scathontiphat]

hello all. You'll have to forgive my ignorance, but i've never had a camera problem before other than the camera completely not working. I was wondering if anyone can tell whats wrong just just from seeing these negatives. See attached "scans" from the negatives (sorry for the quality, the scan is just the negatives tapes to some paper in from of the window and snapped with my iphone)

it's particularly pronounced on frames 16, 32,34,36, although you can see it to a lesser extent on a couple of the other frames.

thanks a bunch for any ideas on what the problem is and how I fix it!

 

[ME Super]

If I were to guess (and this is just a guess), if say the film isn't being held tightly against the rails by the pressure plate, and light is therefore leaking around the edges of the frame during exposure.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

In my uneducated opinion it appears to be a light leak. The higher the ambient light the worse the problem. I'm sure someone will come along and confirm or deny.

 

[shutterfinger]

What you see as an image in normal viewing position is upside down and reversed in the camera therefore the washed out top right of the image is the bottom left of the camera. Its definitely a light leak and the severity is determined by the intensity of the light source and how you are holding the camera.
1. Replace the light seals in the camera back. There are several post about light seal replacement and sources for them.
2. Check the back hinge for play and the latch to hold the back closed with no movement. Worn seals will allow play so replace the light seals first.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

What shutterfinger said. Also, I've had a couple FM/FE bodies with slightly warped backs. Had one on an FE2 a while back. Swapped the back with a beater FM2n that I also owned at the time, and the problem disappeared from the FE2, moving to the FM2n.

-J

 

[scathontiphat]

Thanks a bunch guys! will try replacing the light seals.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

That leak looks to me like it is throwing a shadow on the film and the edges aren't exposed so it is probably a leak from the mirror box or an internal leak and probably not bad seals on the rear door. It seems that the shutter is leaking when you wind it so it only shows up when you have it pointed at something bright. Check the shutter blades to see if any are deformed.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG

A light leak is the most likely cause of the problem. Replace your light seals.

 

[ColColt]

Just for the heck of it, open the back and advance the lever till you see both curtains. There should be no separation between them. I had that problem with an F2A and was getting light leaks. Sover fixed the curtains and all is well. This is what mine looked like...shouldn't be any space.

_DEF5144a by David Fincher, on Flickr

 

[georg16nik]

ColColt, FE uses vertical Copal shutter; not horizontal double curtain.
OP issues are most likely due to deteriorated seals - mirror chamber and the one at the back hinges and less likely the “channel” seals.
The usual SLR disaster, with only cure being seals replacement every other decade, depending on environment conditions...

Just for the heck of it, open the back and advance the lever till you see both curtains. There should be no separation between them. I had that problem with an F2A and was getting light leaks. Sover fixed the curtains and all is well. This is what mine looked like...shouldn't be any space.

_DEF5144a by David Fincher, on Flickr

 

[John Koehrer]

The FE series has a vertical travel, metal bladed shutter. Could happen, not likely though.