Is this a light leak?

<p>I recently acquired a 5x7 Plaubel view camera, absolutely love it!!! All of a sudden, my Hasselblad negs look like miniature toy versions. Got a bunch of used film holders, some had minor light leaks at the corners, one I had to toss out, but in a few shots I got strange reflects in the center of the image. Are these light leaks also, or where do these reflections come from? This is not a scanner problem, the reflections are (unfortunately) on the negatives. I attach two photos. These were in the same holder (but on different sides), I am puzzled how very much similar these reflections look. Any advice very much appreciated!</p><div></div>

<p>And here is the second one, same film holder, but different side.</p><div></div>

<p>Yes, you have a light leak. The question is where.<br>

1. look at the grove in the camera back at the film holder insertion side that the rib on the film holder fits into, Is it clean with no dust or lint buildup? Pay attention to the corners. <br>

2. do the film holders have 2 ribs about 30mm apart?<br>

3. Is there any buildup at the end of the film holder opening that could prevent a film holder from seating properly?<br>

4. Was the darkslide opening facing the sun?<br>

Standard bellows camera light leak test:<br>

Put a 40 Watt appliance light bulb in a portable work light with no reflector. Being an incandescent light bulb gets very hot an equivalent CFL, LED, or flashlight can be used.<br>

Extend the bellows fully on the camera.<br>

Install a suspect or known good film holder in the back and remove the darkslide.<br>

Remove the lens board.<br>

Take the camera and test light into your darkroom and turn the lights off. If you do not have a darkroom wait until night and use an interior room or closet. The darker the better, total darkness preferred.<br>

Turn on the test light and insert into the front standard opening being careful not to touch the inside of the bellows.<br>

Slowly move the test light from the front standard to the camera back while observing the outside of the bellows.<br>

A pin hole will be bright white, a weak spot will be dim yellow. Anything other than black is a light leak.<br>

With the test light at the camera rear observe the outside of the back, film holder edges, and darkslide opening for a light leak. If the film holder is suspect flip it over and check again.</p>

<p>Remove the focus panel or camera back and install the lens board with lens mounted and shutter closed or cap on a barrel lens.<br>

Insert the test light through the camera back and observe the camera front for light leaks.</p>

<p>Paint any bright spots on the lens board back flat black to prevent unwanted reflection flare.</p>

<p>Pin holes and weak spots in bellows can be repaired by painting the inside of the bellows with black washable fabric paint or carbon black acrylic artist paint. Large holes or tears can be repaired by gluing black fabric to the inside of the bellows.</p>

<p>Thanks for such a superb response in such a short time!!! I will do these tests you described. On earlier photos, I did not encounter this problem, but this was might first attempt at close up, i.e. bellows fully extended, so perhaps this opened the leak? Based on the perfectly square shape of these reflections, is it more likely to be a leak through the bellows, or a leak because the film holder did not fit properly?<br>

By the way, this is my VERY FIRST attempt at Large format, and I love it already! I am asking myself now, what took me so long?<br>

I find 5x7 perfect format, not as daunting as 8x10, but since I go though all the trouble of using a heavy tripod and focusing on a ground glass, I decided to skip 4x5 :)</p>

 

<p>To answer your questions:<br>

1. There is indeed some dust buildup, I need to clean it - could that cause such a significant leak? The holders sit tight and firm inside the groove.<br>

2. What ribs??? Not sure what you mean. Holders are the standard 5x7 Lisco and Fidelity.<br>

3. I cleaned all holders pretty well before use.<br>

4. The sun was pretty much above the camera for both pictures<br>

THANKS AGAIN !!!</p>

<p>Standard, modern film holders will have two ribs, one sits in the grove in the camera back and the other sits against the outside edge of the camera back when installed on the camera forming the light trap. They are between the film opening and the darkslide handle along the wide side of the film holder. Older film holders have only 1 rib, the one that fits into the camera back and can leak light.</p>

<p>The light leak is on the film load flap end of the film holder. This will be opposite the film holder load slot on the camera and packed dirt at the end of the film holder seat on the camera back can cause the leak you experienced by preventing the film holder from seating properly in the camera back. Weak focus panel spring can cause the leak also by not holding the film holder tight against the back frame. The sun being over head could be shinning in on a improperly fitting film holder. Be sure to pull straight out on the darkslide as the film holder can become unseated when removing the darkslide especially if the focus panel springs are a little weak.</p>

<p>The focus looks equally sharp across the image so either a small aperture was used or the film holder was flat against the camera back. Being all was fine until you did extreme closeup suggest a tear in the bellows or the bellows separating from the rear standard.</p>

<p>Some light leaks don't show up until the light is at the correct angle so follow the test procedure as second guessing what may be causing it can have you running in circles like a dog chasing its tail. :D</p>

<p>My holders look like in the photo with only 1 rib fitting into the camera back groove. Embarrassingly, I have never been aware of their existence. Makes me wonder wether I even inserted the holder properly.</p>

<p>Here is also a picture of the camera, by the way. I am in love!!!</p>

<p>Picture of camera and film holder:</p><div></div>

<p>And here the camera:</p><div></div>

<p>Modern film holder. </p>

<p>Nice camera.</p>

<p>Are you sure its a 5x7 and not its metric cousin?</p>

<p>Often "light leaking" film holders just need the tape on the loading flap replaced, look up how to do that.</p>

The best method...as already suggested by Charles...will be to set up your camera as if making an exposure, with film holder(s) inserted

(dark slides removed) and lensboard(s) attached (shutters closed), with a small lit flashlight inside the camera bellows. After your eyes adjust in a totally darkened room, you will quickly see any and all light leaks.

<p>Maybe a bit late but... That fogging looks far too sharp to have been caused in the camera. I'd strongly suspect that the film has been fogged while loading or with something lying directly on top of it and partly masking it.</p>

<p>How light-tight is your darkroom Andreas? Do you know the history of the film? Any chance that it might have been exposed to X-rays?</p>

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