Canon A1 light leak? New seals needed?

Hello there, I recently purchased a canon A1 that looks like it has barely ever been touched however upon shooting a test roll I noticed there is a light leak in the centre of a few pictures and was wondering if anybody knows where it might coming from? I suspect it may be the hinge however I'm not sure. Also there is a slight shutter squeak which I can live with in terms or ssound but I was wondering if it will affect the images by slowing down the shutter speed maybe? The test roll seemed fine though so I'm not too worried. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

As it seems that the leak is more severe at the bottom of the photo, if the seal is the problem, it's at the top of the back. Why some and not others? The longer the film stays on one frame, the bigger the problem. That, and it could have turned more to the light source. Take a look at the edge of the film - the area of the sprocket holes - that's where the leak will really show up if that is indeed the problem. Re-sealing is an easy fix.

 

How do the seals look? Do they crumble off?

 

I doubt the hinge is the problem

 

As for the shutter, hard to say without testing.

Edited September 23, 2018 by chuck909

As it seems that the leak is more severe at the bottom of the photo, if the seal is the problem, it's at the top of the back. Why some and not others? The longer the film stays on one frame, the bigger the problem. That, and it could have turned more to the light source. Take a look at the edge of the film - the area of the sprocket holes - that's where the leak will really show up if that is indeed the problem. Re-sealing is an easy fix.

 

How do the seals look? Do they crumble off?

 

I doubt the hinge is the problem

 

As for the shutter, hard to say without testing.

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a look at the negatives when I get home! The seals don't look great to be honest but not nearly as bad as I thought they would be given the age of the camera. I think I'll just have a go at the light seals myself and see if I can save some money ahah.

Procure a tiny key-chain flashlight that remains on when turned on. Place the operating flashlight inside the camera and close the back. Now find a room, like a closet or bathroom, that has no windows. Take a chair or sit on the floor with your camera. For this to work, you need a truly jet black room. Now examine the camera from all angles. If the camera’s seals or hinge are leaking light in, they will also leak light out. Don’t be impatient, you need to sit still with the camera in the dark room until your eyes dark-adapt. It takes 30 minutes to reach 80% dark-adaption.

 

All the while you sit in the dark; your brain commands the manufacture and secretes a purple dye (Rhodopsin) that overflows onto your retina. This act boosts the sensitivity of your eyes dramatically. Now with your heightened night-vision, you will likely find all the leaks.

 

If pressed for time, you can do what old-time sailors did to dark-adapt before going on watch at night. They wore an eye-patch over one eye. The dark-adaption process is eye independent. If one eye is in darkness, it will dark adapt independent of the other. Land-lover’s seeing these old-time sailors using the eye-patch were mistakenly called one-eyed. That’s why pirates are usually depicted wearing an eye-patch.

Edited September 23, 2018 by alan_marcus|2

Procure a tiny key-chain flashlight that remains on when turned on. Place the operating flashlight inside the camera and close the back. Now find a room, like a closet or bathroom, that has no windows. Take a chair or sit on the floor with your camera. For this to work, you need a truly jet black room. Now examine the camera from all angles. If the camera’s seals or hinge are leaking light in, they will also leak light out. Don’t be impatient, you need to sit still with the camera in the dark room until your eyes dark-adapt. It takes 30 minutes to reach 80% dark-adaption.

 

All the while you sit in the dark; your brain commands the manufacture and secretes a purple dye that overflows onto your retina. This act boosts the sensitivity of your eyes dramatically. Now with your heightened night-vision, you will likely find all the leaks.

 

If pressed for time, you can do what old-time sailors did to dark-adapt before going on watch at night. They wore an eye-patch over one eye. The dark-adaption process is eye independent. If one eye is in darkness, it will dark adapt independent of the other. Land-lover’s seeing these old-time sailors using the eye-patch were mistakenly called one-eyed. That’s why pirates are usually depicted wearing an eye-patch.

I gave it a quick try but the conditions weren't great so I'll make sure it's pitch black and give it time! Thank you for the advice and the history lesson!

...If pressed for time, you can do what old-time sailors did to dark-adapt before going on watch at night. They wore an eye-patch over one eye. The dark-adaption process is eye independent. If one eye is in darkness, it will dark adapt independent of the other. Land-lover’s seeing these old-time sailors using the eye-patch were mistakenly called one-eyed. That’s why pirates are usually depicted wearing an eye-patch.

 

Arrr... I am crushed by that news...

Something reminded me of this, not sure what:confused:

 

Herodotus - "father" of history - 5th c, BCE

 

I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.

Book 7, Ch. 152

My guess is hinge seal. As chuck 909 says, if you study the shots with the worst leaks, are they the ones that were taken after the longest time since the last frame?Replacement of the seals is not difficult if you take your time, cover the shutter with a piece of card so you don't poke your finger through it. You can buy foam from a hobby store in A3 sheets. It looks like it might be too inflexible in sheet form, but when you cut it to 2mm thick, it is just perfect to be pushed into the rails and be held there under its own tension. You can get an idea of the thickness of the hinge seal by putting a small blob of 'blu-tac' (the stuff you use to stick posters to a wall) between a slither of grease-proof paper, sitting it in the hinge and closing the back, slowly (thank you, John Goodman). It retains the appropriate thickness when you open it. Cut your seal material a smidgen thicker than that gap.

Lots of Light Seal Kits on E-bay. Many just send you pre-measured strips, you can cut your own. Depends on price. A very messy thing to do, watch doing it with the lens down (thing fall down) towards the shutter.