Hasselblad back light leak or other issue?

Please look aa this thread I posted yesterday:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00E7UR

Do you think is a light leak that fogged the entire picture except

the little strip on the left? David Odess help needed!

This is not a light leak, but looks like the image of light reflecting from the edge of the frame mask (bright) and a shadow of the mask (dark strip). All of my backs exhibit this behavior in an high-contrast situation as in the example.

 

Light leaks, typically through the darkslide slot, cause random streaks part way across the image, depending on how the camera was oriented and handled in sunlight.

I had a similar situation on many frames in a bright sidelight situation with a very bright sky. I was using a lens shade, so the front element saw no direct sunlight. The back was quite new, the 503cw quite new. Never the less, I took the light seal of the dark slide out, and it was perfect. I came to the conclusion that this was light bouncing around inside the camera. I never saw it before that, or after. I do have to say, I did not cover the chimney finder during this tripod exposure, and my eye was not shielding the viewfinder lens, so maybe some light leaked through there.

 

Interestingly, I had the same "shielded" edge where the image was darker. I figured an internal feature of the camera blocked the reflected light from hitting this edge.

 

I know with my Canon the instuctions say to close the viewfinder blind when your eye is not protecting the viewfinder from stray light, so again, maybe this was it on the Hasselblad. I never saw it again, and have never seen it on my RZ67.

Thank you all for the responses, Hi Armando, glad to hear you (the second picture posted was taken with your CF 50 FLE).

Usually the instruction manual say not to let the light to fall in the viewfinder (the manual of 203 FE too) but I think is because could fool the integrated light meter. In fact in the first experience with the Hassy 203 Fe I have had several underexposed picture for this reason. It's for sure that this wil be an "unsolved mistery" like that I have had in the past (I wrote several thread on Hasselblad light leaks) and that I thoug I solved when I acquired a new (used but in perfect condition) body and back. I will bring the film to the lab and ask if they can say if the other frame (# 5 - 6)are fogged or not, I imagine is difficult for you to detect it looking at the scan I posted. If I find the same wheater condition I will re-shot the same picture with more attention and see what happen (and I hope I will obtain a picture correctly exposed and not underexposed like the #5).

Diego,

 

The most likely suspect is internal reflections from off-axis light bouncing around inside

the camera. With a light source just outside the frame, the light from this source will only

reflect off one "side" and appear to fog only one side of the film, from a small strip to most

of the frame except a small strip depending on the angle. The latter is usually more

pronounced as more of the light source is reaching the film plane, and it is relfected fewer

times, hence stronger. Once the source is in frame, it is bouncing off almost all the

internal surfaces which it can, and the effect is more uniform throughout the frame usually

causing a decrease in contrast.

 

Taras

Light entering the eyepiece of a Canon (or Nikon) SLR can affect the light metering, which is located in the prism housing. The mirror effectively seals the viewfinder during exposure, and on the Hasselblad as well.