6x6 Film Problem (Over-exposed corners)

[alec]

Hi there:

 

I've been shooting with my Rollei 6x6 SLR for about 24 rolls now, and

every now and again I have this problem. After being developed at a

good lab, I get the frames back with this wierd white spot (it's

slide film) in varing levels in the upper right side of the

positive. Sometimes it bleeds into the photo, sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes it's there, and sometimes not. I can have it there, for

example, on 7 of the 12 frames.

 

Given that, I'm guessing it's human error. Am I not winding the film

tight enough when finished? Would a light leak into the viewfinder

cause this problem? I hope someone out there can help, because it's

causing me to crop up to an 1/8th of an inch on some of my

transparencies.

 

Thank you so much for your insight!

--Alec Simonson

[b_christopher]

Tough to say what caused the spots without seeing an example of it.

Light leaks from loose wind up of spool is quite common. Many photographers wrap their 120/220 film in aluminum foil post-exposure to prevent/reduce light leaks.

 

Happy shooting.

[dougmiles]

When the spot does appear, I gather it appears each time in the same position? That would be too coincidental, seems to me, for the source to be loose wrap on the finished roll. Sounds more like a light leak in the camera body.

[roland_ehrlich2]

If it is only in the upper right corner, I don`t think a loosely wrapped spool is the cause. If it were, I would expect it randomly distributed over the entire roll. But you are right, 120 films should be protected post-exposure e.g. by aluminium foil.

 

I also think it is a light leak in the camera. It might help if you remember for example for how long your camera was exposed to open daylight before the faulty shot. That would be the most plausible explanation why you have it sometimes (when exposed longer), sometimes not (camera was taken from the case only moments before the shot). You should test your system. I don`t know Rollei (is it a 600x?), but I wonder if it might be the viewfinder, since you have an auxiliary shutter before the film plane: the leak could only blacken the film when it is open, and in that case the mirror blocks the viewfinder. Do you have a spare back you could test?

[sliu]

Since light leak penetrating through a roll film will show up as white streaks at the same spot in the expanded film, it could be loose wrap on the finished roll. If there is a leak in the camera, the light streaks should show up on all frames with the same size. (Are those streaks in your first few frames or the last few frames?)

<p>

This happened to my first roll on my Holga, I put some card board on the finishing roll spool to add some pressure to the film, the leak never happened again. (I always load and unload in normal day light.)

<p>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/2269834-sm.jpg">

 

It happened to the last 4 frames.

[roland_ehrlich2]

>> If there is a leak in the camera, the light streaks should show up on all frames with the same size.

 

That assumption certainly is not correct. Depending on the size of the light leak itself, another important factor is exposure time of the leaky part to the light. Carry e.g. a faulty back through a sunny daylight (around 100 000 lux), you may have exposure in a couple of minutes. The same back only taken from the case for exposure or in darker surroundings (let`s say 500 lux), and you may not notice for a long time. I had this problem with some of my Bronica backs.

[sliu]

Roland, perhaps you are right. My only experience with light leak with the Holga camera might caused by some leak in the back. But what I means it that light leak on the loose roll could show up on the film at equal distance.

[sliu]

Roland, <b>you are absolutely right and I was wrong </b>.

<p>

I double checked my contact sheet, the leak only appeared to outdoor shots (coincidently the last 4 frames) so it is caused by leaking back.

<p>

As to my Holga, besides the cardboard on the film spool, I also put a cardboard at the behind the film and tape the seam between the back and the body.

[roland_ehrlich2]

S. Liu, thanks :-)

 

Taping the gaps shut was what I had done with my Bronica, looked like it would fall apart if I took the tape off again ;-)... after about 30 destroyed pictures and 3 "repairs" I returned it to Bronica...

[alec]

I don't have a transparency scanner, but I'll see if I can post an image of it from a flatbed scanner. The last time I tried to scan positives on a flatbed scanner they all came out too dark, but it may illustrate the problem ok.

 

As I said, it's in varying degrees of intensity, it's always the same shape, and some frames don't have it at all. I'm not liking this, this is a new (to me) Rollei 6008 SRC..... The first few rolls I took I thought it was me since this is my first *real* 120 camera. If there are light leaks in the body, WL finder ot back I'm going to be most unhappy.

 

Scan to come tonight, thanks for your help. Maybe the scan will give some clues.

 

Thanks!

--A

[johannes_geenen]

Film winding not tight enough? No - the light would flash in from the left and from the right and most visible on the last frames.

 

Upper right of the positive? That's lower left within the camera. It can be a broken light seal of the auxiliary shutter. Then it is most visible on frames you took after a longer time without a lens cap.

 

Or - the 6008 has removable backs. Did you remove/exchange the back? Then the light sealing of the blind protecting the film when detached could be defective. Again - have a look at the lower part of the back.

 

Last - check the light seal between back and body.

 

I can't think of a human error.

 

Johannes

[roland_ehrlich2]

Alec, the only way to find the cause is doing a test. If your camera is still covered by warranty, return it, let them test it and save you some trouble. I do not think it is a user error. If you have to do the test yourself, think of all possible ways of light leaking on the film. The most probable cause is the light seal mechanism in the changeable back. Other possibilities are the gap between body and back, check for movement, something fitting not tight enough. All other ways of light entering are in the body or the lens, but I consider that most unlikely. Load your camera (back) with an 400 ISO film or higher. Place the back without the camera in a sunny place for half an hour. Connect to the body, take a pic, that`s your first frame. If it later proves to be spoiled, the back is defective. Then body with back to light as above. Take a pic. Then seal the gap between body and back with tape, expose to light, take a pic. That should tell you if there is the fault. You may then do similar tests with the lens taken off, the waist level finder opened and sealed etc. You should be able to narrow it down with only one film. When I was checking my camera, I sealed every gap and exposed only one gap at a time to light, took notes, and compared the results. Most important is you take a fast film and expose long enough to daylight.

[alec]

Well, the flatbed scanner thing didn't work. So I took it to Duggal, who's going to scan a 3-frame segment for me and put it on a CD. ($28.00 for that!!!) I think Roland's suggestion of sending it back to be tested is the best idea.... And I am def convinced it's indeed a light leak. Looking at a series of frames, it appear that it appears and it is most prominent when standing in bright sunlight. Evening shots had little or no problem.

 

Won't get the scans back until Tuesday, but thanks all for your help. I'll post them under a new thread when I get them back....

[sliu]

Alec, I don't scan my 6x6, I use a digital camera ;-)

<p>

If you want cheaper scan, I suggest <a href="http://www.asphotolab.com/prices.html">asphoto</a> . I go there for the convenience (close to Union Square, one of the biggest subway hubs in NYC) and price. The turnaround is a day and quality is not bad.

<p>

Now

I only do Scala in Duggal.