Slightly bent dark slide - will it still work properly

[rick_strome]

I lost my dark slide to my Hasselblad 500C. I got a free used one from a

friend. It is not exactly flat like a new one. It is just slightly bent. It

slides in and out OK but there is some added friction taking it in and out.

 

Will it function properly and not cause the foam to eventually wear out?

Will there be any light leaks with this. I have not used it yet.

 

Thanks, for any advice on this, Rick

[pico]

It is probably just fine.

 

Try it and be happy.

[hasselblad technician]

Rick,

 

You could try bending it slightly, in the opposite direction of the bend, to try to straighten it out. Having a slight bend won't cause any problems. The real problems happen when one of the corners is bent.

 

If the lower left hand corner of the dark slide is bent, it might not activate the release blocking arm that prevents the body from firing with the dark slide in. If this happens, you might be able fire the camera with the dark slide in the film back.

 

If the upper left hand corner of the dark slide is bent, it might not activate the release button blocking arm, which could prevent the film back from attaching to the camera body, or could prevent you from removing the film back from the camera body once it is on.

 

A bent corner can also cause damage to the light trap or the light trap shield, which would result in light leaks.

 

If you live in the United States, I'd be happy to send you a new dark slide at no charge. Just send an e-mail to me at "hblad1@comcast.net", and let me know your mailing address.

 

www.david-odess.com