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my neverending story with light leak


diegobuono

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My Hasselblad 203 FE and various back (both serviced) suffer, from time to

time, light leak.

As you can see in the image attached the light spread on 3 side of the frame

but it is strange that the only one free of light leak is the lower that is the

upper side when the film is in the back. This side should be the more exposed

to the light coming from the sun/sky. The light leak is more pronounced onthe

left side (right when the film is in the camera), I suspect it depend from the

winding mechanism and I noticed (even if I can't be totally sure) it happen

more frequently when the rapid wind crank is in use (extracted from the knob).

You can see also that the light leak is between the two frames but do not touch

them.

The "rapid" answer of Hasselbad has been that it depend from the light trap in

the magazine. I'm not sure it is the right answer what do you think about? I

hope you can help me because the Italian tecnician seem do not understand how

to solve the problem and asked me to bring (again) the camera and the backs (an

A24 and an E12) for inspection.

If you need more information please ask me.<div>00Me46-38661284.thumb.jpg.1d2ec8e37e3804c35688942e4b8652d9.jpg</div>

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Diego,<br><br>Given the problem, taking the equipment in for inspection is a very good idea.<br>I think the cause could be that during winding, the magazine is pushed back, away from the camera body. Things need to be adjusted to fix that, and you need to hand the equipment over to a qualified technician to let him do that.
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From the evidence shown here, it looks most like the pattern of light which has been allowed to enter a film roll that has not been wound tightly enough (ie keeping a firm tension on the backing paper when taking it out of the magazine and sealing it off.)

 

Light penetrating a loose magazine presents a "footprint" different from what we see here. And the 203FE is too new to have experienced a loosening of the gripping lugs. This happened to my 500C which was 40 years old at the time. I'll post a sample of a fogged frame when I get back to Norway on the weekend.

 

Diego, when you have wound off a roll film and sealed it, it should feel rock solid, with absolutely no "softness" or movement at all in the backing paper. Unless it is really tight, you can have problems. This requires extra care if you are reloading in daylight. I've been handling roll-film for 40+ years. Believe me, it happens.

 

.....

 

PS. A happy deviation: I picked up a brochure from Fuji in Newcastle upon Tyne today. For those who have not already heard the good news, Fuji have announced the return of Velvia 50 in 35mm, 120, 220, 4x5, and 8x10. http://www.velvia50.co.uk/

 

Cheers, Kevin.

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Thank you all!

Paul, whato do you mean with MO?

I'm pretty sure that it happen at the moment of the winding (that as already postede in a previous thread is a bit heavy and presente an "hard point" before the end of the winding), what let me be perplexed is that the light leak is in the bottom and not in the upper side (considering when the film is in the back), if the problem is the winding mechanism pushing away the back, it should be in the upper side due to the fact that is near the the winding gear and exposed to the sun/sky.

The roll was wound tightly and as mr Q.G. stated if this is the problem the light leak should touch the edge of the film.

Finally: what do you think about the light leak between the frames? Noone seems to find an explanation for this problem.

Thank you again, I apologyze for asking more thought from you.

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Hi Diego,

 

MO= method of operation.

 

To check whether the leak is between body and film back you could put the darkslide in when you wind the film.

If there is no light leak with the slide in situ the cause is found.

 

With a relatively recent camera like the 203FE I cannot imagine wear from the fixing points for the filmback is the cause.

Unlike the early 500CM bodies that had small brass lugs to hold the filmback the 203 bodies have a stainless plate that is much stronger.

A filmback or camera that was dropped and is out of alignment could cause this problem.

I sure hope it is not the reason for this problem.

 

This is the strangest LL problem I have heard of in 30 years of Hasselblad use.

Please do not forget to let us know what caused it after the problem is solved.

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Diego,<br><br>The light between the frames is not difficult to explain. It sometimes even happens when there is nothing wrong.<br>Above and below the film gate the film is guided by two thin rollers. What you see here is the shadow of one of these rollers. Light hitting the film gate normally isn't strong enough to let the part of it that gets through on 'the wrong side' of the rollers to register on film. In this case however it is.
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<i>"With a relatively recent camera like the 203FE I cannot imagine wear from the fixing points for the filmback is the cause. "</i><br><br>Indeed. A Hasselblad camera however consists of a frame inside a shell. If after dis- and re-assembly, or possibly a hard knock, the frame isn't sitting properly, i.e. not far enough into the shell, problems like this can occur.
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<i>"it should be in the upper side due to the fact that is near the the winding gear and exposed to the sun/sky. "</i><br><br>But it is, isn't it? The upper side of the magazine is where the botton part of the image is projected. We can see how light gets passed the bottom (relative to the image) roller. And that's the top roller of the magazine.
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With no film in the camera, the mirror up, take off the lens and insert a bright light. Turn off the lights in the room and look for light leaking form the camera, especially around the back of the camera. Maybe yur seals are shot or the dark slide baffels are gone.
The more you say, the less people listen.
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Hi Diego,

 

Check the double hook at the top of the camera that catches the lock from the filmback.

Some cameras are known to have a loose fixture there.

This leaves room for the filmback to become detached from the body.

If so the shell needs to be removed and the catch has to be adjusted and fixed in the correct position.

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Checking the developed films I discovered that all (3) backs I own present this problem, I'm convinced the problem is the camera body but how?

The film back is kept in place quite firmly, the shell of the A24 seems to leave a little (very thin) space but probably this is not the problem due to the fact than light leak happen with other backs too.

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Yes, I'll bring the camera to Italian Autorized center to explain and show the films. I already sent some scan ande they do not understand, from Sweden the short answer has been: replace light seals in the back. They probably send it to Hasselblad Sweden that probably will change the light seals in the backs. I suppose this will be another costly fixing that do not fix anithing. This is the reason because I ask to you, so that I could have some tips to suggest to the technician.
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