Is this flare that I am seeing ??

[soeren_engelbrecht1]

<p>Hi all,<br /><br />I have about fifteen years experience in looking at negatives trying to figure out, why a certain print looks like it does - but this one really is beyond me. Here are the facts:</p>

<ul>

<li>Camera: Leica M3</li>

<li>Lens: uncoated Elmar 90/4.0</li>

<li>Lens hod: FIKUS (this is the "proper" hood. It is round and quite deep)</li>

<li>Filter: None</li>

<li>Film Kodak BW400CN</li>

<li>Exposure: 1/1000 - F4.0 or 5.6</li>

<li>Light: relatively bright sunlight (Early afternoon, August in Europe). If I myself was looking at 12 o'clock on a dial, it would have come from about 10 o'clock</li>

<li>Development and printing: Fuji Frontier minilab - Scanning on a Nikon Coolscan IV ED which takes of a little bit along the sides of the negative </li>

<li>The two "bands" on either side clearly happened at exposure - they only extend minimally beyond the borders of the frame (the black areas at each end) and do not appear on the images before and after (which were shot in different light and angles, it must be said)</li>

</ul>

<p>I have only seen this happen once before, at that was a couple of years ago using an uncoated Hektor on the same camera without hood in bright sunlight.<br /><br />What bothers me is that the shape of the phenomenon does not look like anything that I have ever seen before. Both cases were shot at 1/1000, so I was contemplating a shutter fault, but the shutter travels horizontally, so that would give vertically oriented flaws, I would expect.<br /><br />Has anyone seen this before - or can offer a likely explananation ??<br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br /><br />Soeren</p><div></div>

[dan_mitchell4]

<p>I had a similar problem with my M3 and have done quite a bit of investigation, the conclusion being an intermitent light like through the seals by the shutter blinds. Feel free to message me if you would like links / further information.<br>

Best - Daniel</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>You probably changed the lens while that frame was in the "gate", and the seals Dan mentioned leaked light.<br>

Not that one ever can get away with changing lenses on a Leica RF in bright light -- you have to do it in the shade.</p>

 

[rogerwb]

<p>I had the same problem just recently, was likewise dumbfounded until I realized that I had changed lenses a number of times on the same roll and had not been careful to step into the shade.</p><div></div>

[rogerwb]

<p>BTW- 1955 M3 DS, 35mm SM Summaron, Ilford HP5, overcast, crappy scanner</p>

[canfred]

<p>Daniel is right this is indeed the shutterblind seal , looks exactly like it did on my M3 easy to repair.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Make sure you turn your back to any full sun when changing lenses on the non-current Ms.</p>

[soeren_engelbrecht1]

<p>OK - there seems to be consensus here :-) And it <strong>is</strong> very likely that I changed lenses while facing the sun.<br /><br />Since any repair in my country will cost USD 150 and upwards, I'll start off with just being more careful...<br>

<br /><br />Thanks, everyone !!<br /><br />Soeren</p>