New M645 Body - Light Leaks??? I recently got a new M645 body and just got out to shoot it today. I developed the film and got what you see in the attached contact sheet

Shutterbug57

I recently got a new M645 body and just got out to shoot it today. I developed the film and got what you see in the attached contact sheet - actually a digital shot of the negatives on an iPad light table. As you can see, in most of the images there is a light streak (dark in the negatives) running across the film. In the M645, the film feeds from the top of the camera to the bottom and the long side is horizontal on the film strip. My first thought was that I screwed something up in the development process, but the blemishes are pretty uniform on each frame and are not co-linear on the film strip.

I am stumped, but it looks like a light leak of some sort to me. I appreciate your opinions.

ETA, FWIW, the shots in the left column were shot with an 80mm lens and the rest of the shots shown were shot with a 55mm lens.

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Rongnongno Loc: FL

That can also come from a faulty curtain.

Is this across films or just this one?

Shutterbug57

Rongnongno wrote:

That can also come from a faulty curtain.

Is this across films or just this one?

This is the first roll I have run through this camera. It is Ilford Hp5, which is not known for having issues. My daughter bought the roll for me for Christmas from the local camera store, so I know that it was reasonably fresh. The expiration date was in 2019.

ETA: The only frame that did not have this issue was the only frame shot at 1/500 sec.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Light leaks would be more like a fogging, it looks like your developer was not consistently covering the film emulsion correctly in your tank.

N4646W

With out knowing the camera, it looks like the shutter is the problem. A light leak would not be that consistent.

Ron

Shutterbug57

RichardSM wrote:

Light leaks would be more like a fogging, it looks like your developer was not consistently covering the film emulsion correctly in your tank.

That was my first thought. I saw something similar when I did not put enough chemical in the tank when developing 2 rolls of 35mm many years ago. The problem here, however, is that the blemish is in the middle of the frames and it runs from rim to rim of the developer tank reel. I can’t see how the chemical could be that selective and hit basically the same place on each frame. If that was the issue, I would expect the banding to run down 1 edge of the film. I put 570mm of developer in an Omega tank and it only calls for 550 for 1 roll of 120, 570 for 2 rolls of 135. I wanted to be sure I had it covered. I am open to more info to understand how this could occur.

Shutterbug57

Thinking more on this issue. The guy I bought this camera from said he film tested it and it worked fine. I wonder if it being about 4*F outside might have caused shutter issues. I may have to try it in a warmer setting tomorrow and see what happens.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I don’t think it could be processing. If it were, the flaws would be vertical (in line with the edges of the film), not across the film as shown. Also doesn’t look like the typical fog from a light leak. My guess is the same as Ron’s - a shutter curtain adjustment issue (I believe the shutter curtains move horizontally on the 645 - is that correct?). You might remove the back, shoot against a blank wall at low shutter speed and physically watch the curtain movement.

Shutterbug57

TriX wrote:

I don’t think it could be processing. If it were, the flaws would be vertical (in line with the edges of the film), not across the film as shown. Also doesn’t look like the typical fog from a light leak. My guess is the same as Ron’s - a shutter curtain adjustment issue (I believe the shutter curtains move horizontally on the 645 - is that correct?). You might remove the back, shoot against a blank wall at low shutter speed and physically watch the curtain movement.

I watched the shutter. It moves top to bottom with the horizontal line going horizontally across the landscape format. Winding,moves it back to the top.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Shutterbug57 wrote:

I watched the shutter. It moves top to bottom with the horizontal line going horizontally across the landscape format. Winding,moves it back to the top.

Hmmm. Well, then I’d say that’s consistent with the shutter curtain timing being the issue (longer exposure at the top of the frame). Agree?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Shutterbug57 wrote:

I recently got a new M645 body and just got out to... (show quote)

The streak grows progressively lighter from start to end. Could the film have been light-struck after being loaded onto the reel?

Shutterbug57

TriX wrote:

Hmmm. Well, then I’d say that’s consistent with the shutter curtain timing being the issue (longer exposure at the top of the frame). Agree?

Seems so. I am going to find a warm place to shoot a roll tomorrow to see if the extreme cold contributed to the issue. It was 4*F out and I left the camera in the car over night in the garage, but it was at about freezing in the garage. The camera and its bag are in the house tonight. With any luck, it will work tomorrow and a COA will put it all right. Time will tell.

Shutterbug57

RWR wrote:

The streak grows progressively lighter from start to end. Could the film have been light-struck after being loaded onto the reel?

Good question. The film was loaded into the camera in a dim room and removed the same way. If it were a light strike, I would think you would see it at different parts of the frame on successive frames because of the way the film wraps around it’s spindle.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Shutterbug57 wrote:

Good question. The film was loaded into the camera in a dim room and removed the same way. If it were a light strike, I would think you would see it at different parts of the frame on successive frames because of the way the film wraps around it’s spindle.

Spindle, or processing reel?

Shutterbug57

RWR wrote:

Spindle, or processing reel?

Oh, you are talking about the developing tank reel. It was loaded in a dark changing bag. The tank or changing bag would have to be defective. Again, why at the same spot on every frame. This looks more mechanical.