Topic: Sealing light leaks in bellows.

[R3Ub3N]

I had this happen a few times with my Polaroid 195 and my Automatic 100.

A circular mark around the centre of the photograph. The camera had been left around the house without taking a photo for a day or so, so maybe the light got in during that time. I took another straight after which had no such mark.

In this case, the mark is dark though - is it really a light leak? Film is FP100.

Found a thread somewhere on the internet but can't find it again. Apparently there's a liquid coating you can apply to the worn corners. Does anyone have any info on finding this goop?

Thanks



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[picfreak42]

Hello! - I heard somewhere that black nail varnish beloved of Goths applied internally was good as it dried quick and had some elasticity.

[R3Ub3N]

Interesting! Must find some goths. I would've expected nail varnish to be brittle though, although if applied on the inside to the rough surface, it would be fine...

Thanks

[Francois]

I've always been a "fan" (well... that's not truly the right word but it works for now) of black electric tape for fixing bellows. I know Sean (I think it was Sean) used something called liquid tape which is used to seal electrical connections...

It's just that I find it strange that the pinhole is perfectly center in the shape of a perfect hemisphere... just like if it was leaking through the shutter...

[Roger Thoms]

E6000 works quite well, here is a link to the product.
http://www.biosafe-inc.com/e6000_series_retail.htm

Roger

[R3Ub3N]

Thanks - just found the link to a supplier of that Liquid Tape stuff. Certainly looks like it will work.

Cheers

[gregor]

I get odd dots on fp100 frequently and seemingly randomly (i.e. I haven't paid enough attention to note camera setting, etc. when it happens and when it doesn't).  On my bronica w/polaroid back and 360 they roughly are at the same height, horizontally. This occurs infrequently with the 360 and on almost every shot on the bronica, but never using polaroid films. fortunately on the bronica the marks are above the exposed area.

It seems to me that the fuji films are a bit thicker (the positive & the emulsion back unpeeled)  which would make them more sensitive to the cleanliness of the rollers than the polaroid films. I mentioned in another thread that the person who converted my 360 adjusted the film back to work better with the fuji films.

Before getting too radical with nail polish, tape, etc you may want to track down some type 664 or other polaroid peel apart film and see if the same happens.

I don't think it's the pull that does it and I have noticed that peeling apart the film before it's completely developed tends to have the dots or markings more often...

[moominsean]

i originally used liquid tape, but it flakes off after awhile, so it's not really a long term solution. what finally ended up working was to do 'racing stripes' with electrical tape. it has to be rubbery flexible tape, usually the cheaper kind (99 cents). as opposed to the less flexible good black photo tape, which ends up peeling off when you retract/extend.

you have to push the edges flat while applying the tape, so it takes the shape of the folds...just takes 4 pieces. no leaks since i did this. crappy photo, but i don't feel like taking another right now. it's red because that's all they had at the dept store in kiryu, japan at 9:30 at night.

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[db]

Yep light leak would likely be  white, not dark.

No, what you have there is a genyuwine case of spirit photography. They had a bad rash of it back in the late 19th Century.
And this would appear to be the ghost of one of your dinner plates. You must have dropped one recently...

and it's not happy.

It's gunna  haunt you now...

[R3Ub3N]

Sean thanks for the tip. Black and red have always complemented each other . Been keeping up with your blog and photostream - inspiring stuff.

db, maybe it has something to do with the light leak having hit the photo a long time before I ended up taking the photo itself? Just speculating here. Or maybe it is just ectoplasm....

[Skorj]

In this case, the mark is dark though - is it really a light leak? Film is FP100.

That looks like the lens pressing into the first (and maybe second) frame of a fatter-than-Polaroid FujiFilm pack to me... Leave your camera extended when in storage perhaps and see if it still happens? Skj.

[R3Ub3N]

Hi Skorj

Checked this just now. The circular lens housing inside the bellows doesn't stand proud when retracted - in fact, the folded bellows has a higher profile around it, so I don't think that is the culprit.

Thanks

R

[Skorj]

Yup! Scratch that idea. Just checked my 195 too - wrong shape too, even if you stepped on it, it would likely make a different shape...

[moominsean]

could be damage from before the film was removed from the packaging. something resting on the box, crushing the middle.

or you are doing something funky while pulling the film from the camera.

[R3Ub3N]

hey

I am pretty certain it's a light leak. Same shape as the white ones I've been getting. This particular exposure was left in the camera sitting around the house for a day or so before i took it. It only happened on this frame.

I've taped up the folds and see if they ever come back again.

Thanks

[R3Ub3N]

Well, I took the taped-up 195 over to sunny Basel this weekend and walked around with it with the bellows retracted (without the front cover on) and then took a photo. Massive concentric circle light leak in the centre of the frame. Comparing the shape and size of the leak to the lens, it's exactly the same size. I think there must be light leaking through the lens housing when folded up. What a pain.

[moominsean]

well, if that's the case, you should be able to shine a flashlight though the back and see the light leaking through the front.

trying to think of what the prob could be. maybe it was taken apart at some point and not put back together properly. another possibility is that the shutter blades aren't closing properly?

[R3Ub3N]

here's the leak.

the strange thing is that the lens enclosure is in really good condition. I took it apart when i repaired the cable release once and it seemed fine. I'll have a closer look later.

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[Francois]

I know from pinhole shutter building experience that it doesn't take much for the blades in any camera to let light in.