Topic: Bizarre and unusual?

[Terry]

So I shot some frames with my 8x10 and though one came out fine, the other two had a strange anomaly occurring.  This one shows it best: an area of overexposure that also includes a fragment of an image.  Notice how the silhouette of the scrub pine tree repeats in the overexposed area.  The lens has a slight separation on one edge--is it possible that acts almost as a second lens and creates a superimposed image on the main one?  I imagine that if I shaded the lens precisely right, it wouldn't happen.  I did have a lens shade on, but it may well not have been deep enough.

[original_ann]

Terry, I'm not seeing this fragment of the pine tree? My first thought is something to do with the shutter.  Does this camera have a focal plane shutter? 

[Terry]

If you look at the bottom right-hand corner of the big white blob you'll see the exact repeat of the top left branches of the pine tree.  It's a lens-mounted Copal No. 3 shutter.

[Francois]

Have you checked the bellows?
It could be a pinhole somewhere in them...

[Terry]

Bellows are brand new (but I put a light bulb inside them late one night anyway--not a hint of a pinhole anywhere).

[Terry]

Here's what I'm looking at: see the image of the pine tree?

[LT]

tis strange indeed terry.  I can only think it might be a reflection inside the camera of some description? It's also very soft (unless its the scan of course) so maybe the lens is kaput?

[Francois]

Could it be that the lensboard is not fitted properly and lets light in?
I know it's highly unlikely but...

Usually, lenses don't bounce light in odd ways like that. But since the lens is starting to separate, it's not entirely impossible.

One way to find out if it's the lens, if the lens board can be fitted upside down, try taking a single shot in similar conditions. If it's a lens defect, it should make the ghost image at an opposite place.

[Terry]

I like that idea, Francois.  Going to shoot a couple of frames with another lens too.