[pure-silver] Re: Death Valley Days..... film problems

Bogdan 

Glad you had a great trip.  Just a few observations on your problem and my take 
on it.

First since its consistent and happened on more than one roll of film, I would 
rule out film as the likely cause.  Granted a defect in manufacture may effect 
all the rolls in a given batch, but I would consider this a highly unlikely 
cause.

Second it only occurs on 220 and not 120.  Not only would I would say this is a 
very good indicator of a light leak in the body, I would also say there is a 
strong likely hood that its either at the seal point along the side or 
somewhere at the back of the camera.  IF the leak was toward the front, it 
would likely be on 120 film too.

A way to look for yourself or an idea to try is to find something cool that 
would create a light that you could safely put inside the camera.  Be careful.  
You don't want to damage things like shutter curtains, the backs of lenses. ect 
  A safer way might be to shine a bright light with the shutter open back 
through the lens.  How ever you do it, the goal would be to get a strong light 
inside the camera in a dark room with the camera sealed.

If you see light coming from somewhere it shouldn't there is your problem.  
Probably a number of places where a fairly inexpensive seal just might fix the 
problem.


--- On Wed, 7/9/08, Bogdan Karasek <bkarasek@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Bogdan Karasek <bkarasek@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [pure-silver] Death Valley Days.....  film problems
> To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 8:40 AM
> Hi all,
> 
> Nice to be back in a cooler climate, 80°F,  but Death
> Valley was an 
> extraordinary experience, photographically and otherwise.  
> Granted it 
> was hot, 120°F everyday, but manageable what with all the
> suggestions 
> from fellow members of this group.   Didn't even get a
> sun tan although 
> the tip of my nose was slightly reddish  :)  
> 
> I spent last week recovery from the experience since I
> found it very 
> demanding physically and mentally.   Also developed all my
> film, a 
> mixture of  Tri-x 320 (220 and 120) shot at 200iso,
> developed in D-76 
> 1:1 and AgfaPan 25 shot at 25 iso and developed in Rodinal
> 1:100.  Next 
> week,  I do the contacts and then start editing in
> preparation for printing.
> 
> I have one question concerning a problem that occurred with
> the 220 
> Tri-x.  First off, I was shooting the 220 in a Yashica-Mat
> 124G.  What a 
> relief not to have to change rolls after 12 exposures. 
> Anyway,    when 
> I developed the film , I noticed that all the 220 rolls had
> a light 
> streak  that was exactly in the space between the images on
> the 
> negative.  None of the images were affected and this did
> not happen to 
> the rolls of 120 Tri-X nor the 2 rolls of APX 25 that went
> through the 
> 124G.  If you look at the back of the camera, the film
> advances from the 
> bottom to the top take-up spool and the images numbers are
> on the left 
> side.  The streaks originate on the right side, where the
> film advance 
> crank is.  
> 
> What do the streaks look like?  they  vary in length,  from
> the 
> thickness of the edge of the film  (1-2mm) to 2-3 cm, and
> are shaped 
> like a dagger, thick at the edge of the film and tapering
> off to a point 
> as the streak goes down the space between images.  In two
> cases,  the 
> streak is wide enough that it  impinges on the images (1mm)
>   but 
> nothing that a little cropping can't fix.
> 
> Several observations:  
> 
> This only happened with the 220 film which doesn't have
> a paper backing 
> the length of the 24 images.  The 120 film, (Tri-x and APX)
> with a paper 
> backing,  doesn't have this problem which leads me to
> consider that 
> perhaps there is a light leak on the right side of the
> camera back.  
> Because of the paper backing, the 120 film of protected
> from the light 
> leak; the 220 has no backing and receives the light leak.
> 
> What I find curious is that the light leak is very regular;
> it only 
> manifests itself, in various lengths, in the space between
> the images, 
> so the leak is either at the top or bottom of the back, on
> the right 
> side, on the side of the crank. 
> 
> I did notice that when I close the camera back, I have to
> put extra 
> pressure on the right side in order to close the camera
> back and keeping 
> applying pressure in order to  turn the wheel  at the
> bottom of the 
> camera to lock the back in place.  Maybe the problem is
> there????  Even 
> when locked, there is something that might be  pushing the
> right corner 
> away from the front of the camera, enough to cause that
> slight light 
> leak.  Do light seals have to be changed???
> 
> Anyway, the images aren't affected but it is a
> nuisance.
> 
> Anybody have any ideas as to what is going on to cause this
> phenomenon.  
> Anybody with a Yashica-Mat 124G ever have this problem
> using 220 film.  
> If you have a 124G, does the back close easily?
> 
> Any input would be appreciated, as I want to bring the 124G
> with me to 
> Anza Borrego when I go there in August.
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> Cheers from rainy Montreal,
> Bogdan
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> -- 
> ________________________________________________________________
>   Bogdan Karasek
>   Montréal, Québec                    
> bogdan(at)bogdanphoto.com
>   Canada                               www.bogdanphoto.com
> 
>                      "I bear witness"
> ________________________________________________________________
>  
> 
> 
> 
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