Massive light leak. Not sure what went wrong.

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Peter
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Hi all

I seem to have experience a strange light leak while out shooting with my Minolta CLE 35mm camera.

As you can see in the attached files, the first exposed negative of the roll has a massive light leak right across the width of the film. While later on in the roll there is some slight leaks around the sprocket holes, nothing is as dramatic as the first image. The rest of the roll came out fine too.

I have shot about 7 rolls of film through this camera prior to this and never experienced anything like this before.

Can anyone help and explain what has happened? Much appreciated. Thanks!

Camera: Minolta CLE
Lens: Voigtkader 40mm Nokton F1.2
Film: Cinestill BWxx (Ilfotec HC 7mins @20deg C)

img027.jpg

img019.jpg
 
it could be that the light leak is on the right hand side of the camera as that is the wind on reel and the band is where the reel stops in between shots?
 
I've looked over the right side of the camera where the take-up spool is and the light seals all seem in really good condition. Im also confused as why the leak has only happened once through out the whole roll of film
 
As you suggest in the first post, there seem to be less obvious leaks on other frames. The strength of the effect could depend on how long the film is left in position before being wound on, or how much light a leaky seal is exposed to.
 
Hmm interesting. It seems the other less severe light leaks that happen on both top and bottom of the negatives happens every 14 sprocket holes. However after these first 5 negatives, the rest of the roll is perfect. zero hint of any light leaks after.
 
My first guess is that the leak happened after you took the film out of the camera. The edges of the cassete slot weren't sufficiently closed hence the shape of the fogging.
 
My first guess is that the leak happened after you took the film out of the camera. The edges of the cassete slot weren't sufficiently closed hence the shape of the fogging.
If the leaks are a fixed number of sprockets apart, that suggests to me it happened in the camera.
 
If the leaks are a fixed number of sprockets apart, that suggests to me it happened in the camera.
But the fogging reduces at each point which suggests that the light level is passing through layers of film.
 
Just did an experiment with a bit of junk film in a cassette and a white pencil. While frames are 8 sprockets long with a new frame on the ninth if you unroll a film and mark at each rotation of the spindle then it comes out at about 14 sprockets per revolution for the first few frames and gradually reduces as you get further in.

Will post a picture when I have had my lunch.
 
Just did an experiment with a bit of junk film in a cassette and a white pencil. While frames are 8 sprockets long with a new frame on the ninth if you unroll a film and mark at each rotation of the spindle then it comes out at about 14 sprockets per revolution for the first few frames and gradually reduces as you get further in.

Will post a picture when I have had my lunch.
Fair enough - I would have thought less, but the empirical method is best!
 
QED

IMG_20210525_123948~2_resize_89.jpg

This is when pulling out, I expect when not tightly wrapped, like it would be before loading or after it relaxed after rewind, then it would be closer to 14 for longer.
 
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Thanks for all the help everyone! Very interesting indeed :) After dmb's results and me reading up more about "light piping"...

"Anytime a loading tail is left out of the film cassette, light has the potential to enter and expose the film inside, before or after exposure. Whether camera loaded or in storage."

https://filmphotographyproject.com/content/howto/2019/05/light-piping-prevent/

Remembering back, I think it was loaded in a fairly well lit room, without realising it should have been done in dimly lit conditions.

So, I'm starting to believe that its the film/ canister and my possible carelessness when loading, rather than the camera which was at "fault".
 
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