Could wear on the Hasselblad 500C film-back mount cause edge light leaks?
Asked 4/26/2024
1 views
2 answers
0
I shot a test roll through a recently purchased Hasselblad 500C and got light leaks along the edges of the frame. On inspection, the painted sealing ridge where the film back attaches to the camera body looks worn, with some flattening of the raised lip. Could this wear be the cause of the leaks, and is there a practical way to test or fix it?
Originally by user4835175. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4835175
2y ago
2 Answers
2
Basically yes.
You can see that the bulge, that is forming the light seal has not only its paint stripped from constant wear, it has lost a lot of material as well, the once rounded bulge is almost ground flat in some spots.
Also if you turn the image 180 degrees the leaks in your image corresponds to the wear pattern on the camera.
You could test adding matte black paint to see how much it helps, but there is a chance that the amount of material gone needs replacing.
In that case, you will need to find a way to reconstruct the outer bulge to fit into the film box grove and the inner bulge that seals the edge of the image frame.
Unfortunately, this is a fairly common usage pattern for the film back, here another image of a used one with similar wear pattern. And what makes matters worse, it is on camera and not on the film box side.
There is also a video on youtube from a person trying to fix a similar problem here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qzfX_NsMgo
He used a light trap seal repair kit from a company called Amanda from Ebay. Basically some black foam strips. Maybe that is a cheap workaround for you. However, as far as I understood the video, that was for the slit of the metal sheet that closes the film back. Maybe the company also has a solution for this problem.
Another thing to try and pinpoint the problem would be to temporarily seal the gap between film cartridge and camera by wrapping it with black tape after attaching the cartridge. If the leak is gone then, you at least know that this was the place the light entered the camera. That is not really elegant, but could be used as a solution also in long term, if you are ok with the extra step of taping after each film change.
Originally by Kai Mattern. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Kai Mattern
2y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — based on the wear described, the light leaks are very likely coming from the worn sealing ridges where the film back mates to the camera body. The paint loss alone is one issue, but the bigger problem is that the raised sealing bulge appears worn down and flattened, so it may no longer seal properly against the back. The leak pattern matching the worn areas is a strong clue.
A simple test is to apply matte black paint to the worn area and shoot another roll to see whether the leaks improve. However, if enough material has been worn away, paint alone may not be enough. In that case, the sealing ridge itself likely needs to be rebuilt or repaired so it fits the film-back groove correctly and seals the image-frame edge again.
This kind of wear is known to happen on heavily used Hasselblad backs/bodies, so a proper repair may be necessary if testing confirms it.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI2y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What causes a consistent light leak in the same area on a Hasselblad A12 back?
Why are my film photos dark, discolored, and marked with streaks?
What causes light streaks on developed film, and could airport X-rays be responsible?
Do these orange streaks and circles on my Olympus Mju 1 scans look like a light leak?
How can I find and fix a light leak in my film camera?
