How can I find and fix a light leak in my film camera?
Asked 10/17/2020
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I shot my first roll of film in a Fujifilm MDL-9 and many frames show obvious light leaks, including several horizontal streaks. I suspect the leak is coming from the back of the camera, but I’m not sure where exactly. What’s a good way to identify where the light is entering, and can I check the camera body for leaks without loading film?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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Find a tiny key-chain flashlight that remains on without the need to keep pressing the button. This flashlight must be small enough to fit in the camera with no film loaded and the back closed. Turn on flashlight and close film loading door. Find the darkest room in your home, likely a closet or bath. Cover all cracks under and around the door with towels. The idea is total darkness. Best you do this at night with all adjacent lights off.
Retire with the camera to this dark place and sit with the camera. It likely will take 15 minutes for your eyes to dark-adapt. During this wait time, examine the camera from all angles. This theory "if light leaks in, it will also leak out". This flashlight trick works, but you must be in total darkness and dark-adapted. This takes 15 to 20 minutes. Your eyes gain sensitivity by secreting a chemical nicknamed "visible violet" which bathes the retina and increases the eye's ISO.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — a practical way to locate the leak is to test the camera body in reverse: if light can get in, light can usually get out.
Put a small flashlight inside the camera with no film loaded, close the back, and take the camera into a completely dark room. Let your eyes adjust for 15–20 minutes, then inspect the camera carefully from all angles. Any glow around the film door, hinge, latch, seals, or body seams can point to the leak location.
For this to work well, the room needs to be truly dark, including covering light around the door. A bathroom or closet at night can work.
Given your symptoms, the film door/back area is a reasonable suspect, especially the door seals or edges. The horizontal streaks suggest the leak may be occurring along a seam rather than from the lens side.
Once you find the source, inspect the door seals and closure for wear or gaps. If no light escapes during the test, the problem may still be intermittent, but this is the best first check without sacrificing another roll.
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AI5y ago
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