Hi.

Has had problems with prints colour and bw displaying black streaks usually at the corners and sometimes across the prints. They were on the negatives. of cos in white streaks.

Checked with many leica "experts" in my country and none said it was light leaks fromm curtains or back plate.

One guy mntioned it could be light reflections when it entered the lens , bounced off the film to the chrome"shiny areas" of the rear end of the lens and dispersed back onto the film as STREAKS.

Im very lost now. If u could imagine, just imagine pencil lined marks running down the prints vertically on some prints, not the whole roll. thats my problems.

I have asked this before, just need more advice. Thanks..

-- Travis koh (teckyy@hotmail.com), February 16, 2002

Answers

Hi Travis! Black streaks on Prints, which would look "white" (actually clear) on negatives are indications of either faulty processing or a faulty camera. Open the camera back, and make sure everything (pressure-plate, film-guides, etc.) is clean, smooth, and well-adjusted. Depress the pressure-plate and make sure its springs back evenly from all sides. Look at your negatives carefully to see if indeed they look "scratched" (look with a magnifier with oblique lighting) and on what side. The fault could also be with processing, and you may try having your next roll processed at a different lab. Light-leaks are usually indicated by dark streaks on the negatives, which reproduce as light streaks on the prints, and from what I can tell by your note, you're describing the problem showing up on your negatives as light (colored) streaks.

-- John Layton (john.layton@valley.net), February 16, 2002.

John,

Pressure plate smooth and clean, curtain almost perfect. The negs showed white streaks which doesnt look like scratches as the film feels smooth and even.

From the black streaks on prints alone, I have ruled out light leaks.

I have sent to many developers with different films. Only SOME shots showed up with the problem, others in the same roll r fine. The problem is random and of no particular pattern except liked i said, PENCIL LINES STREAKS on prints.

The problem, I might add, occurs mostly in pics with a blue sky with clouds running across, not direct sun, but very bright.

It has to be a LIGHT-INDUCED problem, as indoor pics r FINE.

If its not light leak, not labs, I dunno what.

For a start, I have marked out the shiny chrome surfaces on the rear end of my lens with a removable black marker to rule out INTERNAL REFLECTIONS when the shutter is opened and light bounces back and forth te film.

I know this may sound stupid, but this happens on BOTH MY M4P AND M3 WITH 35 AND 50 CRONS IN 4 COMBINATIONS. If its camera faults, i dunno which is giving.

pray for me..

-- Travis koh (teckyy@hotmail.com), February 16, 2002.

Travis said: pray for me..

Indeed. It sounds like both of your Leicas have been posessed by vampire ghosts who don't like sunlight. ;-)

Flare, or reflections inside the camera would produce the opposite effect of the problem you are describing, and generally wouldn't be as defined as what you are describing, so I believe you can discount that.

Considering the problem is occuring with both cameras and two lenses, I'd suggest aiming your investigation first at external issues. Although the problem sounds like something obstructing the light falling on the film, it is unlikely that both cameras would develop the same problem at the same time, although that is possible.

The lab would be the first suspect, but it sounds like you are using different labs, so unless both outlets actually use one lab for their processing, that is not likely to be the source of the problem.

It would be helpful if you could scan and post an example of the actual problem on the prints, and/or scan the film, so we can actually see what is appearing on your prints.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), February 16, 2002.

I have had likely situations with M3 and 90/4 also with Canon A1 and 20/2.8, I have blamed lack of shade on both cases, I forgot same situation on a 500 C/M and 150/4, that case I blamed a bad back, IŽll keep waiting for answers, hope we could see some pictures and also coments from experts in this forum.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), February 17, 2002.

Slides seem ok. ;)

-- Travis koh (teckyy@hotmail.com), February 18, 2002.

This is an example of a problem with my 90/4 collapsible and M3. See ligth strip on the rigth side verticaly, also see that photo vigneting shows no ligth out of frame.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), February 18, 2002.

Roberto: This looks like flare cause by light 'skipping' off the roof or floor of the film chamber enroute from the lens to the film. If it was a shutter-edge light leak the fogging usually doesn't begin until 1-2mm INTO the image area.

I'v had the same kind of flare with the Contax G2 and 90 - and also with Yashica twin-lens cameras, where light bounces off the side walls of the film chamber and 'brightens' the edges in the same pattern as yours. Most Rolleiflex TLRs I've seen have a series of metal baffles inside the film chamber to reduce this affect.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), February 19, 2002.

What to do? it seems to be a problem of camera film chamber, does the use of lens shade help this cases?, or is it something we can't help. Specialy dificult to prevent in non reflex cameras.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), February 19, 2002.