# What's wrong!?? Please help!



## stingray (Aug 8, 2006)

This issue is currently ruining my photographic experience so i'd very grateful for replies. 
I've been using bulk rolled film in an AE-1 program. I've also used said film in a voigtlander and an EOS10. The problem is not present in either of those cameras so i can quite possible assume that it's the AE-1. But what is it?? Presumably people here like Mitica and HVR have seen just about every camera fault in existence. What is visible are these horrible exposed bars about three sprocket holes wide (this is 35mm...) They are consistently placed in the middle of the frame, offset slightly to the left.. however it does not appear on EVERY frame on a roll.. this pictures below depict the negs themselves and also a scan of one of the frames.













Thanks so much in advance and i dearly hope this can be solved simply!


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## ksmattfish (Aug 8, 2006)

Some how the film was exposed to light.  It's probably either something went wrong when bulk loading the roll, a bad film cannister, something isn't right with the back of your camera, or something isn't right with your bulk loader.  

If you aren't having problems with other film that's gone through the bulk loader in other cameras then it's not the bulk loader (unless you've dropped it recently or something).  

Try another roll of film in the camera.  Go outside (on a bright day) and shoot a roll of your house and yard, and see if these still show up.  If so I'd say there is something wrong with the back of your camera.  Probably a warped door or something.  Possibly something got stuck in it, and it didn't close properly.

If the roll goes through with no problems then it was probably a goof-up while you were bulk loading the roll of film, or your end caps on the film cannister got loose.  I always use a thin strip of masking tape to make sure my cannister end caps stay on tight.


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## mysteryscribe (Aug 8, 2006)

Id get a roll of color film shoot it take it to a one hour lab for negs only.  See if it is there as well.  Then you have an idea if its in the camera or something in the darkroom


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## electrickiisses (Aug 8, 2006)

how did you develope this roll?

by yourself or did you take it to a place?

if you did it yourself it could be that the chemicals didn't touch it completly when it was developing.

if you took it to the place, i have the same answer as everyone else, light somehow hit your film, maybe the film roll was defective.

Hope all goes well!


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## DOR-a (Aug 8, 2006)

I had this happen when I used to develop in the dark room. I was using a very old Nikon camera, so it was pinpointed it to a light leak. I put some electrician's tape around the door and that seemed to take care of the problem, it did look kinda funky though. Try using film that a place can develop for you so you know that it was not a "fluke" of chemicals on your part.


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## Philip Weir (Aug 8, 2006)

It seems to me to be a camera leak. As you say, you don't get it using a different camera, so your bulk loading must be O.K.  Bulk loading would also not give you the type of fogging you're getting, it would be more even.
The reason it's not appearing on all your images is that it depends on where your camera was pointing when you you were shooting, if that explanation make sense.  Philip.

www.philipweirphotography.com


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## mysteryscribe (Aug 8, 2006)

alex I would like to take camera leaks for a thousand please.

What is light leaks from a camera back are cone shaped not rectangular. Rectangular, if from the camera is usually a focal plane shutter that doesn't work properly. Ie the shutter is a rectangular opening and is open or closed all at once making a rectangular hole....

Answer hanging shutter.

Thank you alex...

My guess


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## stingray (Aug 8, 2006)

I´ve currently got a roll of colour that I´l take in for just some negs... if iit´s on that too then I presume it´s the camera shutter curtain or something. It´s a real pity too and I hope I can solve it as this new camera is really nice otherwise,. THanks for the replies... it´s very unlikely it´s my developing the chemicals i think are incapable of putting bars across the film so defininetely in the same point on each frame.


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## PlasticSpanner (Aug 8, 2006)

To check to see if it's a hanging shutter or a leak from the film door take a couple of exposures with the lens cap on and a fast shutter speed.

If the fault dissapears it's the shutter and if it's still there it must be a light leak most likely from the film door.

Likewise you could try taping up all the joints on the door & take some normal photos & see if the fault is still there.

It's just a process of elimination.:thumbup:


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## ksmattfish (Aug 8, 2006)

The reason I don't think it's the shutter is how darkly it's exposed in the sprocket hole area.  This area would be blocked from light coming in the front of the camera (assuming properly loaded film).


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## JamesD (Aug 8, 2006)

After examining my own AE-1P, I'm going to guess shutter hang.  If the shutter hangs, even a little bit, when it's closing, the mirror will remain up until the two curtains fully overlap, which will take place during winding.  Also, the entire film could be exposed, edge to edge, because it's only flush when there's enough slack for the pressure plate to keep the film against the rails.  The film becoming taut during winding will cause it to raise from the rails as it tightens between the film can and the sprocket roller, leaving a small gap between the film and the rails into which light can get..  During wind, the film and the shutter curtain move at different rates, and start moving at different times, which is why the bands don't start at the edge of the frame.

This is just a theory.

Stingray, try firing your camera with the back open and the lens off, so you can see the motions of the shutter and the mirror.  Try this at all shutter speeds several times, especially at the shutter speeds you were using in the images affected (if they're all about the same) and also especially in Bulb.  Look for the mirror staying up until you start to wind, and also, look for any gaps between the curtains as you wind.  Try holding the camera up to a light as you wind, and wind at several different rates, including the speed at which you normally work the wind lever.

If you find that it's shutter hang, it could very well just need a CLA--entirely worth it if it returns this workhorse to service.


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## stingray (Aug 9, 2006)

now that you mention it James... the film when loaded always seems very loose and you cannot tighten it by winding backwards a click or anytthing like that. I just took out my film and went through all the shutter speeds with no lens on and the back open. Everythhing appears normal and the mirror doesn´t stay up any longer than it should. I don´t really understand how the cloth shutter works, but if it means anything it does appear to move to one side after the shutter is released. Still light proof though I believe. I feared it was the camera, but if all it needs is a CLA that would be fantastic!


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## stingray (Aug 11, 2006)

Thankyou all for your help... I had a colour roll from the camera developed and the markings where still there so I took it today to a camera shop in the city... they seemed to pick the problem right away as a light leak from the hinge side of the door. The idea was that the light was getting in through the side there because there wasn't a proper seal where it should have been. Thus the bars across the film, in the same place each time they occur. They explained the irregularity of these bars by saying that the OK ones where where i'd wound on with my hand over the leaking part. 
It's not a certainty that this has fixed the problem but I really don't see why it shouldn't have. If anyone's in Melbourne, give the shop, Camera Lane a visit. They're incredibly knowledgable and are able to tell you what's wrong with your camera in house.


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## mysteryscribe (Aug 12, 2006)

Terrific news.  Its a first for me and I'm going to remeember it


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## JonnyVPA (Oct 28, 2006)

Ya i can agree on the Light Leak..... I have an AE-1P and i .... ON occasion will have something very similar... and when i develop my negs they are usually on point so i just never use the camera..... i wouldnt even bother fixing it... just get another body.... 

Negs should look like this


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## fmw (Oct 29, 2006)

Time to CLA the camera, I'm afraid.


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## W.Smith (Oct 29, 2006)

> It's not a certainty that this has fixed the problem but I really don't see why it shouldn't have


.
So the jury's still out on this one, isn't it? We won't know if it indeed _was_ that seal until Stingray has tried it out.
Because I still think there's a lot to MysteryScribe's and JamesD's suggestion that it is a hanging shutter. The neg strip has got all the hallmarks of it.


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## Jeff Canes (Oct 30, 2006)

I've had AE-1P(s) too the hanging shutter seem like a good guess


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