Anyone know what caused these negatives?

[zeroeseight]

I shot a roll of 120 yesterday and can't figure out what's gone wrong here.

I have 6 frames of which 5 came out like the below, the last frame has come out okay. The area between frames is not clear, it is a consistent light even gray as if it has been exposed. It is clear however just before the last frame.

I don't know if it is the camera which is a Holga pinhole, development or my handling. Any ideas?

 

[joxby]

kinda looks like a light leak.
not during exposure though, maybe whilst winding on...

you don't wind on the last frame with a Holga ???

 

[zeroeseight]

Winding on is just like any normal camera with regards to last frame. I wound up the roll as soon as the last frame was done and the last frame was shot straight after the second to last. maybe thats the difference as the other frames could have spent time with light leaking.

 

[Ambermile]

That looks to me like wind, wind, shutter... wind, wind, shutter... so definitely a leak on the back door - simple electrical tape round seams next time?

 

[TheBigYin]

Another vote for lightleaks - the back on the 120WPC is a big old thing, with plenty of scope for light to get in. Plenty of black tape all around the cracks and a couple of elastic bands at either end, just to keep things together. On the upside, it looks like yours is pretty free from the usual vignetting - is that due to you getting lucky with the "quality control" or judicious use of a dremmel ?

 

[zeroeseight]

I don't think it is light leak from the back as I had one other roll previous to this that did not have this at all. Also if I am winding on, the area between frames should be clear, but as I mentioned they seemed to have had exposure, but the area between the last frame is clear?

TheBigYin, quite observant I have indeed modified the camera before this roll was used. I used a pen and wrapped some sandpaper around it and worked through the plastic hole to make it bigger. In fact maybe too big, as now part of the internals are showing but when I shone some light through from the front I couldn't see any leaks.

 

[Ambermile]

Tell me... 2 and 1/2 turns of the advance knob for this size frame yes?

 

[zeroeseight]

Ambermile, that sounds about right. This is what I did to the camera before trouble began. I disassembled it so that I could make a bigger hole. I may have made it a bit too big as part of the internals are showing when the shutter is closed. I can not see any light leak when I look from behind and shine a light at the front.

I have just shot another test roll which is hanging up to dry. The horizontal bands are shadows from the blinds. Note the middle area between frames is clear, but the others seem to have exposed. Also the lower and upper edges remain clear even when the in-between area is exposed. Does this point to leakage from the front, as the area is still masked off. If it was leaking from the back would the edges remain clear?

 

[TheBigYin]

The fact that the top and bottom of the film remains clear, along with the gaps between the frame would tend to imply that light is coming in from the front of the camera, rather than the rear. All these areas are the bits that are shielded from your shot's exposure by the frame mask. Did you dissemble the shutter mechanism in order to get access to open out the hole? If so, are you sure you put the bits back in the right order? Are the bits tightened down properly? I've had a quick google around, and you do appear to have opened the hole a little more than the bloke in this thread did. I have to say i'd be a bit worried that the edge of the pinhole frame appears to be visible with the shutter closed.

 

[zeroeseight]

Cheers, I was starting to think along the same lines when I thought about the masked areas. So I disassembled the camera to get a better look.

With the shutter in the closed position, I still couldn't see any leakage.

Until I looked at it at a more oblique angle. Finally! No wonder I couldn't see it straight on when looking at it within the camera

I didn't have any black masking tape at hand, so I made do with some black card. Hopefully it will solve the problem, will take test shots later on and confirm.

 

[Ambermile]

Result then... I'd say that has sorted it, looking forward to the test shops