Help fixing light leak issues

LonerMatt

LonerMatt

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Hey guys, just looking for some advice.

My OM1 has a light leak - slightly right of center. It's ruining a lot of images and I want to get it fixed.

I do not want to do this myself if I can avoid it.

Who or where should I go? I'm in Cambridge, so someone closer to me is good - Aperture in London quoted me 80 quid, which seems pretty bloody high, and a turn around of 1-2 weeks, which seems pretty long. Mr. Cad had similar prices/turn around. Factoring in the cost of traveling there and that's 110 quid for a light seal.

Anyone know of someone good? Back in Australia there are lots of people who do repairs to a professional standard but not as their only income, and therefore they are quick, pretty affordable and good to work with.

Let me know if you've got any advice,

Matt
 
Is there a particular reason you don't want to do it yourself Matt?

It's so easy, even I can do it.

And I'm an incompetent, fumbling buffoon.
 
I know you said you don't want to do it yourself but is there any reason why, it really is dead easy and should take you no more than 30 minutes and cost you no more than £10. A whole lot more palatable than £80
 
Where do I get denatured alcohol from? A DIY shop?

I am hesitant to do it myself because I am really p***ed off at losing so many good shots to the issue. I'm feeling like working in 35mm film is putting in more barriers to good photography and I don't like feeling as if I'm restricted. So, I'd prefer to have the problem fixed so I can just happily shoot - if you guys think that it's essentially impossible to fail then, well, I'll bow to your wisdom and have a crack.

Here's an example of the light leak issue:
CNV000154 by Mr.Dunne, on Flickr

Except it doesn't happen all the time:
109 by Mr.Dunne, on Flickr
 
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RaglanSurf said:
He speaks the truth :LOL:
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Yep, spot on self assessment. :LOL: And it is very simple to change light seals I've done loads and I am in the same category as Simon only with the added disadvantages of being left-handed and colour-blind. :D
 
You could use vodka instead of denatured alcohol. You just need a miniature if you don't have any handy.
 
I'm not absolutely sure that the frame posted as a light leak really is a light leak. With colour film it usually manifests itself as an orange area because the light usually comes through the substrate on the rear of the film. It might be due to your shutter not running evenly. It would be worth testing by shining a really bright light at the hinge end of the door. I've just had a look at my OM1 and it's so well made that it barely needs any seal material.
 
I think it is flare. Light leaks generally come from the edge rather than as a band across the middle. The example given is shot into the sun and the example without the white is shot with the sun behind the camera.
 
So all of my images that I thought have LL are exactly like the one posted - with a band running down slightly off center.

If it's not a light leak:
a) is it something that can be fixed
b) why does it keep happening :(
 
Andysnap said:
Yep, spot on self assessment. :LOL: And it is very simple to change light seals I've done loads :D
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Same here and I don't even bother to get all the goo out of the slots and just stick a strip of foam over it....and never had a problem with any more light leaks
 
john.margetts said:
I think it is flare. Light leaks generally come from the edge rather than as a band across the middle. The example given is shot into the sun and the example without the white is shot with the sun behind the camera.
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Yes I think you may well be correct, there is much to learn about 40...50 year old lenses for first time film shooters......
 
Generic rubber 49mm lens hoods are as little as £3 on ebay. One should help the flare if that is what it is?
 
Just as a matter of interest, what do the light seals look like?
 
LonerMatt said:
So all of my images that I thought have LL are exactly like the one posted - with a band running down slightly off center.

If it's not a light leak:
a) is it something that can be fixed
b) why does it keep happening :(
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Use a lens hood and keep bright sources of light out of the frame. You could always follow my father's advice and keep the sun behind you.
 
If you have a half case for the camera, use it for half the film and have it uncased for the other half. Some more testing should help you decide whether it's a light leak or not.
 
NickT said:
If you have a half case for the camera, use it for half the film and have it uncased for the other half. Some more testing should help you decide whether it's a light leak or not.
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... or black insulation tape :)
Looking at the light seals is the easiest way forward, but, even with decent seals a bent back will still let in light.
 
Got a few ideas, guys.

I'll email the repairer recommended earlier and see what he says - hopefully it's an easy fix (lens hood would be great).

I do shoot into the sun quite a lot and that won't change much, so if that is the issue and there's no easy way around I guess the OM1 isn't for me.
 
If it was a light leak, it would affect all pictures to some extent.
 
LonerMatt said:
Got a few ideas, guys.

I'll email the repairer recommended earlier and see what he says - hopefully it's an easy fix (lens hood would be great).

I do shoot into the sun quite a lot and that won't change much, so if that is the issue and there's no easy way around I guess the OM1 isn't for me.
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Well shooting into the sun is a problem with any sort of camera, and a lens has to be very old not to have coatings to reduce flare.
 
Could be an internal reflection linked to shooting into the sun, too. Anything inside the camera noticeably less black than the rest?
 
One thing that says maybe not flare to me is that you would think that something as noticeable on the image would be as noticeable in the OM1's finder when the shot was being composed?
 
LonerMatt said:
There's plenty of images where I have flare, but the horizontal stripe of light is different to those examples of flare.
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Yep, doesn't look like classic flare.
 
No, it's not like flare I am used to either. Maybe with the next film note what shutter speeds you use per shot to see if there is any link? Not sure if anyone has mentioned MJW Camera Repairs as somewhere to send it if needed. He sorted my OM1 a couple of months ago. £60 for a CLA, fixing a meter that was a few stops out, re-foaming it & modifying it to work with a 1.5 volt battery. Great value.
 
DNH said:
No, it's not like flare I am used to either. Maybe with the next film note what shutter speeds you use per shot to see if there is any link? Not sure if anyone has mentioned MJW Camera Repairs as somewhere to send it if needed. He sorted my OM1 a couple of months ago. £60 for a CLA, fixing a meter that was a few stops out, re-foaming it & modifying it to work with a 1.5 volt battery. Great value.
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How do I contact them? I've done a quick google search but don't think any of the results I looked at where the place.
 
Denatured alcohol is otherwise known as methylated spirits. £3 a bottle from asda, or a good diy place.
Looks like a shutter leak to me. Is there any fogging on the negative rebates?
 
LonerMatt said:
How do I contact them? I've done a quick google search but don't think any of the results I looked at where the place.
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MW Camera Repairs is Miles Whitehead, he doesn't have much of a web presence but just drop him an email and he'll get back to you pretty quickly.

http://www.mwcamerarepairs.co.uk
 
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Look for black. That white on the pictures will be black (or dark, at least) on the negatives - does the black extend past the edge of the picture on the negative?
 
That looks like a shutter leak. The OM-1 is a mechanical camera, and the fastest speeds are likely to be the ones that become inconsistent as the camera ages. That's the reason why the leak is evident in the first picture, because it's taken in bright daylight, probably at the fastest shutter speed for the OM-1 (1/1000?). The one inside the car (Land Cruiser?) probably used a slower shutter speed, and the shutter blades are evidently in time. Additionally, the scenarios where you are most likely to use a fast shutter speed - bright sunlight - are the sorts of conditions that are likely to exacerbate shutter inconsistency.

On a separate note - changing seals is very easy to do, there are numerous clear and straightforward instructional guides on the web, and it's a simple and easy DIY fix to keep cameras light tight.
 
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