Light leak, shutter issue or developing issue

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Nebular89

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Just got a rollei 35b to play around with. This is the first roll and there are black lines/marks along quite a few of the frames. I would say 50-70% of the frames have it. The film is Agfa apx 400. I used rodinal to develop it. I’m assuming it’s a camera issue as the marks looks basically identical.
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It wouldn’t be an issue with the film cassette would it? Around the “lips”
 
I'd be suspicious of the joint between the case and the removable back on the film take-up side.
For leaks like this, I have (in past camera tests) put a length of film in the camera back (via a changing bag) without the cassette so that the say, three frames length sits in the take-up spool, across the gate and in the cassette space. Close it all up and expose the camera to light. The position of the exposures should show where it gets in.
 
Cluster said:
I'd be suspicious of the joint between the case and the removable back on the film take-up side.
For leaks like this, I have (in past camera tests) put a length of film in the camera back (via a changing bag) without the cassette so that the say, three frames length sits in the take-up spool, across the gate and in the cassette space. Close it all up and expose the camera to light. The position of the exposures should show where it gets in.
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Funny you should say that. This bit of plastic or metal is lifted up on the take up side
 
Well I’ve bent that raised bit of metal back down. I have a roll of foma 100 so I’ll use it as a test roll. Half as is and I’ll tape down the edges with the rest
 
I believe it might be an issue with the cassette. Now I’ve scanned them the marks have a furry/fuzzy edge, like it’s the felt lining of the light seal
 
Wht did you use to fix? Did you agitate frequently, and is the fixer relatively fresh? The residue on a couple seems to be around the sprocket holes, which just may be suggestive.

A suggestion; take one of the frames and put it through a fix cycle with fixer you have tested. Maybe pre-soak it for a minute or two in water. I veer towards a light leak, but the regularity of the lines, along with the residue on some sprocket holes, may indicate inadequate agitation and/or weakening fixer.

Additionally, did you develop and fix in a very full tank? If the chemicals aren't free to move around during agitation you sometimes see this bromide drag (as it is sometimes called).
 
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NiallerM said:
Wht did you use to fix? Did you agitate frequently, and is the fixer relatively fresh? The residue on a couple seems to be around the sprocket holes, which just may be suggestive.

A suggestion; take one of the frames and put it through a fix cycle with fixer you have tested. Maybe pre-soak it for a minute or two in water. I veer towards a light leak, but the regularity of the lines, along with the residue on some sprocket holes, may indicate inadequate agitation and/or weakening fixer.
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Fresh fixer and I agitate for 10sec every minute. I’m 99% sure the lines are from the cassette as they look furry when scanned. Ive got another roll to test it, a different brand. However there are a couple of frames that have real light leaks, streaks across the middle. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice but the eye piece is missing from the camera. Not sure if that would cause it but I would have thought it would be on all the frames, not just 2. Either way I’ve got another roll so I’ll see
 
Nebular89 said:
Fresh fixer and I agitate for 10sec every minute. I’m 99% sure the lines are from the cassette as they look furry when scanned. Ive got another roll to test it, a different brand. However there are a couple of frames that have real light leaks, streaks across the middle. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice but the eye piece is missing from the camera. Not sure if that would cause it but I would have thought it would be on all the frames, not just 2. Either way I’ve got another roll so I’ll see
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That seems bang on!

It might still be worth a second bath, mind. If there is a frame that you can risk (although it shouldn't be a risk really). Those streaks aaroud the sprocket holes look sooo much like bromide drag.
 
NiallerM said:
That seems bang on!

It might still be worth a second bath, mind. If there is a frame that you can risk (although it shouldn't be a risk really). Those streaks aaroud the sprocket holes look sooo much like bromide drag.
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It is old fixer. Freshly mixed but I’ve had it for a couple of years
 
NiallerM said:
Try it with some leader from a film. It's a free test..
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Might have found the culprit for the markings. Between frames 9-10 the sprocket holes are broken. Frames 8-11 are double exposed. I remember it being hard to wind on at one point so I reckon the film got snagged a little, maybe by only 1-2 sprocket holes and it caused something strange with the film spacing. Before the broken sprocket holes there’s no markings but after there is. Also the spacing between the frames was very small later on in the roll. In the photos, frame 3 looks normal but it’s after 10 the marks start to appear
 

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In fact you can see the markings right where it says frame 9. Hopefully it was just a hiccup
 
I think if the sprocket hole tears were an issue the film probably wouldn't have wound on from that point, or there may have been a couple of frames overlapping before the sprockets engaged again. Because the marks appear in the same place on each frame, I think it is a camera light leak rather than the film cannister gate.
 
The Oldun said:
I think if the sprocket hole tears were an issue the film probably wouldn't have wound on from that point, or there may have been a couple of frames overlapping before the sprockets engaged again. Because the marks appear in the same place on each frame, I think it is a camera light leak rather than the film cannister gate.
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Just did another roll and it’s definitely a light leak. Not enough to ruin photos I like but enough to return the camera. I left a couple of blank frames and put a light all around the edges and the marks are there
 
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Bit of a shame as everything else about it was really good. I had read that the B35 had a poor lens for sharpness but when youve nailed the focus and the lens is down to F8 it looks sharp enough to me. As you have to guess the focus anyway I cant see ever wanting to be below 5.6 anyway.
That was shot on Foma 100 and developed in Rodinal 1:25.
 
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