Im having troubles with my Minolta camera. Its an older one with through the lens reflex viewing. All my pics dont have this, but usually more than half the roll. Any photogs out there seen this before and can tell me whats wrong? Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
Light leak.. check seals
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Does your camera have a rubber shroud around the viewfinder?
It looks like light is entering the camera body through the viewfinder when you release the shutter. A rubber shroud will solve most of that, other than that it could be the reflex mechanism isn't operating at its max potential since it's old.
Posted by pierre (Member # 1462) on :
No way. It's your aura. SO...................... you have a pink aura, and that means........ what?
heh.....................
k31
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Ya mean like this John??
I had that happen on a couple of rolls of 35 mm film about 4 years ago. It was a pain in the butt at the time but I had a digital camera by then and didn't worry about replacing the 35 mm. Since then I have been taking pics with the 35 mm AND the digital with no further probs.
I guess the threat of a sledge hammer "cured" the 35 mm of it's attitude!!! LOL
Posted by Brian Diver (Member # 1552) on :
It's a light leak at the hinge or locking mechanism where you open up the back to put the film in. If you take it to a good camera store that actually does the work they should be able to tell you how or if it can be fixed.
Best of luck
Posted by Dave Utter (Member # 634) on :
just a thought, but, did you buy all of your film at the same time, and is it the first half of the roll or scattered throughout the roll. Just thinking it could be the film, and not the camera...........maybe it got hot or something. Good luck.
Posted by Linda Silver Eagle (Member # 274) on :
I've had it happen and then used the same camera again and no problem. Could have knocked the camera by accident allowing light in and it could have been a bad roll of film. The latter was what I was told by the guys who developed the film. Try again.
Dave could be right on with his answer.
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
I had this happen when the airport scanned my luggage. Not every picture, but about every third frame. Did you go through an airport security?
Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :
Geez, that's a strange one John. Once I photographed my bowl of Corn Flakes and an image of the virgin Mary came out on the film, but I have never taken a pic of my back steps before and had a scary hound dog show up in the print. It could be miracle! And that stripe of light could be John the Baptist beaming down...
...or maybe just your strap in front of the lens? ...Nah, I'm sticking with the posession thing.
Posted by Troy Haas (Member # 472) on :
Looks like the grass needs to be trimmed.
The sidwalk has cracks in it.
I think the dog is thirsty, and if I am not mistaken there is a flea on his... oh wait... just a spot on my monitor, nevermind.
Oh, and the dogs "Halo" has straightened out, it shouls circle his/her head...
Seriously, I am a hobbist shutterbug, and in my opinion you have a light leak, but at the same time I would not rule out bad film with out some rolls taken that were purchased at a different time/source.
I have several good books on photography, and I would love to look it up for a friend, but unfortunatly they are packed somewhere waiting for the move this weekend.
Good Luck Troy
Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
Your shutter timing needs adjusted. The opening curtain & the closing curtain are out of sync. This is something best left to a professional. Good luck.
Also, it could be dirt in the mechanism. If you've taken this camera apart before & have reassembled, you could clean it yourself. Otherwise, leave it to the pros.
[ July 29, 2003, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: Bill Cosharek ]
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
My question to Joe is why were you taking a pic of your corn flakes? Did you see the Virgin Mary and want to capture her? Or did the vision show up later when developed? If it is the latter, I have more questions. Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
You took that picture with my camera!
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Simple solution: get a high res digital camera!
You can see your shot right after you take it, retake it if you dont like it and not spend the money on developing only to be disappointed.. plus digitals don't have many places that can develop light leaks.
Plus you can take your camera's memory card to Wal Mart and have actual photographic prints made on their FujiFilm Photolab for a whopping $6 per 24 images... or get 8x10's around $2.50 each.
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
It is definately a light leak. But from what? Since it does not happen to the whold roll, I would rule out mechanical failure. Shutter sync is not the problem, if it were, it would have happened to the whole roll. I don't think light is entering through the viewfinder, because during the exposure the mirror closes the the prism, and if light were to enter it expose the entire film plane. Scanners at the airport only harm film that have a high ASA/ISO rating.
If the film was exposed to light only the first few pictures would be lost. If your camera has a light leak; all the pictures would have the same response. If any sync problems occur, your pics would either be under exposed, over exposed or partially exposed.
Did you load the film in direct sunlight? Has this happened to more that one roll of film? Is it the same development company? Is the film old? Have you ever had your camera cleaned? Which Minolta SLR do you have?
I think the light exposed only a few pics through the felt on the film cannister. This can be deduced because of the small band of exposed film on the left hand side of the pic.
Heres how to check for light leaks on your camera. Load a roll of film. Next cover the lens with your hand or lens cap. Shoot the roll of film in direct sunlight. If the body has any light leaks, you should see those same light leaks.
Buy a new roll of film(don't open it) and load the roll in a dark closet, then shoot the roll normally.
That should be enought for right now. Tell me what happens next... -Rich
Posted by Bill Preston (Member # 1314) on :
John, I had a similar problem a year or so ago with my Canon AT1. Turned out to be a light leak through the edge of the cover on the back. Check the gasket there and see if it is literally getting flaky. If it is, then this is most likely the problem. The dealer sent it back to the factory for repair, and while they had it they gave it a general cleaning and tune-up.
The camera is totally manually adjusted, and that is my preference----fast film (800 speed or higher) and you can get decent pics in poor light without flash and the burnout spot that goes with it, and stop-action at a fast shutter speed in daylight.
Also recently acquired a Sony Mavica 250 digital, but I am still finding my way around with that.
Will always have a place and use for each.
Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
An SLR camera usually has a focal plane shutter which consists of 2 curtains. One opens when the shutter button is depressed & then the second follows after a set time delay to close & end exposure. These curtains travel at the same speed & the opening between them forms a vertical slit for the incoming light to follow. If they don't travel at the same speed then the slit dimension changes & causes irregularities in the exposed film. The tension on the springs may need adjusted.
But the picture John shows doesn't have a gradual change as would be expected thus I think it's probably caused by dirt or worn cam parts in the shutter mechanism that's causing the closing curtain to stick occasionally.
I'd rule out bad film or developing because he says this has happened before. It doesn't look like a glare coming through the lens either. It could be a light leak in the canister but that seems unlikely unless all the rolls were bad. John, do you consistently use the same brand of film? Does your developer get these results with other people's film? Do you store your film in the frig? Laying on a block of ice in storage might also be a factor. OK - Forget that last one. If it is a canister leak then the overexposed part should extend into the sprocket holes. If upon inspection of the negative you find that it's only within the frame of the picture then I'd say it's an exposure phenomenon.
This really looks like a flash picture taken with the shutter speed set higher than the sync rate. If you followed the explanation of the focal plane shutter, it's possible that most of the image was scanned before the flash fired. The flash could've fired after the shutters past over most & the duration of the flash ended before the curtain sequence leaving that narrow portion on the left. This looks like a daytime pic but is it possible that the flash fired also?
Posted by Robert Larkham (Member # 2913) on :
John, at times like these I seize the opportunity to say to my wife, "Honey, I need a new camera". I just did it when I was having trouble with my own camera. It worked great. Good luck.
Oh yeah, here's where I went. Great outfit. http://www.bhphotovideo.com Posted by John Deaton III (Member # 925) on :
I was thinking the same thing as far as light getting in somehow, but I cant find where it is if it is. Seems like either of the explanations above would explain the problem. ALthough this is an older camera, it is basically not used very much. I like the reflex viewing with manual focus and find it hard to give up. I have a digital camera, a rather nice one, and use it alot, but still like to use this one much as I can. Out of a 24 picture roll, about ten of the photos were this way. Others were perfect. Thats why I didnt understand it. Im gonna try some of the advice above and Ill let you know how it turns out. I also know someone in town who is an expert at cameras of this type and intend to let him look at it for me. Thanks to everyone for their replies and advice and tips. Bless ya'll.
Posted by Kathy Joiner (Member # 1814) on :
John, check those pictures and try to determine if the light source was behind, or in front of you. This may help locate the leak. For instance, if the ones that are bad were taked with the sun in front of the camera, the leak is probably in the view finder.
Posted by Kathy Joiner (Member # 1814) on :
John, check those pictures and try to determine if the light source was behind, or in front of you. This may help locate the leak. For instance, if the ones that are bad were taken with the sun in front of the camera, the leak is probably in the view finder.
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
I have had Dave Grundy's problem where there is a definate line of discoloration. This was explained to me as something out of sync with the flash / and the sutter opening. I think the fix was just playing around with the dials.
John's problem is different. Light leak? I'm skeptable because it would happen on every frame or just ruin the whole roll.
Just take plenty of pictures of the same thing and maybe some will turn out. Seems like a new camera purchase would pay for itself quickly as the time, film and development costs have to be frustrating to deal with presently.
Posted by John Deaton III (Member # 925) on :
Yeah, I guess buying a new camera would be the thing to do, but see, I dont give up on things that easy. Going out and buying something new every time it farts a little aint what Im used to. I really do hate them point and take cameras. They take great pics, but I like seeing what Im taking a pic of. I think this camera has still got quite a few years left in it, so Im gonna try and get er fixed. My dad has a Nikon that is about thirty years old and still going strong. Something to be said for that kind of reliability dont you think? If I cant get it fixed, then its time for something different. Ill keep you informed. Posted by Mark Sheflo (Member # 3608) on :
Light leak from a warped back or something caught in the door perhaps. Could come and go depending on how the camera is held, light source and direction, ambient light level, temp., etc, etc, etc....
Check this link out for a good example, it's the best I could find. Check the 5th picture down.
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