Eric Eader

Correction: Try the other solutions after determining that the switch is in fact working properly. My bad.

This may be the big bear moving farther out on a tiny limb, but try holding the switch depressed for a longer period of time and see what happens. Check that the switch actually does its job then try the above other solutions if it doesn't.

Your welcome, Max. No question it is a constant EDGE leak. But what about the head and tail? Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine a can of fresh film never having been opened. Visualize loading your magazine in the darkroom, then attaching mag to camera, and threading it up--hand roll-- checking loops etc.--- everything looks good--- close door--- roll off a short burst. What have you got? At the take-up core UNEXPOSED film; then clear (over exposed) film where it was threaded and hand rolled. Unless your lens was capped you have your first images---that's it. BUT, if the film was previously flashed the whole head will be clear--- gross over exposure--- how deeply? Variable, but at some point clear becomes image plus edge strike, continuing to runout. Picture previous threadings--- how long, how many feet rolled from clear to image? A major difference might indicate a lightstruck Head. And since this is NEGATIVE that means variation in Density---black-- deep, deep black = gross over exposure. When you get your negative back run it thru a viewer and watch the light show transitions form unexposed --to over exposed-- to image plus edge light. Now for the TAIL. Did you shoot the candle all the way to rollout? If you did, then there will be no washout similar to what one gets when threading, or (breaking off short) just little bursts once a very short section clears the aperture. Major splash from tail tip to somewhere back up into the roll says post shooting over exposure... someone looked at the raw stock. That doesn't tell you who or why, or get you your money back. Post when you can.

First, is the film negative or reversal? If reversal, it might help to repost the entire scene from absolute beginning (lace-up), eliminate some of the middle, uh, sorry stoners, and show the end of scene to roll out. The Question is: which end is the more light-struck: Heads or tails? (Compare timing). Before the film was shot, or after? If negative, examine the head and tail for weird intensity variations at the beginning and end. If Heads, before you acquired the film, or maybe someone made a little mistake and was afraid to tell you. Now, if Tails, is heavily light-struck, maybe your friendly Customs official had "just a quick peek-a-boo," or a "visitor" at the lab was curious. That will never be known... unless someone 'fesses up. (grin). An anecdote: During the American Revolution an especially gruesome event happened in a tavern. An aspiring psychic was taken to this tavern (early 1970's) to see if this person would respond to the "vibes" and perhaps describe the events that occurred there. A reporter and I went along and the psychic (in theory, without prior information) came pretty darn close. All well and good. The reporter flubs repeated stand-ups. On his last flub he becomes so frustrated with himself he blurts "oh, Hell!" The next one is done perfectly! Now, Back at the station, I am preparing all the films by everyone else for loading the processor. I start to transfer my 400ft 7242 onto processor reel when up rushes the dimwit newbee with his contribution to that day's TV history. So to facilitate his donation he turns on the light in my locked loading room from outside. Maybe the film will pass thru the door easier with the light on to show the way. I very strongly encourage him to turn off that light. Things straighten out, and his film was added to the reel. In short the only piece of raw stock (600--800ft) Light-struck was the busted stand-up my reporter had blurted "Oh Hell." It started normally then progressed to looking like he was being burned alive ending with white-out at "Oh hell." Light-strikes are funny things. Tungsten balanced film: blue goes white first?