Jump to content

Bolex Super 16mm Rex 4 / Light Leak in Certain Situations


Ben Ericson

Recommended Posts

I am hoping someone can help me diagnose this problem. I am having an issue with a light leak on the right side of the frame on my S16mm Bolex. 

My first roll of 50d has it a lot in the beginning, but starts to disappear midway through the roll. The second roll kind of does the opposite... It starts out clean and then starts to burn a LOT towards the end of the roll.

I have uploaded both rolls with time code for reference. Both 100' rolls are 16mm film. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

https://vimeo.com/541142453/f63cfdea29

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, David Dominguez said:

great stuff as usual Ben!

I've had a similar issue when I loaded my Bolex outside during the day. Seems like it snuck though the daylight spool. Did you load outdoors?  

Interesting. The only thing I can think of is the the light is getting in through the middle of the core. This would explain the light leak at the beginning or the end, (depending on if I unload or load in bright light.) 

Loading in bright light would mean the end of the roll of would have light leaks , unloading in bright light would make the beginning of the roll have light leaks. Is that making sense?

2 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

Also make sure the filter holder is fitted and the viewfinder is closed when your eye is not covering the eyepiece.

Filter is definitely fitted. I always look through the viewfinder, even when shooting on a tripod.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
2 hours ago, Ben Ericson said:

Loading in bright light would mean the end of the roll of would have light leaks , unloading in bright light would make the beginning of the roll have light leaks. Is that making sense?

No. The other way around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Simon Wyss said:

No. The other way around.

This was based on my assumption that light was getting in through the middle of the core, not the outer edge. If I shine a light through an empty spool, light definitely can enter through the center of the core. It seems less sealed than the edge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Oh, correct, excuse me.

Do load in the shadow, never allow direct light from a source to the spool. This lateral leak points to the lid. Does that sit neatly or can it wobble? Is the front rim flush with the main frame? Although cleverly designed and well manufactured a camera may have suffered some bad treatment which doesn’t show. You should feel a slight tug when you turn the lid lock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Simon Wyss said:

Oh, correct, excuse me.

Do load in the shadow, never allow direct light from a source to the spool. This lateral leak points to the lid. Does that sit neatly or can it wobble? Is the front rim flush with the main frame? Although cleverly designed and well manufactured a camera may have suffered some bad treatment which doesn’t show. You should feel a slight tug when you turn the lid lock.

I'm going to run another couple of rolls. I will load and unload in the dark and I'll try using the lid from my other Rex 4 to see if that makes a difference! I suspect since it only happens at the beginning or the end of the roll, it has to do with the loading and or unloading process.

Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was going to say gaff tape around the lid to ensure it's light tight. This leak originated from the lid side of the camera, and if the filter holder was in place, one of the tighter bends in the lid, probably the upper one, would be the place to look for excessive space.

Phil Forrest

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to do some additional tests but I more or less solved the problem. I looked at some old regular 16mm scans of mine that I assume were loaded in similar conditions and lined them up. These are both at around 2:40 on a 3 minute roll.

Interesting how much larger the S16 negative truly is. It's not exactly a small increase. I do love the edge to edge sharpness on regular 16.

 

16MM.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...