Hasselblad back light leak prevention?

[darinb]

So, I leave in six days for a for a four week, cross-country odyssey, and I thought, "Hey, what better time to shoot dozens dozens of rolls of 120 film with a used and untested camera system that I just bought!"

Good idea? I thought you'd agree.

To mitigate some of this madness I thought it might be a good idea to test the backs for light trap leaks. But there's not much time and maybe those tests aren't definitive. Instead, maybe I should change the trap myself on all the backs, just to be sure? For those who do this all the time, can I just use some foam from the arts and crafts store (and which kind of foam, exactly, and what kind of glue)? I see the instructions on the Hasselblad historical page--anything else I should know?

A second question--one back I bought, a 220, doesn't fit very well. Same on both my bodies. When you look straight down at the back from the top the right hand side, where it meets the body, has a gap. You can see light through it. The light extends into the bosy area far enough that I believe is crosses the baffles. Clearly this is unusable but what the heck happened to this back? It looks in fine condition, no sign of drop or any other damage. Another of my backs, an A12, has a similar problem, but to a much lesser extent.

Finally, is there anything else I should test? I've had Hasselblads before, years ago, so I know how it all works. Lenses are fine, shutters are fine. Just a little worried about the backs...

--Darin

[ambaker]

You can test the light traps by pulling the dark slide, and shining a flashlight at the trap, and observing from the winder side, looking into the trap area. Done in a dark, or dimly lit room, it should tell you if the trap is leaking.

There are several guides on the Internet for making your own.

The problem with mine, original 12 backs, was the counter would not advance to the first frame. Beautiful pristine backs, but 40 years of non use required a full CLA on the backs.


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[darinb]

Oh, and I read on here that David O., the Hasselblad repair guru, doesn't use foam, he uses velvet tape. Thoughts?

I'm googling stuff as best I can--if there are any great links that would be great, too.

--Darin

[Sirius Glass]

1) Shoot a test roll, have the Sun shining directly on the left side of the camera for some of the photographs.
2) Replace any gummy or light leaking seals or have David O do it.
3) The hinges on the 220 back are probably bent, you can either gently push them back in place or if you are going to use the back, send it to David O.

[darinb]

1) Shoot a test roll, have the Sun shining directly on the left side of the camera for some of the photographs.
2) Replace any gummy or light leaking seals or have David O do it.

Ahhh, Sirius, if only I had the time! As I mentioned in the first post, I'm on the road in a few days and, foolish or not, intend to use my untested Hasselblad gear.

3) The hinges on the 220 back are probably bent, you can either gently push them back in place or if you are going to use the back, send it to David O.

However, you are on to something here. I looked at this before but after your post I looked again, a bit more carefully. And sure enough, the hinges on the body don't *quite* line up the same on both sides of that 220 back. And then when I look ever so carefully at the black metal frame on the inside of the back, and look at the back edge on, I can see that, very slightly, the plate bulges there, right at the hinge. Subtle, to be sure, but that must be the issue.

What to do--carefully tap it with a small hammer? Take off the plate and whack it then? The 220 I can use as a sort of testing grounds for the A12 back....

--Darin

[film_man]

Isn't there a lab that will do 24 hours processing there? The only way to be really sure is, as said, to shoot a roll and then see what happens to it.

There is another option instead of servicing them yourself and finding out later that you didn't do it right: tape them. A bit inconvenient but I'd rather carry tape and get everything wrapped up than get dozens of rolls with light leaks. As we know the entire universe is indeed held together with tape...

[Too old to care]

I second the tape method. I never use the light slide, instead I remove the film holder while the back is still on the camera. My camera also had a velvet insert instead of foam when I got it, but I replaced it with foam. I am sure that it was serviced at least once in its 20 plus years of use before I got it. I would worry more about spacing than light leaks on a new back. Shoot a roll and see how it comes out. I am sure a local camera store can process the film for you in a day or two if you do not have a darkroom to do it yourself.