Strange artefacts Z4+J8+metal shade

[moretto]

I have some strange light leaks or something on my last film..just on 5 frames out of 36, though.. I thought it was some flare from the shade or lens flare , but I have it on an indoor pic too. Any ideas?
Just in case, I replaced the light seals today...I'll see tomorrow if it happens again.
I did carry my Z4 "naked" that day, usually it is in the case or half case...hm..

[wolves3012]

Any idea if those frames are all at the same shutter speed? Also, does the "leak" extend outside the frame on the negatives? That would tell you more...

If it extends outside the frame it will be a leak from the back, somehow, most likely. Initially it looks like the shutter hesitates at a certain point but that's largely a guess! Doesn't look like flare to me, the indoor shot would make that near-impossible! I'd also look carefully through the back while winding on, with the lens removed. Any light appear between the edges of the blinds?

[moretto]

Wolves, as usually, the quickest....now why didn't think of that...yes, it extends out of the frame! So it should be a simple light leak somewhere. The shutter was not the same on all pictures..as I recall...1/1000, 1/125, 1/30...in the order of pics..
Thank You.

[colyn]

Since the leakage is coming from the top (largest width) I'd say you are getting light coming in from where the back door seals at the body edge across the top.

You may have to replace the light seal material.

[payasam]

Not lens, nor hood neither. If the location of the leak does not change, it's almost certainly through the body given that it has happened at several different shutter speeds.

[moretto]

Thanks guys!
I probably won't shoot whole film today, but in next day or two I will see if it is OK now.
BTW, do I need (not me, but Zorki) the light seals on the left and right side of the back cover? I have always seen only the seal on the top side (even on Feds). Since I have plenty of Akiro's seals, I sealed also both sides. Do they wear that faster than the top, so they were missing on all my Russians, or were they never there at all? Just as a curiosity, I'm sure it won't hurt sealing it anyway..)
Thanks.

[ZorkiKat]

The exposure may be happening when the cocking is made, which may explain their diagonal, tapered appearance. Leaks may come from other source than breaches in the body.

You may want to check if the shutter laths (the folded metal on the edges of the shutter blinds) are sealing properly. The metal laths sometimes fail to seal right. The overlap they make when the blinds are wound towards starting position is supposed to be light tight, but may sometimes not, because one lath is does not bear fully on the other, creating a space between where light can breach through.

I have observed this in many cameras which have shutters like this- FED-2/-3/-5, and Zorki-4K. This happens too if the winding isn't fast enough, as would be in the case of Zorki-4 where complete winding can hardly be completed with just one full turn. The knob is placed too close to the top plate cover which makes one complete wind impossible with one action.

To see if this is happening, remove the back and the lens. Place the lens mount near a strong light source. Wind the shutter partly, stop when the laths are somewhere in the middle of the film gate. Check the way the metal laths are huddled together; observe from an oblique position. If you find a gap, and see light coming through it, you may be looking at the possible source of the strange 'artefacts' you get on your photos.

[moretto]

As suspected, I could not get an hour of free daytime to shoot, so I rolled the film out to check what ZorkiKat said. No, the shutter curtain and the metal pieces seal perfectly (thank God).
I must say that this Zorki is in the family since 1969, bought by my grandfather, in Moscow (50 yrs of soviet government anniversary), so it is the only one with certain history of not being abused and thrown around. Used regulary, unfortunately never had a CLA, but till this last film never failed. Hope the light seals solve this issue.

[40oz]

I would think it's light coming in from the bottom of the door. And since the streaks are in roughly the same places on three frames, it's probably very minimal but if the film sits on that frame for a length of time it would show up eventually. And be more pronounced the longer it sat without being wound to a new frame. It might only show up when the back is gripped tightly, but obviously I'm just guessing.

Nice shots anyway

[fanshaw]

Originally Posted by moretto

Thanks guys!
I probably won't shoot whole film today, but in next day or two I will see if it is OK now.
BTW, do I need (not me, but Zorki) the light seals on the left and right side of the back cover? I have always seen only the seal on the top side (even on Feds). Since I have plenty of Akiro's seals, I sealed also both sides. Do they wear that faster than the top, so they were missing on all my Russians, or were they never there at all? Just as a curiosity, I'm sure it won't hurt sealing it anyway..)
Thanks.

The only light seal on the back of a Zorki-4, applied by the factory, is a length of black twine or something similar in the top channel. There is nothing in the vertical channels.

[moretto]

Thank You Fanshaw. Good to know.

[moretto]

OK, the film is drying in the bathroom . I went through it with a magnifier, everything looks perfect, no more "artifacts". (I've just seen my title "artefacts" now).
Thanks for support, guys!!

[payasam]

Nothing wrong with "artefacts". I mean the word's spelling, of course, not the unwelcome thingies on your negatives.

[moretto]

Hm..so I see..however, as English is not my native language, I take suggestions from "yahoo spelling", and seems that yahoo has an issue with Artefacts.

Whatever the spelling, they are gone now.