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Pale edges on negatives
- Thread starter RobC
- Start date
Late Developer
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- Dec 4, 2010
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- 19
Hi Rob,
Firstly, that's a nice photo and it's a pity the edges are slightly "pale". I doubt I can be much use on this as I had an A12 back which did this and, like you, I had the light seals replaced with new - but to no avail. Eventually, I traded the back for a newer version (the one with the dark-slide keeper on the back) and that worked fine. If you use a hybrid workflow, you might experiment with using a vignette to darken the edges. Sorry if it's not much help but it's all I can think of.
Best wishes, Paul.
Firstly, that's a nice photo and it's a pity the edges are slightly "pale". I doubt I can be much use on this as I had an A12 back which did this and, like you, I had the light seals replaced with new - but to no avail. Eventually, I traded the back for a newer version (the one with the dark-slide keeper on the back) and that worked fine. If you use a hybrid workflow, you might experiment with using a vignette to darken the edges. Sorry if it's not much help but it's all I can think of.
Best wishes, Paul.
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for taking the trouble in responding and for your kind words regarding my photo. As you posted this I was actually online looking for a newer back to do a test. Can't find one anywhere. I have 3 backs and all exhibit the same issue. Did your pale margins occur on all sides as mine does?
Thank you so much for taking the trouble in responding and for your kind words regarding my photo. As you posted this I was actually online looking for a newer back to do a test. Can't find one anywhere. I have 3 backs and all exhibit the same issue. Did your pale margins occur on all sides as mine does?
Late Developer
New Member
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- Dec 4, 2010
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Hi Rob - the pale edges on my shots were, from memory, in the same position. I had about 6 backs in total but only one exhibited this problem. At the time, I was using a local lab to develop the film (mostly B&W but some colour) and the pale edges were relatively consistent but more noticeable on darker / lower light photos. I'm not sure where you're based but, if you are in the UK, there's a very good dealer https://www.cameramuseum.uk/ - based in London on Museum Street just down from the British Museum - which I've used for the past 20 or so years. They often have A12 back for sale, separately from the bodies. They are not "cheap" but I have always been very happy with their products and services. It might be worth dropping them a line to see if they / their service engineer can suggest what might be causing the issue / possible solution. Just a thought but, if it's a common issue across all your backs, have you considered using duct tape to seal around the edges between one of the backs and the body? If you still get the pale edges, it might be the film stock you have or the processing / tank. All the best, Paul.
Hi Paul, thanks, again, for your input, and thank you for the link. What an excellent shop, never heard of that one and they have several. Was looking at using the black tape method over the next few days and working by process of elimination. I'll let you know how I get on. Many thanks, Rob
Here's one from the same day, same roll that was, fortunately, unnaffected.
Here's one from the same day, same roll that was, fortunately, unnaffected.
Attachments
I did have a similar problem with a light leak around the dark slide (right side of print = left side of back). I was going to say it was fixed with by having the back serviced, but then I remembered that I'm only now getting around to running a roll of film through the back. I'll let you know.
photoeil
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- Mar 2, 2008
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- 43
After about 40 years professionally working with Hasselblad V, I still shoot the very same 500C/M, I never encountered that problem as such.
What I had was due to the misalignement of the enlarger, wether is was the lamp, the condenser or the lens.
But, reading Ansel Adams (yes him again); in the book 'The Print', he's talking about an interesting 'trick' he calls "edge burning". This 'technique' consists in slightly burning the edges of the print in order to "deepen" the image, it looks a little like what I would call (in my non-native English) "a funnel effect", wish somewhat underlines the 'presence' of the image's message.
To my humble opinion, the example you showed might use some edge burning, regardless wether or not there might be a technical issue of the camera/film chassis.
What I had was due to the misalignement of the enlarger, wether is was the lamp, the condenser or the lens.
But, reading Ansel Adams (yes him again); in the book 'The Print', he's talking about an interesting 'trick' he calls "edge burning". This 'technique' consists in slightly burning the edges of the print in order to "deepen" the image, it looks a little like what I would call (in my non-native English) "a funnel effect", wish somewhat underlines the 'presence' of the image's message.
To my humble opinion, the example you showed might use some edge burning, regardless wether or not there might be a technical issue of the camera/film chassis.