Graflex.org

[Matt_Bigwood]

I am trying to diagnose a light leak in an MPP Micropress camera (English camera, very similar design to a top rangefinder Pacemaker Speed Graphic).

I photographed a local football match (to see how it was done in days of old) using HP5 rated at 800asa.

I used six different double darkslides, some old MPP ones and some newer Fidelity.

Each negative has fogging in the same place - all the shots were taken using the focal plane shutter at 1/1000 second.

I've checked in a darkroom with a torch for bellows leaks etc, but nothing is apparent.

The shooting method was: cock shutter at 1/1000, load darkslide, withdraw sheath, focus, shoot, replace sheath and remove darkslide.

Any advice would be appreciated.

ps I can confirm it's not a processing fault as the edges of the negs are clear, and I processed a couple of sheets from another camera at the same time and they were fine.

[45PSS]

http://photo.net/bboard/big-image?bboard_upload_id=39154584
http://photo.net/bboard/big-image?bboard_upload_id=39154684
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6537744

Your attempt to link to the images did not work so I reposted them.

Appearantly there is a terminology difference that may confuse some so I will attempt to correct them:
Football = Socker
Double darkslide = standard 2 sided film holder= film holder (for short typing.)
torch = flashlight or electric lamp?
sheath = darkslide

In your procedure you state inserting the film holder, pulling the darkslide, then focusing. I assume you were rangefinder focusing, correct?

When you checked the belows in the darkroom with a light was the light placed inside the camera with the bellows fully extended?
Did you check with the lens/board combo used to shoot the images both on and off the camera?
Did you put a film holder on the camera back and check for light leaking around it?
Have you inspected the focal pland shutter for pin holes?
Are there any birght or shinny points on the back side of the lens/board combo?

From the images I suspect a leak around the lens or lens board but it might be lens flare.

[Matt_Bigwood]

Thanks for reposting the links, and the transatlantic translation!

When I put the light inside the camera the bellows weren't fully extended, so I will try than.

Also, I have not yet checked the lens panel for leaks.

Cheers

Matt

[C. Henry]

Much as I do not like to disagree with Charles (45PSS) it appears to me that there is a small hole in the bellows near the body of the camera on the side near the focal plane shutter mechanism (the right hand side of the camera when viewed from the taking position). It is easy to forget that the image is rotated 180 degrees by the lens and look in the wrong place for a small light leak when using the image as a guide to where it is. I do concur with Charles' suggestion to fully extend the bellows when looking for the leak.

C. Henry

[Matt_Bigwood]

In case anyone is interested, I haven't got very much to report - work has been hectic for the last week or so, but I did thoroughly check the bellows again in a darkened room with a bulb inside them, and I still cannot find a leak. The bellows were fully extended.

On the advice of the excellent Jo Lommen, a press camera specialist in the Netherlands, my next examination will be removing the back (a die-cast assembly - with spring back).

I need to sort this as the camera is unusable at present.

[IanG]

I just came across this 10 year old thread by accident through a Google search for something else.

I borrowed this MicroPress camera from Matt to investigate how much of it was made by MPP and how much by Graflex. Before I returned it Matt asked if I could find the light leak. That proved very difficult the usual torch light testdidn't work so I placed a small flashgun inside the camera in my darkroom that was enough to show there was a very slight light leak however it could only just be seen.

It turned out to be a leak where the rear of the Graflex made bellows attached to the camera body. It was easy to fix.

My conclusions were that the front standard, focus bed rails & guides, bellows, shutter and shutter release were made by Graflex. I wasn't sure about the camera body however I'm now convinced that was also made by Graflex.

After WWII the UK had draconian import restrictions as we had huge war debts (to the US), you needed a special import licence for cameras and these were virtually impossible to obtain unless it was highly specialised and there wasn't a UK made equivalent (even if of lower quality).

The UK Government encourage a new UK camera industry based on German technology (part of war reparations, Reid made Leica copies (actually better made), MPP made the MicroCord a Rooleicord clone and the MicroTechincal based on the Linhof Technika. They previewed a MicroPress version of the MicroTechical then suddenly introduced the quite different Graflex based MicroPress.

Graflex couldn't sell cameras in the UK due to the import restriction, parts were exempt though so a way to get around restrictions. The only parts made by MPP are the back and the door (that the focus track etc is fitted to, the internal top range-finder was made by Wray.

The Graflex/MPP links are shrouded in secrecy, probably because they were bordering on breaking import restrictions. they existed though.

Ian