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02-03-2014, 08:11 AM   #1
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What to use for testing light leaks?

I heard that one of the ways to test for light leaks is to put a small battery powered LED inside the body, turn it in, close up the body, and then step inside an absolutely dark closet or room. If light is coming out of any crack or seam in the camera then that means light can be coming in too.

What make/model of light are people using for this?

02-03-2014, 09:25 AM   #2
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02-03-2014, 04:19 PM   #3
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If it's bright enough to hurt your eyes looking into it, it's bright enough for this job.
Pretty much any LED light these days is bright enough, so just buy whatever is small enough.


I usually just sacrifice a roll of cheap film to test.
Load the film as usual, take a few shots with the cap on to wind to a clean frame, then make a point of walking around on a sunny day with the lens cap off. (or even point the lens at the sun for a few seconds to make really sure.... just don't be looking at the viewfinder while doing this)

Once you finish the roll get it developed and look for light patches and pinpoints.

This also means you can not only test for leaks, but also test the shutter speeds, the film transports, the metering (if any) all at once.
02-03-2014, 04:32 PM   #4
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I test for viewfinder-only light leakage by taking 30 second exposures with the lens cap on in a dark room with a small light pointing into the viewfinder. If I get a black exposure then I don't need to cover the viewfinder for night images.

The other tests proposed seem more comprehensive and will find smaller leaks in other spots. Thanks for the tips.

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