Light Leak – Part 2

Continuing to ignore the basic rules of scientific investigation, I followed up on my search for a light leak with a 12-exposure roll of HP5 Plus, bulk loaded in a Leica FILCA cassette, shot with a Leica IIIf, exposed at ISO 800, and developed with Ilfosol 3 (1+9). I took particular care to remove my Apple Watch before the film and the developing tank went into the changing bag. I made no particular effort to otherwise protect the film in the cassette from the ambient light. As soon as I took the developed film out of the tank I could see that there were no light leak issues. The negative margins were clean and clear. So what do I know now?

For this second roll of film I changed the length of the roll of film, the type of bulk load cassette, the camera, the developer, and _maybe_ the presence or absence of the Apple Watch in the changing bag. All I have learned at this point is that the watch is a _possible_ culprit. And because I can not say with absolute certainty that the watch was in the bag for the first roll, for someone a little less obsessive that should be enough to stop worrying and start taking real pictures of real subjects again.

But that isn’t me. For a third roll I will duplicate the equipment, materials and process of the first roll, again taking care not to wear the watch, and only then if there are still no apparent light leaks will I put this issue to rest.