RE: [Leica] Vignetting / Masking: Why?

[Buzz Hausner <Buzz@marianmanor.org>]

Sounds to me like it could be a finger or strap...an error to which I must
all too often plead, "Guilty."  Is it happening more or less randomly?  At
the beginning of the role only?  Are you squeezing off a couple of frames of
leader before shooting keepers?

	Buzz

- -----Original Message-----
From: Robert D. Baron [mailto:rbaron@concentric.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2001 10:54 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] Vignetting / Masking: Why?


Upon careful (albeit belated) study of the contact sheets of four rolls
of Tri-x 400 I shot with my  new M6 TTL .72 s/n 247xxxx over last
Thanksgiving (end of November) I see on them (and on the negatives now
that I've looked) in some frames a vignetting or masking at the top,
varying from almost level across the top to slanted; not equal from
negative to negative and generally near the beginning of each of two
rolls. On a frame or two there is also a slight masking on the left side
of the frame.

The lens in use was a 35mm Summicron s/n 231xxxx with a 12504 hood. I
was not using flash. I had a RapidWinder affixed. I was shooting
available light indoors so basically wide open at slowish speeds.

I used this same combination to shoot 7 rolls right before Xmas and do
not see a repeat of the problem, although I have not minutely inspected
each frame.

If the shutter moved in a vertical direction I'd quickly conclude that
was the problem, but I don't have a guess as to what caused
this.....unless somehow the film got started off center, but I can't
picture how that could work.....

I'd prefer to find out I did something wrong rather than sending the
camera in for Leica-analysis.

Any suggestions?

- --Bob Baron / Oklahoma City