# Are these Lightleaks, Lensflares or something else? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Film Photography\ **Created:** [February 24, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501 "2024-02-24T15:06:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![woestmann.felix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e7dd6/32.png) [@woestmann.felix](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/woestmann.felix)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/1 "2024-02-24T15:06:04Z")
Hello. I have an issue with my camera and I am not sure where to ask, so I try it here. Last September I brought my camera to be repaired and cleaned. (There was an issue with the Rangefinder). Since then I took only few pictures, due to a stressful semester at uni. Now I developed a few rolls and many pictures exhibit the same two issues. One looks like a lens flare, it is always at the same position on the pictures, however before the camera was repaired I can’t see this flare on my pictures. The second is an overexposed area of the frame in the upper sixth of the picture. Down below I attached a few examples. Does anyone know what is up? Kind regards Felix ![scan (5)](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/negativelabpro/original/2X/d/d8bfb83914789e7205e3251ae692bb4de0d0be7d.jpeg) ![scan (15)-positive](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/negativelabpro/original/2X/9/97b9622de6d1f19128925a439387667eb5d71a6d.jpeg) ![scan (17)](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/negativelabpro/original/2X/3/376352b9dddd6b810d397184a77d8e240211a61b.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Digitizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@Digitizer](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/Digitizer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/2 "2024-02-24T15:33:49Z")
Looks like some internal reflection… - Does the flare stay where it is when you change the lens? Have you checked the shutter for a hole that might have been burnt in? ---
**Author:** ![woestmann.felix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e7dd6/32.png) [@woestmann.felix](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/woestmann.felix)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/3 "2024-02-24T17:39:50Z")
Thanks for the answer! I only have one lens, so it is hard to test! It didn’t occur to me that I maybe have a hole in the shutter curtain. Thats a great idea, would certainly be consistent with the spots appearing at the same position. Do you know how to best check for that? I tried shining a light at it in a dark room but couldn’t make out a spot. ---
**Author:** ![Digitizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@Digitizer](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/Digitizer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/4 "2024-02-24T20:20:47Z")
> [@woestmann.felix](#): > > I only have one lens, so it is hard to test! Zoom and change focusing distance to see if anything changes…or drill a hole in a camera bayonet cap and use it as a pinhole camera. > [@woestmann.felix](#): > > Do you know how to … check for that? (ed: damaged shutter curtain) Remove the lens a take a few shots of a bright light - not the sun !!! If there is a hole, the flare should be in slightly different places if the light is in different places. ---
**Author:** ![DavidHoffmanuk](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forums.negativelabpro.com/davidhoffmanuk/32/909_2.png) [@DavidHoffmanuk](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/DavidHoffmanuk)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/5 "2024-02-25T16:15:19Z")
With a hole in the shutter the bright spot would be worse the longer the time between exposures with lens cap off. A few frames in quick succession would not show this. Is that what you see? This looks like a light leak. ---
**Author:** ![Peterbee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@Peterbee](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/Peterbee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/6 "2024-02-25T19:57:28Z")
I would take it back to the people who did the cleaning/repair and ask them to take a closer look - especially if the problem occurred after their work. They should have the means to check for light leaks and shutter issues. ---
**Author:** ![Harry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@Harry](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/u/Harry)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/are-these-lightleaks-lensflares-or-something-else/7501/7 "2024-02-25T21:22:04Z")
I don’t suppose it’s a Leica M is it? If it was then it’s easier to check because you can lift the rear flap and put the camera over a box with a phone LED shining upwards so that the only light you could see would have to come through the shutter curtain. Check before and after the shutter has fired.