Out with the old.

Convergence.

Rusty Shutters is turning out to be a bit cathartic. And productive. Pulling out all the old film cameras and doing a little technical research is a good thing, it turns out. I’m finding new info, learning about history, and checking out some really useful videos on YouTube.

My Hasselblad 500C/M is a good example.

I was about to load up my ’84 Hassy with a roll of expired (2009) Pan F Plus. I have a roll of the same film in one of my Holgas and it made sense to develop two rolls at once, now that I have the Paterson Multi-Reel 3 Tank.

I took the A12 back off, then pulled the slide out just to have a look see. Never hurts to check how everything is functioning. Part of the light trap had gotten to the point where it was so thin it broke away and was resting on the pressure plate.

Not good. Must be replaced. No light leaks, please.

Just a little bit of Web research turns up a number of videos demonstrating how the replacement is done, and some even had dimensions and materials needed for DIY types to do their thing.

I took the easy way out. I ordered a replacement trap seal from Dick Werner. He’s blackbird711 on eBay, but I found a web link for Dick’s kit that worked just as well.

Dick promptly sent an email with details about my purchase and delivery. It arrived via USPS in just a few days.

I tackled the replacement this morning. It only took a few minutes. All my research paid off, giving me absolute confidence going in. The entire process was a total success.

Now, time to load up that roll of film.