Have you guys seen this? Underexposure @ 1/1000th on M3 with light band

[hipsterdufus]

I am getting really bad underexposures (looks like about 2 stops) on my M3 at 1/1000th of a second. Plus, some of the underexposed frames are getting a weird light band on the top 1/4 of the frame (see the attached image). Has anyone seen this before? Any word on what the diagnosis would be? I had the camera CLA'ed by Youxin Ye in April of last year. I'm more than a little disappointed that I am already getting problems with it. Should I send it back to Youxin, or should I give someone else a try? I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Mackinaw]

So you only get this at 1/1000th? The darkening I see along the left edge is probably due to capping, which is where one curtain overtakes the other as they travel across the film plane. I'm not sure what the bright area is. Some type of light leak?

Jim B.

 

[hipsterdufus]

Yes sir, I'm only seeing it at 1/1000th of a second. The weird light band only happens every now and then at 1/1000th of a second (3 times on the last roll), but only on that shutter speed.

 

[iuseruby]

looks like that I have similar problem. Leica M2 shutter speed 1/500
Everything under 1/500 works just perfect. I have not idea what's wrong with the camera. I hope somebody help.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Send Youxin an email. My experiences with him have all been very positive.

These are 50 year old cameras. Stuff happens.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I think folks forget that a lot of us are shooting antiques around here. 🙂

Which works, because a lot of us ARE antiques around here!

 

[kshapero]

I think folks forget that a lot of us are shooting antiques around here. 🙂

Which works, because a lot of us ARE antiques around here!

Hey, where's my walker? LOL.

 

[hipsterdufus]

I think folks forget that a lot of us are shooting antiques around here. 🙂

Which works, because a lot of us ARE antiques around here!

I understand it's an old camera. It's just a bitter pill to swallow after having the camera CLA'ed last year. Now I've got another repair bill and my camera is out of commission. Just whining, I guess. Camera is all packaged up and I'll be sending it out at lunch.

 

[hipsterdufus]

For those that may care, all of my whining was a waste of time. Youxin fixed it for free and didn't even charge for return shipping. Now that is a class act!

 

[Vickko]

Very common defect on old M's. The darkening is due to the second curtain "catching up" to the first, leaving part of the negative underexposed. This is fixed by tensioning the two curtains properly, which is easily done by a tech who knows what to do. Worse case, the shutter needs to be stripped down and relubed (big job).

The light band is due to the shutter bouncing when it gets to the end stop, and re-opening before coming to a full stop. This is fixed by adjusting the shutter brake, also an easy job if one knows what to adjust.

 

[Vickko]

Oh, a camera "going out of adjustment" is not so rare. After fixing and adjusting a camera, I "soak the fix" for a few days to make sure that the camera settles and the fix is correct.

The camera is a mechanical assembly and sometimes a fix needs time for all the new stresses and tension, and lubricants, to re-settle and become consistent.

Welcome to the realm of old mechanical assemblies.

 

[tunalegs]

The light band is due to the shutter bouncing when it gets to the end stop, and re-opening before coming to a full stop. This is fixed by adjusting the shutter brake, also an easy job if one knows what to adjust.

I'm curious how that would result in a horizontal band. Wouldn't it be a vertical band of light?

 

[Vics]

For those that may care, all of my whining was a waste of time. Youxin fixed it for free and didn't even charge for return shipping. Now that is a class act!

Excellent! He is indeed a fine fellow!

 

[Vickko]

Ah, yes. I commented too quickly.

You are right, my comments are relevant to a vertical band on the negative, or side-to-side exposure consistency.

Horizontal bands are trickier to track down. I'd be looking for light leaks, and then there is the puzzle of why only on high shutter speeds.

I'm curious how that would result in a horizontal band. Wouldn't it be a vertical band of light?

 

[Chris101]

My guess would be that as the shutter travels at a high speed, the edge of one of the curtains leans - the top travels slightly faster than the bottom, and much more light is allowed through the wider opening. This only happens at high speed, because a slightly lopsided shutter is not noticed when the entire shutter is open at once. Only when one curtain is chasing the other and the actual shutter opening is a thin slit.