pictures underexposed on one side?

[micromoogman]

I have a M2 and all pictures on the last roll have been underexposed 1/3 of the frame on the right side. I shot it using sunny 16 and 1/500th sec was used most of the time. Is it time for CLA? Or just adjust the curtains? Any help appreciated. I will post two examples, one bw taken a year ago and one from this roll.

 

[payasam]

From your description, it is a shutter problem.

 

[x-ray]

Time for a CLA. I had one body that his happened in about 25% of the frame at most speeds.

 

[pvenables]

Dear Micromoogman

I think you have a shutter problem. My M6 did the same at high speeds, not only underexposing one side of the frame, sometimes the whole frame was totally underexposed.

I've just had mine fixed by CRR in Luton. Peter there is great to deal with.

Hope that helps.

Paul

 

[micromoogman]

Thank you for replies! It is only visible on the pictures with higher speeds, and they are also 1 1/2-2 steps underexposed...

pics at 1/500th and 1/125th sec.

 

[ZeissFan]

If you want to test it, shoot an evenly lit blank wall at all speeds.

The wall needs to be evenly lit, so you're not thrown off by light coming in from a side window.

But it sounds -- and looks -- as if your shutter is tapering.

 

[Mark Wood]

I can endorse Peter's work at CRR (no connection other than as a very satisfied customer). It does sound like shutter tapering and he told me in the past that the only way to solve it is a throrough clean (with appropriate lubrication). He told me that whilst altering the curtain tension appears to solve the problem (and is the "fix" often used by unscrupulous repairers), if the shutter mechanism is cleaned properly, the tension rarely needs any adjustment at all.

I have a Pentax S1a (very similar shutter to the Leica) where it appears that the "repairers" tried to solve the tapering problem by adjusting the curtain tension. It still tapers at 1/500th and the curtains travel unevenly on other speeds.

 

[spyder2000]

Your leading curtain travel time is not consistent.