'Running' LEDs in my CLE

[camerawrecker]

Hi all,
Yesterday evening, while 'dry' shooting my CLE in low light (the living room with few lights on) I was surprised to see the red LEDs coming on one after the other very rapidly, like a running light from top to bottom of the scale before finally settling on one particular shutter value.
Also, I noticed that when the LED next to '4' (1/4 sec) or '2' (1/2 sec) lights up, the shutter stays open for noticeably much longer : about 1 or 2 full seconds! That means a deviation of about 2 stops between the indicated shutter value and the actual shutter speed! Could that be because of either a malfunction of the metering circuit or inprecise metering indication of the CLE in low-light circumstances? Is the CLE known to have an inprecise metering in low light?
Please don't tell me this is symptom of a dying electronic circuit...
Thanks for your comments.
Benny

 

[RayPA]

For my CLEs, it's usually more indicative of a dying battery. (Yes, the mighty CLE does occasionally need a new battery. It's hard to imagine, because the little bugger can seem to go forever without needing a new one.) Every time the LEDs in my CLEs get wonky, it's usually just before the batteries die completely.


/

 

[camerawrecker]

Ray, I hadn't thought about that. But it would be a huge relief if that's the only thing wrong with it. I tried the battery test button and the front LED came on, so I did not suspect the battery to be the fault, but it makes sense for an electronic brain like the CLE's to go haywire when the voltage is off.
Thanks. Benny.

 

[haempe]

Hi Benny, the longer times as indicated are because the measuring is going during the exposure. If no film loaded, the pressure plate will reflect less light as the film to the sensor and the exposure will be extended.
The running LED effect is on my CLE caused by contact problems in the speed dial. Some turns for- and backward will solve this for the moment.

 

[sol33]

As Haempe said, before you press the shutter, the exposure is measured from the shutter curtains, which have a couple of white dots. If the curtains are open and no film is in the camera, the exposure logic is confused because it is measuring against the black film holder. This results in longer exposure times. Once you put a film in the camera everything will be fine.
The effect of the running LEDs is common to all CLEs. It seems that the problem is oxidation on the contacts of the speed dial. Just move the speed dial a couple of times and the problem should go away.
Don't worry, your CLE is fine. The problems with electronics are highly overrated...

 

[camerawrecker]

Thanks everyone here. I am hugely relieved that everything I worried about is in fact perfectly normal. I guess the spectre of the rumored dying CLE electronics and having bought a lemon obscured my clear thoughts all too soon. I should have thought of the reading error on the pressure plate! I really need to put a second film in that camera and get to know it better. Thanks again.
Benny

 

[Graham Line]

Fears of dying electronics on the CLE are greatly exaggerated. There are several people on this sub-group who have been using the cameras successfully for decades.

Contact cleaning and rotating the shutter speed dial will probably solve the dancing diode problem.

 

[splitimageview]

I just came across two CLEs that had the dancing diodes...rotating the shutter dial calmed them both down.

I'll probably clean the contacts under the shutter button...

 

[camerawrecker]

Success! Rotating the shutter speed dial for while brought things back to normal. What a relief! My new year's resolution now is to add a nice 28mm lens and start using the camera more often.
Many thanks and best wishes to all of you for a Merry Xmas and a very Happy New Year !
Benny