I think the shutter speeds on one of my M-6 bodies is out of adjustment. Is it a big deal to check and adjust the shutter speeds? Is it costly if done by an independent repair man? Does it take long? Best Wishes, Don

-- Donald A.Wansor (wansor@opltonline.net), October 30, 2001

Answers

If your camera needs its shutter speeds adjusted it is probably time for a complete CLA.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), October 30, 2001.

Regarding my M-6, It's only about four years old, and very clean. I've been reading posts in the archives that state that brand-new cameras sometimes have shutter speeds that are off. Could this be my problem? For example: In bright sunlight, with 400 ASA color neg, @500 sec./F-11, gives me underexposed negatives (About two stops). I usually have to open up about two stops to get the resolution that I want. What do you think? Best Wishes, Don

-- Donald A. Wansor (wansor@optonline.net), October 30, 2001.

"In bright sunlight, with 400 ASA color neg, @500 sec./F-11, gives me underexposed negatives (About two stops)."

If the negatives are two stops underexposed, that would mean your shutter speed was off by about three stops: instead of 1/500, it's 1/4000. Seems unlikely. I think there's something wrong here other than (or in addition to) a faulty shutter.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), October 30, 2001.

I agree with MIke here, something else is happening. In full sun I would give 1/500 @f11.5, this would expose the highlights fine, but if you need shadow detail you might need to give it an extra stop or more. Still, something is wrong here - what film are you using?

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), October 30, 2001.

Also, AFAIK, when shutter speeds go out of whack they become slower, i.e. you would have overexposure, not underexposure.

-- Alexander Grekhov (grekhov@wgukraine.com), October 30, 2001.

Sounds like your meter may be out of adjustment, not the shutter. Just check it against another camera / meter.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), October 30, 2001.

here's a quick, easy way to check your faster speeds (i'm assuming you have a 'good' body for comparison).

turn on your computer, open a blank white page (this page will do, or a word processing document). remove the lenses from the 'good' body and the 'questionable' body, and open the back doors.

set the shutters at 1/1000, hold the camera in normal upright position and fire while looking through the film plane at the computer screen. you will see a black field with a diagonal white line across it. the width of the white line is proportional to the shutter speed - if the shutters are running at the same speed, the lines will look the same through the two cameras. you can use this method down to about 1/250 - below that, the screen pretty well fills up with white.

error in these high speeds is generally a matter of cleaning/lubrication of the shutter curtain spindles, and it could make the shutter run fast, slow, or 'fading', varying across the frame (this would be indicated by a tapering of the white line). error in slower speeds is generally a function of cleaning/lubrication of the escapement gearing, and usually makes the shutter run slow or hang open.

any of the above can be cured by a CLA.

rick :)=

rick_oleson.tripod.com

-- Rick Oleson (rick_oleson@yahoo.com), October 30, 2001.

Mike, if the exposure is two stops under, then the shutter ought to be off two stops, or 1/2000. No?

Donald, If 1/500 @ 11 is 2 stops underexposed in bright sunlight, it can't be the meter. On the other hand, probably Alexander is right to say that the shutter would more likely be slow than fast. So here's another thought: Did you accidently load 100 instead of 400?

Hey, Iv'e done it.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 30, 2001.

Bob,

Based on sunny 16, the correct exposure in direct sunlight for 400-speed film would be f16 at 1/400. Since his camera was set at f11 at 1/500, I figured he was trying to err on the side of overexposure, but he still had images that were two stops underexposed. I may be completely wrong (wouldn't be the first time!), but that's where I got the extra stop from.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), October 31, 2001.

Mike, You are absolutely right! I was making photos of antique fire trucks and I thought 500/F.11 would give me some nice, rich, overexposed images with the 400 ASA film. Like I said, the negs were about two stops underexposed. This morning, I took the M-6 to my Leica dealer. He will ship it to Leica-N.J. I'm sure they will square it away. Many thanks to youse guys for your advise. Best wishes, Don

-- Donald A. Wansor (wansor@optonline.net), October 31, 2001.