Why does my Pentax ME produce partially black frames and missing exposures?
Asked 11/15/2017
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2 answers
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I’m shooting with a Pentax ME and seeing two issues on multiple rolls. First, some frames seem to be missing entirely when the film comes back from the lab. Second, some photos have a solid black band across the bottom portion of the image. Could this be a shutter problem, flash sync issue, or another camera fault? What should I check to diagnose it safely?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
8
The dark lower third of your photos looks like a stuck shutter blade.
To confirm my hunch: open your camera back (with no film loaded, of course) and shoot at manual - B setting. Keep the shutter pressed. Watch whether shutter opens fully. Pay special attention to the upper blade (the image is reversed).
As for the missing pictures: shutter malfunction is a possible culprit, but it is one of many.
Originally by user62463. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user62463
8y ago
0
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A mechanical shutter problem is a strong possibility. A black band across part of the frame often happens when a shutter curtain/blade doesn’t open or travel fully, which can leave part of the film unexposed.
A simple check: with no film in the camera, open the back and fire the shutter on Bulb (B) while holding the release down. The shutter opening should stay fully open; if one curtain/blade is still blocking part of the frame, that points to a shutter fault.
If the dark band appears only when using flash, another likely cause is using a shutter speed faster than the camera’s flash sync speed. In that case, part of the frame can be blocked during the flash exposure, creating a black area.
The “missing” frames could also be related to shutter malfunction, though they may have other causes. Since it has happened repeatedly, the camera is more suspect than the lab. Start by testing the shutter operation and checking flash sync settings if flash was involved.
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