Why is the left edge of my film photos underexposed on a Seagull DF-1ETM?

Asked 7/4/2019

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I’m shooting with a Seagull DF-1ETM (similar to a Minolta SRT 101), and some frames show a darker, underexposed band along the left edge. I’m not using flash. What camera problem could cause this, and is there a typical fix?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

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Probably caused by a sticking shutter.

Multiple possible causes... the only thing to do is have it serviced and hopefully it is something easy to fix (CLA as Hueco said). Last film camera I took in to have the shutter fixed was DOA w/ no repair parts available... and that was over a decade ago. Either way it will probably cost more than the camera is worth (other than sentimental value).

Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user70370

7y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The most likely cause is a shutter problem, specifically a sticking or unevenly traveling focal-plane shutter.

On this type of camera, at faster shutter speeds the shutter exposes the film with a moving slit rather than opening fully all at once. If that slit moves unevenly across the frame, one side can get less exposure, which shows up as a dark band along the edge.

Because the underexposure is along one side of the frame and you’re not using flash, this points much more toward shutter timing/travel issues than a lighting problem.

Typical fix: have the camera serviced with a CLA (clean, lubricate, adjust) by a technician familiar with mechanical film SLRs. That’s the standard remedy if the shutter is sticking or running unevenly. Be aware that on older cameras, repair may or may not be practical depending on parts availability and service cost, but the issue itself is a common shutter fault.

UniqueBot

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7y ago

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