malte
Hello, forum members!
I’ve recently taken up analogue photography; at first, I was taking photos with my father’s camera (a Nikon EM). Even whilst taking the photos, I noticed that after pressing the shutter button, there wasn’t a loud click – it sounded different, rather hollow somehow. When the film was developed, it turned out that the negatives were completely black.
A few days ago, I bought a Minolta X-300 with a lens (Minolta MD 50mm) on eBay at a good price.
I set everything up correctly and loaded the film properly, but this time too, the camera’s shutter sound is still so ‘hollow’. I watched a video on YouTube about the Minolta x-300, and in that video the camera’s shutter sound is completely different – just like you’d normally expect from a camera.
Now I’m worried that this roll of film will turn out completely black as well.
Can you help me? Do you know what the problem might be?
P.S.: I’ve loaded the film correctly both times, checked the batteries, etc.
I’d really appreciate any help,
Best regards, Malte
KlausWehner
Hello Malte,
First of all, a warm welcome to the forum!
I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can.
It’s often the case that older cameras stop working properly after long periods of storage.
With the Nikon, for example, some of the light sealant might have got onto the shutter blades and caused them to stick together in places.
Unfortunately, I can’t assess the extent of the damage to your Minolta from a distance.
Can you remove the film? Important:
1. Make a note of the number on the frame counter
2. Don’t rewind the film so far that it disappears completely into the film cartridge.
Once you’ve done that, hold the camera with the back cover open and look at the shutter.
Now wind the camera and release the shutter.
This way you can observe how the shutter winds up and unwinds again.
Try out different exposure times.
Look through the shutter at the lens: does the aperture always close to the set value?
Repeat this process several times and check whether all the functions mentioned always operate in the same way.
Do you notice anything unusual?
Let us know what the results of this test were.
Then we’ll see what happens next.
Best regards,
Klaus
[hr]
Hello Malte,
First of all, a warm welcome to the forum!
I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can.
It is often the case that older cameras no longer work properly after being stored for a long time.
With the Nikon, for example, some of the light sealant may have got onto the shutter blades and caused them to stick together in places.
Unfortunately, I cannot assess from a distance what damage your Minolta may have sustained.
Can you remove the film? Important:
1. Make a note of the number on the frame counter
2. Do not rewind the film so far that it disappears completely into the film cartridge.
Once you’ve done that, hold the camera with the back cover open and look at the shutter.
Now wind the camera and release the shutter.
This way you can observe how the shutter winds up and unwinds again.
Try out different exposure times.
Look through the shutter at the lens: does the aperture always close to the set value?
Repeat everything several times and observe whether all the functions mentioned always operate in the same way.
Do you notice anything unusual?
Let us know what the results of this test were.
Then we’ll see what happens next.
Best regards,
Klaus
KlausWehner
Hello Malte,
First of all, welcome to the forum.
I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can.
Many older cameras develop faults due to prolonged storage.
In the case of the Nikon, I imagine that some of the ageing light-sealing material may have got onto the shutter blades, causing them to stick together in places.
Perhaps you could have a look at the shutter.
As I haven’t heard the distinctive noise from the Minolta, it’s difficult to make a diagnosis.
Could you possibly remove the film from the camera? Important:
1. Make a note of the frame counter number (so you can continue using the film later).
2. Do not rewind the film all the way back into the film cartridge (otherwise you won’t be able to use the film again later).
Once the film is out of the camera, look at the focal-plane shutter with the back cover open.
Now press the winding lever and release the shutter.
You can observe how the shutter winds up and then unwinds again.
Set the camera to manual mode (M) and let the shutter run several times at different speeds.
Is everything working? Are there any peculiarities? Can you still hear that distinctive noise?
Let me know how the test went, and we’ll take it from there.
Best regards,
Klaus
Wolfgg
Hi Malte,
A completely black film would suggest a leaky shutter.
However, the main noise in 35mm cameras comes from the mirror. Just remove the lens and have a look at the front to see if it lifts up and folds back down properly when you press the shutter.
One more thing: is it really a negative film, not a slide film? And who developed it – did nothing really go wrong there? Are only the film windows black, or is everything black?
Regards,
Wolfgang
Dongrappo
Hi Malte
That really doesn’t sound good. Especially as the problem is happening with both cameras. What sort of film is it and where did you get it from? To test it out, I’d suggest buying some cheap colour film from your local chemist and having it developed there. The cheapest option really doesn’t cost much – just a few euros.
Of course, make sure the back cover stays closed at all times and always keep the film away from light.
For now, carry out the test I mentioned earlier without any film in the camera. Set the camera to ‘B’ (bulb) or the longest exposure time. Open the shutter with no film in the camera and press the shutter release. You should then be able to look through the viewfinder for the duration of the exposure. As shown here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSzpoiVhYjAk
Otherwise, can’t you ask your father, who gave you the Nikon EM, or would it be better to have a look at it together with him?
Well, good luck and all the best with your cameras. Perhaps you’ll end up with two lovely analogue ‘snapshots’!
Warm regards
Werner
P.S. Please let us know if you’ve found out anything more specific!
malte
Hello!
Thank you very much for all your replies. Both cameras are now working again and I’ve already taken several rolls of film! I just gave them another go. It seems the noise was just my imagination, and the first time I must have made a mistake when winding the film.
Best regards, Malte
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