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Ludwigvan66
Tinkerer
Username: Ludwigvan66
Post Number: 12
Registered: 02-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 05:54 pm: | 
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Ok, so I got another Hi-matic 9 on eBay recently. $29 shipped, great condition and even included the original box, packing, manuals, brochure, and warranty card. My hopes, were to get one with a working meter for once, which is always a crap shoot. Amazingly, when I put a battery in it it actually worked, and from what I can tell so far, is quite accurate. A little cleaning plus a door seal replacement and it was ready to go, or so I thought.
I had tested every aperture setting, as well as every shutter speed, several times, and everything seemed accurate. I took it out this morning, loaded with a 36 exp roll of Portra 160 (set to 125asa) and used apertures between f5.6-f16, as well as shutter speeds between 1/30-1/250. I just developed the film and half of the frames are blank, completely. So, I just got the camera out of the bag, and after giving it a good scolding (it ignored me) I once again checked every aperture and every speed, and it performed perfectly EVERY time. What the hell?
It was fairly warm outside this morning, but not too bad, around 86 degrees, and I never left it laying in the sun. Also, there is no way I left the lens cap on, as not only was I using the internal meter, but the cap was in my truck the whole time.
Is it possible for the shutter mechanism to trip, allowing for the camera to be wound to the next frame, without actually opening the blades? The blades look great, and like I said, EVERY time I've tested it it has worked, perfectly. |
Ludwigvan66
Tinkerer
Username: Ludwigvan66
Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 06:54 pm: |
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Is there any possibility the shutter could react differently with the meter switched on, or the camera loaded with film? All of my shots were made in full manual mode. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 347
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 07:04 pm: |
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Were the missing frames intermittant, or continuous? And did you look through the lens with the camera back open to make sure the shutter was opening everytime you test fired it? Film in the camera will not affect the operation of the shutter or aperture on the Hi-Matics. It could just be a sticky shutter from sitting around too long before you got it.
PF |
Ludwigvan66
Tinkerer
Username: Ludwigvan66
Post Number: 14
Registered: 02-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 07:59 pm: |
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Yep, all tests were, and have subsequently been done with the back open, looking at light through the lens. Some were consistent, others intermittent. As few as one, as many as 6 in a row. Crazy...
Too bad, because the negs look good otherwise. I even tried to determine if, trying to remember each exposure (I can't) to see if it was just one shutter and aperture combo, but I don't think so.
Just curious, if maybe the added tension from pulling the film when winding and cocking shutter might cause it to not fire properly. A little bummed, because I really wanted a 9 that works correctly. My eyesight and shaky hands makes me apprehensive to do much more work on this camera than I already have.
Oddly enough, my Hi-Matic Fp does the same thing, and it's a fully automatic, battery dependent camera. It is a great handling little camera, with an incredible 38mm f2.7 lens, but it's undependability makes it untrustworthy as well. |
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