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Classic Camera Repair » Archives-2004 » Will you help me troubleshoot a meter reading problem? « Previous Next »

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Brent

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Posted on Friday, October 22, 2004 - 09:28 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I have been using a Canon A-1 for about a year or so with a 50 f/1.4 Canon lens. No problems. I got a 24mm and 200mm recently, and the camera refuses to meter properly (i.e. show the proper readout in the finder) with them. The 24mm never worked, the 200mm worked for a while and then began to fail. That said, I cannot with certainty say it is in fact the lenses, even though the 50mm still operates smoothly.


Here is the latest example of what the 200mm caused my cameras meter to show me in the viewfinder: Outdoors on bright sunny day, ISO set at 400, lens set to the "A" position on aperture ring, aperture set to f/16 on camera, holding camera steadily pointed at the exact same point... meter reading f/16 (correctly), shutter speed 350, 90, 15, 20, 90, 30, 350, 90.... and it just kept on changing between these (and probably other) values very rapidly, never to settle on one. Of course, most of those values are ridiculously low for the ISO and light conditions anyway. Though this examply doesn't show it, the aperture reading would sometimes even change as well.

Any ideas???
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rick oleson

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Posted on Friday, October 22, 2004 - 08:04 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

the erratic nature of the readout doesn't sound like a lens problem, does it? one thing in the body that would be affected by changing from your 50/1.4 to these lenses would be the little plunger thing at the lower right (as you look into the lens mount) that tells the camera what your maximum lens aperture is. If this is an electrical connection like a variable resistor in the A1 (I don't know that it is, but it might be), then if the camera has had the f/1.4 lens on it for many years it may be that the sensor has gotten dirty and does not read correctly when it's at any other position than f/1.4. Try removing the lens and poking this little thing in and letting it back out, say, 100 times in succession, and then see if the 24 and 200 give less erratic readings.

:)=
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Brent

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Posted on Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 06:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Tha--nk--s, R-i--ck... poking, poking, poking away! That is the first sensible thing that anyone has been able to say about this, and trust me, I'VE BEEN ASKIN' !!! Will report back!
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Brent

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Posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2004 - 07:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Preliminary report, but it appears to be working better. I really want to take the lens out for a day and see if it continues to work right. Thanks again.

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