Checking meter on OM4

[bambam]

Hi

Finally got round to using the OM4 that I purchased over a year ago and really enjoyed using it.
I used an old reel of Fuji 400 that had expired some years ago (2006 or so) and hadn't been looked after storage-wise.
Got the prints back - just the kids in the garden really - and a few are ok but quite a few are very grainy and some seem to show odd marks. Now I reckon this is the film being out of date, but I also want to check the meter on the camera.
So what's a good way of checking the meter against another camera?

Also, is it likely to be the old film? (don't have images to upload as only got the prints).

Thanks a lot

PS using the OM4 was a hoot! Had a great time using it and its so compact!

 

[Musicman]

So what's a good way of checking the meter against another camera?

Get a lens of the same field of view on the other camera (50mm is usually easy enough to find ).

Make sure they're both set on the same ISO rating

Meter on the OM.

Meter the scene on the other camera.

See how they compare under different lighting conditions.

If you have a light meter or other bodies to hand that you know expose well, check it against those.

There may be some variation as the metering algorithm/pattern in the cameras may work using different logic and they may both arrive at different results even if they're perfectly calibrated. If you have the option of comparing spot (using, say, a particular area of grass), centre-weighted, etc. all the better.

 

[Musicman]

Also, is it likely to be the old film? (don't have images to upload as only got the prints).

Expired film is liable to produce unpredictable results, yes, especially if it's been kept in non-optimal conditions.