Shutter/Mirror Problem with Spotmatic F?

[s162216]

Hi,

I just got a set of negatives back in the post and after flicking through the prints I was horrified to find that about 7 or 8 of them just had a gradually darker area on the right hand side, like when you set the flash sync wrong but I wasn't using flash. The only thing in common each of the negatives had were they were shot using 1/500 or 1/1000 with the 1/1000 generally having a larger dark area to the extent of nearly half the frame in some cases. I now think that the problem might be related to the mirror, as few weeks ago when I shooting a landscape at 1/60, the shutter fired, but the mirror didn't rise as there was no viewfinder blackout or mirror slap noise. At the time I thought it was nothing as that was the first and only time it had done that.

I've checked the mirror foam to see if its sticky, but its fine; I know this camera was serviced about 3 years ago as the previous owner told me he had got it done. The picture below is an example:



Anyone got any other ideas before I start going about getting it repaired/serviced?

Its a pity as I was trying out the new Portra 400 and its an excellent film, I tried shooting it at 800 and 1600 on a couple of frames and they came out fine when developed normally.

 

[joxby]

I had a spotty that could no longer shoot the fast shutter speeds.
It looks like the curtain rather than the mirror that is jamming with yours though.

 

[s162216]

The last time that I used the 1/1000'th or 1/500th setting was absolutely ages ago, probably sometime last summer so thats why I didn't notice any problem until now.

Do you think it could just be the shutter speeds going out of time? If so it probably time to get it serviced.

 

[alistair.o]

Samuel, as Joxby has said, it appears to be the fast speeds that are sticking. I suggest you work them i.e. keep firing those speeds (500 & 100) for ten minutes or so and then put a cheap, cheap B&W (home dev' for preference or C41 if you have cheap Asda lab nearby) film through the camera.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[freecom2]

Although it may have been serviced, it's still an old camera at the end of the day - curtains aren't moving fast enough, it seems. +1 to Alistair's suggestion, helps to give it a bit of exercise.