Nikon F3 shutter speed maxes out at 1/65?

[Christophoto]

Couldn't find it in a search but am hoping this is an issue with a known fix. I just got a photoplug to check shutter speed accuracy and am filling the app's database on my cellphone with all my cameras. Everything was going smoothly until I got to my F3HP.

All of the slower shutter speeds from 8 seconds through 1/60 are dead on accurate, flawless. BUT, every setting beyond that, from 1/125 to 1/2000, is exactly 1/65 sec. I thought it was interesting that they were all exactly 1/65, not 1/60, don't know if that has any significance.

The batteries were only a year old with light use but I put fresh ones in anyway and still the same thing. I bought the camera a year ago from Keh in "Ex" condition, and have only used it a handful of times at slowish speeds, so I'm not sure if it's a recent problem or if it's always done this. Kinda wishing I thought of checking the faster shutter speeds when I bought it before the warranty was up. I know it isn't the photoplug because I tested 10 other cameras at the same time with no problems. Thoughts?

 

[Kino]

I wonder if the contacts in the shutter speed dial have become dirty? I have no personal experience cleaning these; just a thought...

 

[bdial]

It seems like it's firing at it's mechanical default speed at those settings.
The camera over-rides the meter for the leader frames (counter < 1) or when the back is open, and fires at it's mechanical default speed until the counter gets to 1. If the camera thinks it's on "A" on all speeds > 1/60, with the back open it would fire at the default speed.

I've encountered cameras where there was a problem in the counter that caused it to fire default speeds until frame 10 or so. You may have a combination of problems.

Try this test, and post what happens it may help separate what's possibly wrong; back closed, frame counter at some value > 1, shutter on "A", and a cap on the lens or body. Release the shutter, does it stay open for several seconds or open and close at around 1/60? Shutter staying open would be normal operation, open and close would mean that the frame counter is giving it bad info. What happens in this test with the shutter set to 1/125 +?

 

[BrianShaw]

Verify the mechanical speed by using the mechanical release lever on front of body. Then test with film speed dial at various settings. Spin it both ways a couple of times first. There is a possibility of corrosion or breakage on the variable resistor, FRE, that senses film speed setting.

 

[benjiboy]

Your cameras shutter needs servicing and re-calibrating by a professional camera technician.

 

[Huss]

Have you held the camera back open, no lens on the camera, and cycled through those shutter speeds with the camera pointed at a light source? That way you can visually confirm that 1/60 is the same as 1/2000. If all you see at 1/2000 is a very brief flash of light, then the camera is ok. If 1/2000 is like 1/60, then yeah, a pro needs to fix it.

 

[trythis]

If the back is open it resets to 0 and will not fire at higher speeds. At least that is what mine does. hold a screwdriver or something on the little peg just behind the counter window in teh slot the door would occupy when closed. Once you get past 0 on the counter the amount of time the shutter is open should change. Its not a great visible difference but a bright light on the other side will help....just make sure you dont slip and hit the shutter with the screwdriver.

 

[Chan Tran]

Yup! the only thing wrong with your F3 is that the 1/80 is now 1/65 but that's all. The F3 won't fire at higher speed than 1/80 until the frame counter is 1 and above.

 

[fstop]

If the back is open it resets to 0 and will not fire at higher speeds. At least that is what mine does. hold a screwdriver or something on the little peg just behind the counter window in teh slot the door would occupy when closed. Once you get past 0 on the counter the amount of time the shutter is open should change. Its not a great visible difference but a bright light on the other side will help....just make sure you dont slip and hit the shutter with the screwdriver.

I took an old junky back (scratched pressure plate)and cut a hole in it for doing this. You need to do the same thing with the FA, it defaults to 1/250 until the frame counter hit 1.
The fact that photoplug is optical kicks the snot out of that garbage from the Ukraine that used a microphone, it would get confused with mirror noise, mirrors often run at fixed speeds.

 

[Christophoto]

If the back is open it resets to 0 and will not fire at higher speeds. At least that is what mine does. hold a screwdriver or something on the little peg just behind the counter window in teh slot the door would occupy when closed. Once you get past 0 on the counter the amount of time the shutter is open should change. Its not a great visible difference but a bright light on the other side will help....just make sure you dont slip and hit the shutter with the screwdriver.

Ahh, crap. I completely forgot that it defaults to mechanical speed on the first few shots before you get to 1. I even remember hearing that before. Interesting though that slower speeds all work fine. Pretty sure that's it, thanks a lot guys.

 

[Christophoto]

And I'm back in business. Thanks again guys, thought my camera was broken for a bit there. It's a third to a half stop slow at faster shutter speeds, and I suspect 1/2000 is highly optimistic, but no biggie.