The case of vanishing photographs.

Anirudha Ambekar · Dec 12, 2016

I finished developing a superpan 200 Roll a few minutes ago.To my surprise, all except 3 randomly spaced frames were completely blank! it looked as if all but 3 frames worth film was exposed to daylight before developing. the three pictures which did come out are both properly exposed and do not look overprocessed.
I am wondering what might have caused
this.

bvy · Dec 12, 2016

By blank, do you mean black or clear? If black, then yes, it got heavy exposure as if from sunlight or room light. But then I'd expect the three perfect frames to be at one end of the film or the other, and not randomly spaced. If clear, then the blank film did not get exposure. The problem could be a faulty shutter.

Can you upload a picture of the film?

darkosaric · Dec 12, 2016

Hi,

What kind of camera did you used, please attach picture of the whole negative (not inverted).

Luckless · Dec 12, 2016

If you get at least a few good negatives with clean edges, then that would suggest a hardware issue. (ie, shutter is sticking/not timing right. Clear negative - wasn't exposed or tripped way too fast. Solid dark negative could be the shutter hanging open too long.)

Processing issues would typically show up as covering an entire roll evenly, or with awkward looking transition zones between sections. (ie, failing to notice the film jumping on the reel and sticking together in a spot: Kind of looks like the negative was splashed with something and part of the image dissolved away.)

I have to watch my C330 carefully, as the leaf shutter on one of my lenses is prone to a minor jam if uneven pressure was put on the face plate, and it becomes easy to accidentally skip a frame and have it come out completely clear after processing. I've also botched a few photos due to flash trigger failing to trip, which was awkward.

Harry Stevens · Dec 12, 2016

My Kodak Retina II is so quite I often wonder if it's leaf shutter as fired and worry that I may get clear negatives......So far it's all been good.

John Wiegerink · Dec 12, 2016

Harry Stevens said:
My Kodak Retina II is so quite I often wonder if it's leaf shutter as fired and worry that I may get clear negatives......So far it's all been good.

I have a IIa and while it is quite it can't compare to a Minox 35. The problem with the Minox 35 is that the shutter sounds exactly the same whether it's working(opening) or not. I've shot off a whole roll and had the best Zone 0 photographs you ever did see. Leaf shutters a worse for sticking as the temperature drops and focal plane shutter are pretty constant, working or not.

Sirius Glass · Dec 12, 2016

Did you remove that lens cap? Did you check the shutter?

jimjm · Dec 12, 2016

Show us what your film looks like (or describe it in better detail). Otherwise, we can only guess as to what your problem is.

Kirks518 · Dec 12, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Did you remove that lens cap?

My guess. Rangefinder? If yes, then I'll +2 the above.

ic-racer · Dec 12, 2016

darkosaric said:
please attach picture of the whole negative (not inverted).

Yes, without that, only guesses and speculation.

Larry the sailor · Dec 12, 2016

The Russians hacked your camera.

Anirudha Ambekar · Dec 12, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
The Russians hacked your camera.

LOL.

The camera is a Nikon FM2. The negatives are clear as seen in images below.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/8655453@N05/w9Y284
https://www.flickr.com/gp/8655453@N05/3k74b0

So, I guess it is, as many have said, a problem with the shutter.
I certainly heard the mirror slap every time so the shutter curtain must have had a problem.
I have used this camera for few years now and I'[ve never encountered this problem before.
Now that I think about it, the 1/3rd of my last roll was wasted because the film advance lever was jammed and I had to pull the film back in again.
Once I opened and closed the camera, the lever went back to normal operation.
I've been shooting in fairly cold weather these days. Perhaps that's causing some problem with the camera?
I am hoping a good CLA will solve this!

paul ron · Dec 12, 2016

shutter... i agree.

sometimes shutters will fire perfectly at some speeds n not at all at others. Also its common and a CLA will help for sure.

there is so much DIY information on those cameras... just google it?

Leigh B · Dec 12, 2016

The Nikon FM2 uses a Copal Square shutter.

That's an extremely reliable shutter.
I've serviced many camera models that used the Copal Square, and never seen it fail to fire.

Are you fully depressing the shutter release?
The mirror function is fully mechanical, but shutter release is electrical via a dedicated set of contacts.

- Leigh

paul ron · Dec 12, 2016

suspect corroded wires...

Anirudha Ambekar · Dec 12, 2016

I am sure I am depressing the shutter release just as much as I was when everything worked properly.
Is it possible that the mirror flips up but the shutter doesn't fire?
I'll probably have it professionally CLA'd just in case it is something electrical and intricate.

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 12, 2016

Leigh B said:
but shutter release is electrical via a dedicated set of contacts.

Really? In a Nikon FM2?
So, you're saying that even without a battery that camera still generates its own electrical power as mine still works even without a battery?
Wow, that is cleaver. Why didn't they use that technology to power the digi-devices?

Kirks518 · Dec 12, 2016

Leigh, the battery is only for the meter on the FM2, and does not do anything else as far as I know. It's a mechanical camera, except for the meter.

The camera must be thinking the shutter has been tripped, otherwise he wouldn't be able to advance the film, unless there's a major failure, but pretty sure we can rule that out.

Either the shutter is sticking, tripping late (or early), or the mirror isn't flipping (unlikely, as I would think there would be some extraneous light passing through to the unexposed frames).

I think a good CLA would probably correct whatever/whichever issue this camera is having.

Leigh B · Dec 12, 2016

Kirks518 said:
Leigh, the battery is only for the meter on the FM2, and does not do anything else as far as I know.
,,,I think a good CLA would probably correct whatever/whichever issue this camera is having.

You're right. I was going on memory, and confused this with a later model. Sorry.
My repair work on these was 30 year ago, and memory ain't what it used to be.

I was just reading the shutter release description in the FM2 service manual, and I can't see how the multiple interlocks could fail. That's a very complicated mechanical system, necessary to insure proper timing and sequencing.

When the shutter button is pressed, it causes the mirror to raise to the taking position.
When it reaches top-of-travel, it fires the shutter. So this could be a mirror box problem.

I agree, a good CLA should correct the problem. It could be gummed-up lubricants.

- Leigh

darkosaric · Dec 13, 2016

So it is a shutter problem. Whenever I have a shutter problem - camera goes away from me, I sell it on auction site as 'broken'. Repair cost more than other used camera. Too bad - FM2 is usually one of the most reliable cameras on the market, but used camera is always a lottery.

winger · Dec 13, 2016

For awhile, my Pentax H1a would advance the film but not cock the shutter. I'd end up with blank frames like those of the OP. A CLA fixed that.

Gerald C Koch · Dec 15, 2016

If one buys a used camera as a replacement it is essentially a pig in a poke. Whereas if you have the camera CLA'd then you will have a reliable camera again.

photochucker · Dec 18, 2016

I own an Argus Cosina STL1000 with the same shutter and in very cold weather - like -30 C when I used it for the first shot after having it at room temperature it would not fire the shutter - got the mirror flap etc. but always a blank shot. I put it in the freezer - in a plastic bag to keep dry - with no film and the back unlatched. Let it get cold and then watched when I fired it. Every time it went from warm to cold the first shot was lost due to the shutter not working. Pure mechanical shutter. So my cure at the time was to always take the first shot twice if it was something that mattered.
A quick check using the freezer should indicate if this is also the problem. Once the first shot was done all the rest worked until the camera was once again warmed up and taken back out in the cold.

I don't take photos in that kind of cold as I moved a lot farther south and in winter most often shoot with a Pentax Spotmatic that doesn't have the same issue.

Anirudha Ambekar · Dec 18, 2016

I was shooting in cold but not that cold! It was hovering around freezing is all.
I tried the shutter with the back open and it opened at no speeds. The camera was warm when I tried.
I'll just take it to a professional and see if it can be revived.

Arklatexian · Dec 18, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
If one buys a used camera as a replacement it is essentially a pig in a poke. Whereas if you have the camera CLA'd then you will have a reliable camera again.

Gerald, my thought exactly. Get a good overhaul.......Regards!

The case of vanishing photographs.

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