Uneven exposure: disparity of exposure across time

Smokwawelski

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Hey all, just a quick question. I have a Nikon F with a shutter that exposes the right side of the negative (left side of the image) more than the left side by about 1/3 of a stop. I took some pictures without a lens, and concluded that the effect was not really noticeable right now. My question is: will the difference between the exposure of both sides of the frame increase over time as the shutter gets less accurate? Or will the speeds change but the difference across the frame stay the same? Thanks.
 

BrianShaw

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Does it really matter what could happen in the future? The camera is currently malfunctioning; can you live with that until it finally fails?
 

pentaxuser

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As the shutter is failing now in its proper function I can see no way how any one can predict the future for this shutter if you do nothing about it

pentaxuser
 
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Smokwawelski

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BrianShaw said:
Does it really matter what could happen in the future? The camera is currently malfunctioning; can you live with that until it finally fails?
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As it is now, yeah I can live with it. I just want to know if it will get worse over time.
 

ic-racer

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Smokwawelski said:
My question is: will the difference between the exposure of both sides of the frame increase over time as the shutter gets less accurate?
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Sure, in fact it may get to the point where the second curtain gets so slow it can't trip the mirror to return. A somewhat common problem on old cameras.
 

BrianShaw

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Smokwawelski said:
As it is now, yeah I can live with it. I just want to know if it will get worse over time.
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Most likely it will either get worse or completely fail. If you are lucky it will stay the same for a while.

Another member recently had a Nikon F2 that was starting to experience age-related failure, and sent it to a shop in CA where it was fixed up quite nicely. Might be something for you to consider. Will cost a few dollars but the Nikon F is a really nice camera so might be worth it to you.
 
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Smokwawelski

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Alright, thanks for the advice.
 

jimjm

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The problem's not likely to resolve itself without some maintenance. F bodies are very reliable, but this is one problem I've encountered with at least a few so far. The faster shutter speeds become inconsistent or fail to expose the film, or the slow speeds become unreliable. The lubricants in the shutter will degrade over time or from lack of use, causing shutter capping or inconsistent speeds.
Since most F bodies are at least 50-60 years old, having to service the shutter is not unexpected, as it will be with all cameras. I suspect more than a few F bodies in use out there have never been serviced since they left the factory - which shows how reliable they are.
Just have a standard CLA done and you're likely to get 25+ years of solid use out of it.
 

loccdor

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I found the effect of uneven exposure on cameras that needed to be serviced somewhat unpredictable. If the shutter has metal blades, there is a "hack" of cleaning any gummed-up material on them by inserting thin strips of paper soaked in alcohol. It worked once for me on a Canon. For cloth, I don't know of anything short of a CLA or only using the speeds that expose correctly. The effect is usually worse at high speeds. You can try firing it a thousand times and see if it lubes itself, but it may not work.
 
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