Camera overexposing film

[Derrel]

I would fire a few frames with the lens set to f/16 or f/11 and see if the lens diaphragm is actually stopping down to shooting aperture. I mean, if f/16 at 1/1000 second is over-exposed with 400 ISO film, then my guess would be that the LENS is the culprit. As far as focal plane shutters getting sticky with age, that is not my experience. Leaf shutters, yeah, sure, but modern focal plane shutters are usually pretty reliable, although on mechanically-timed cameras the top speeds like 1/1000 often can run slow-ish, like 1/750 to maybe even as slow as 1/500.

LENS diaphragms on the other hand, can easily get sluggish, or crap out. My 35mm f/2 AF-D's diaphragm crapped out this summer....shoots everything at a beautiful f/2.0, no matter the aperture setting! So, you need to literally LOOK and see with your own eyes if the lens is actually closing down to the selected, smaller shooting apertures. Oddly, the ONLY other lens that I have owned that has had the diaphragm conk out in the middle of a shoot was a 1969-vintage Nikon 35mm f/1.4 that I owned back in the mid-1980's.

 

[timor]

I'll post a few negatives and photos tomorrow but the negatives are pretty light.

Timor I assure, with my camera at least, it's very possible to overexpose at those settings.

"but what is an ap ring? The camera is completely manual with no ae or af."

.

AP ring is a Bribrius slang for "aperture ring".
If the negatives are "pretty light" it indicates under exposure, over exposure makes negs dark. OK, I think the meter is toasted. If you develop own b&w shoot one roll with setting taken from your dslr, develop for normal contrast and let see.
Pictures you post by now are showing only small over exposure, but then I would not trust too much labs developing colour film nowadays.
Keep shooting dry in very bright conditions, maybe the current will revive dried up condensers, Olympus after all was using good stuff, supposedly.

well i was going to say something else too. rtfm. It may not help here though. i know i punched up one of my old camera manuals online the other day because i didn't know how to do the battery check. I didn't want to insult the o.p though and this is could be something other than user error. still wonder if there is a difference if he swaps lenses too. Don't know about anyone else but if the battery was in order and the needle floated fine i think my next step would be doubting the lens and toss another one on there just to make sure i wasn't missing something. i would also be looking at the difference between manual mode and shutter pri or whatever this is and make sure i am in the right one looking at the needle the right way.

He said, he tried three different lenses.

 

[timor]

I would fire a few frames with the lens set to f/16 or f/11 and see if the lens diaphragm is actually stopping down to shooting aperture. I mean, if f/16 at 1/1000 second is over-exposed with 400 ISO film, then my guess would be that the LENS is the culprit. As far as focal plane shutters getting sticky with age, that is not my experience. Leaf shutters, yeah, sure, but modern focal plane shutters are usually pretty reliable, although on mechanically-timed cameras the top speeds like 1/1000 often can run slow-ish, like 1/750 to maybe even as slow as 1/500.

LENS diaphragms on the other hand, can easily get sluggish, or crap out. My 35mm f/2 AF-D's diaphragm crapped out this summer....shoots everything at a beautiful f/2.0, no matter the aperture setting! So, you need to literally LOOK and see with your own eyes if the lens is actually closing down to the selected, smaller shooting apertures. Oddly, the ONLY other lens that I have owned that has had the diaphragm conk out in the middle of a shoot was a 1969-vintage Nikon 35mm f/1.4 that I owned back in the mid-1980's.

Hm. How many foot-candles you need to overexpose ISO 400 shooting at f/16 and 1/1000 sec ? Pics he posted looks rather slightly underexposed with washed out colours and weak contrast.

 

[Cruzingoose]

The exposure difference between the original mercury battery 625, 1.35v and an adapter (amuminum foil wrapped around a a76) is about a 1/2 stop. The variable resistor for the aperature is likely "dusty". Work both the shutter speed and aperature back and forth quickly for about 30 seconds each and the problem will clear up.... IF there are no major mechanical faults.