EOS 650 - faulty metering

[ajclose]

Hi all, I just recently acquired a Canon EOS 650 which I'd like use. Apart from the sticky shutter issue, which I'm pretty sure I can clean up, there's an issue with metering I'm hoping someone can give me a clue on. Basically it works in manual mode but anything else, it blinks the "underexposed" warning at me and wants to do 30s exposures. I can adjust this a little bit with the exposure compensation, but even at -5, it still wants to do 1/125 when I point it at a bright blue sky. Is there something I can clean perhaps? Or would it be a part that needs replacing? I have other film bodies so it won't kill me to set this aside, but it'd be nice to have this old battletank working. Thanks in advance.

 

[selmerdave]

At what ISO and aperature? What reading does it give you at ISO 100 and f16 pointed at the blue sky?

Dave

 

[ajclose]

At what ISO and aperature? What reading does it give you at ISO 100 and f16 pointed at the blue sky?

Dave

Actually, I'm an idiot - but your question got me thinking the right way, thanks. I was testing this without having loaded any film, so the ISO wasn't set. As soon as I manually set ISO 100, things started to look more normal - so the old battletank rolls on. Now, on to cleaning the sticky shutter.

Thanks again!

 

[selmerdave]

Good to hear! Happy shooting.

Dave

 

[Big Mike]

Doh!

The 650 was my first SLR, it sure is a battletank. Have fun with it.

 

[Gabriel]

At what ISO and aperature? What reading does it give you at ISO 100 and f16 pointed at the blue sky?

Dave

Actually, I'm an idiot - but your question got me thinking the right way, thanks. I was testing this without having loaded any film, so the ISO wasn't set. As soon as I manually set ISO 100, things started to look more normal - so the old battletank rolls on. Now, on to cleaning the sticky shutter.

Thanks again!

A free fix is always a good fix :mrgreen: This was my first SLR too, and I held onto it for a while after buying even my first digital body (also had an A2E in between). The sticky shutter is probably not such an easy fix, I hate to say. I forget now what causes it, but even if you manage to clean it up without ruining the shutter blades, it will leak again. I had to get mine fixed professionally - but it was still worth it.

 

[Josh66]

At what ISO and aperature? What reading does it give you at ISO 100 and f16 pointed at the blue sky?

Dave

Actually, I'm an idiot - but your question got me thinking the right way, thanks. I was testing this without having loaded any film, so the ISO wasn't set. As soon as I manually set ISO 100, things started to look more normal - so the old battletank rolls on. Now, on to cleaning the sticky shutter.

Thanks again!

A free fix is always a good fix :mrgreen: This was my first SLR too, and I held onto it for a while after buying even my first digital body (also had an A2E in between). The sticky shutter is probably not such an easy fix, I hate to say. I forget now what causes it, but even if you manage to clean it up with ruining the shutter blades, it will leak again. I had to get mine fixed professionally - but it was still worth it.

It's caused by the foam bump pad breaking down.

If you are very careful you can fix it yourself (kinda) with a cotton swab and alcohol. It won't fix the cause of the problem (only way to do that is to replace that piece of foam), but it will fix the symptoms.

On the shutter curtain, there will be a sticky black residue. This is what's making it stick. Very carefully, clean that off.

I have an EOS 10s that needs this done maybe once a year.
I guess one day I should send it out to be properly fix, but it seems to be doing just fine the way I do it.

 

[Gabriel]

It's caused by the foam bump pad breaking down.

If you are very careful you can fix it yourself (kinda) with a cotton swab and alcohol. It won't fix the cause of the problem (only way to do that is to replace that piece of foam), but it will fix the symptoms.

On the shutter curtain, there will be a sticky black residue. This is what's making it stick. Very carefully, clean that off.

I have an EOS 10s that needs this done maybe once a year.
I guess one day I should send it out to be properly fix, but it seems to be doing just fine the way I do it.

How often do you use it, though? I had this happen when it was my only camera body, back in the day. Though I only had the occasional client back then, I remember it would sometimes make the shutter stick so bad that it wouldn't close again after shooting a picture. I couldn't have that happening.

But the OP said it's not their only body, so it's probably not as big an issue.

 

[Josh66]

How often do you use it, though? I had this happen when it was my only camera body, back in the day. Though I only had the occasional client back then, I remember it would sometimes make the shutter stick so bad that it wouldn't close again after shooting a picture. I couldn't have that happening.

But the OP said it's not their only body, so it's probably not as big an issue.

Maybe a roll a week...? Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Just depends.

I don't think the frequency of use matters at all for this problem though. It's from the foam breaking down. ALL foams break down - it's just a matter of time. It would happen even if the camera sat in a bag for years on end.

When I first noticed it, it was so bad that the shutter wasn't opening all the way (I was getting half exposed frames).

I cleaned it real good after that, put it on the continuous drive mode and just let the shutter run for a few seconds (after letting all of the alcohol evaporate - you don't need much), then cleaned it again. It might have needed another cleaning about a month after that (can't really remember how long it was).

Cleaned it again, and now I can't even remember the last time I had to clean it... At least a year ago.

Whenever I put a fresh roll in I just take a look at the shutter. If I see stuff on it, I clean it. I haven't noticed anything on it in a while though.

I'm not saying I 'fixed' it, but the time between cleanings is pretty damn long now. It may be that most of that foam pad is just gone now, so there's nothing to get onto the shutter...

Either way, it hasn't been giving me any more problems.

 

[Gabriel]

How often do you use it, though? I had this happen when it was my only camera body, back in the day. Though I only had the occasional client back then, I remember it would sometimes make the shutter stick so bad that it wouldn't close again after shooting a picture. I couldn't have that happening.

But the OP said it's not their only body, so it's probably not as big an issue.

Maybe a roll a week...? Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Just depends.

I don't think the frequency of use matters at all for this problem though. It's from the foam breaking down. ALL foams break down - it's just a matter of time. It would happen even if the camera sat in a bag for years on end.

When I first noticed it, it was so bad that the shutter wasn't opening all the way (I was getting half exposed frames).

I cleaned it real good after that, put it on the continuous drive mode and just let the shutter run for a few seconds (after letting all of the alcohol evaporate - you don't need much), then cleaned it again. It might have needed another cleaning about a month after that (can't really remember how long it was).

Cleaned it again, and now I can't even remember the last time I had to clean it... At least a year ago.

Whenever I put a fresh roll in I just take a look at the shutter. If I see stuff on it, I clean it. I haven't noticed anything on it in a while though.

I'm not saying I 'fixed' it, but the time between cleanings is pretty damn long now. It may be that most of that foam pad is just gone now, so there's nothing to get onto the shutter...

Either way, it hasn't been giving me any more problems.

Yeah, it's possible the foam's finished disintegrating now.

My problem was that I couldn't be cleaning it between rolls because I would shoot several rolls in a session (my very first model shoot lasted all day and about a dozen rolls of film, LOL). Admittedly, I was afraid of ruining the shutter so only made a half-hearted attempt at cleaning it a couple of times, but that gooey stuff was all over the blades by the time I took it in.

I paid $300 for the camera and a 35-70 lens. Nowadays, you can probably get another 650 for the price of that little bumper pad.

 

[Big Mike]

I only had to really clean my shutter once or twice. It was pretty bad, but then after cleaning, it was fine for a long time.