Help needed with faulty light meter!

[jasper1997]

I have recently started a photography course in college, i am using my dad old Praktika BMS from whem he was in the army. It was made in east germany so it a pretty old piece of kit. I used it for the first time last week, and all my pictures came out over exposed, which was frustrating. I had to guess what exposure, and aperture i would need because the light meter, built into the camera, is faulty. When i look through the viewfinder and push the shutter release half way down (in the manual it says this is how the light meter is activated) all that happens is a little red light lights up, indicating its over exposed, and no matter what i do, fiddling around with apertures,focus and exposure times but the light doesnt change, meaning i cant use the camera. Not being able o use it is really affecting the quality of my work as at the campus you can not take the college cameras home. Does anyone know what might be the cause behind the faulty meter, and better still how i can repair it without taking it to a shop, or if not how much it might cost me to get it repaired? Many thanks.

 

[BrianV]

An online camera manual here:

Praktica BMS instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals

The camera uses an electronic/stepless shutter. Open the back and set the shutter-speed to diffeent settings, fire the camera without film. Try to note if the shutter is sticking open longer than what it is set. This happens with older cameras using electronics rather than mechanical settings for the shutter. My Yashive TL Electro-X did the same thing: electrical contacts were dirty, shutter wuld stick in the open position.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

This could be something as simple as a lens compatibility issue.