Hope someone can help me.

I am using an ELAN II. Two weeks old.

Problem, when I shoot a roll of film, Arista Pro 400 (Similar to Illiford hp5+?) I get a wide varience of results when developed. I did not get this using the same film in a Rebel, same settings.

Some of the negatives are "perfect" others are extreamly light barley any detail, some are clear, nothing. Had I not achieved several "perfect" negatives on the rolls, I would look at the developing as a problem, I have carefully monitored every step of development. Note: I am using the same metering method, apature priority, shooting outside. All other variables I could think of have been checked. ASA 400, Exposure bracketing off, same type of film, same batch. I thought it might be picking up a bad reading due to some pictures being shot through a chain link fence(sometimes this is the only shot I can get) but other shots, excluding the fence have the same problem. Sunny days, back to the sun, Basaball games.

I have experienced the noted battery problems inherent with the Elan II, and was wondering if the metering might be affected by the power problem, it never lost power during these pictures though.

Any suggestions? I am taking the camera back to the store for a replacement on Friday, they have agreed to replace it or credit toward another model due to a verification of power problems I recieved from Canon. Is it possible that the internal metering is just bad? Anyone had similar problems.

I appreciate any help you can offer. I thought about changing the film speed but the fact remains that several of the shots are perfect.

Thanks Jeff Riehl

-- Jeff Riehl (jtriehl@netzero.net), May 10, 2000

Answers

Response to HELP! Negative Problems (Exposure)

> internal metering is just bad

I think you've figured it out; the camera has a problem.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), May 10, 2000.

Response to HELP! Negative Problems (Exposure)

Jeff, I think it is safe to make this assumption:

If you have a roll of film developed and some negatives are correctly exposed, and others are incorrectly exposed, and this exposure variation is confined to negative picture area, then you are having camera problems.

There is just NO way that the developer would affect only one well- defined negative & not portions of another.

The aperture of your lens might me sticking, or your metering might be malfunctioning.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), May 10, 2000.

Response to HELP! Negative Problems (Exposure)

If you have the chance to return the camera, do so. If you wish to run further tests, try to compare the indicated values on the possibly flawed camera to those measured in the same situation using an external meter your old, proven camera, or use the two cameras in parallel and develop the two films together. If the readings are identical, and the problems persist, the shutter (or its control) may be malfunctioning. (This is what the blank negatives point to, too.)

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), May 11, 2000.