Canon AE-1 Light Meter Trouble - Please Help

[holly_ster]

<p>Recently I purchased a used Canon AE-1. For the first week or two that I used it, the light meter (that determines what the aperture should be) worked just fine, from as far as I could tell. However, recently, it has had a tendency to flash "1" meaning it thinks the film is being underexposed in all different kids of light, even in the brightest light, when it should be saying something like 10 or 12 (and it's NOT underexposed). And my battery is almost new. Sometimes the light meter will randomly start working again, but I haven't really found a pattern besides the fact that I've noticed that sometimes when I change the lens, it starts working again. Apart from that, I'm not sure what triggers it. When it starts working again, it works for quite a while after that, but after a certain amount of time without being used, maybe just a few hours, it stops working and won't function again until the next time it starts working at random.<br /><br />So I was just wondering, has anyone else had this problem? Is there anything I can clean to help it? Or is it hopeless?<br /><br />Thank you in advance for your time. </p>

[dave_s]

<p>First thing to try: check for corrosion or dirt on the battery terminals, inside the battery compartment. Clean the terminals by rubbing with a pencil eraser.</p>

[holly_ster]

<p>Thank you for your response, Dave. I checked the battery compartment, it looks clean, and I rubbed it with an eraser like you said, to be sure. It still isn't working. But I really do appreciate your advice, it's really encouraging to get a suggestion.</p>

[h_s1]

<p>The way you describe it, it appears to be a bad or a loose connection. It could be other reasons too, but I would first check for these. Here is how I would go about doing this:<br>

1. Put the camera's "power" button on "A" mode. It is better if there is no film in it.<br>

2. Half click the shutter button a number of times (with varying pressure) to see if the needle shows any movement, even erratic, and try to see a pattern. Click fully if half click does not work.<br>

3. Try the exposure preview button on the side of the lens mount (the lower of the two buttons) and see if it affects the needle in any way.<br>

Report back how it goes and what you observed.</p>

<p>Finally, here is another nifty thing to remember: if just the meter is blown, the camera's exposure system still works. The meter is only at the end of the system and meant only to give visual feedback to the photographer. The meter itself play no role in deciding what the exposure is to be.<br>

So, keeping this in mind, try to release the shutter under known conditions where you would know what the aperture is supposed to be with given the lens in "A" mode, ISO and shutter speed settings. One example: northern blue sky in a bright sunny day, set ISO=100, T=1/125s and release the shutter. You should get f/11 or f/16 (depending on where you live).</p>

<p>Next, verify that the shutter actually closed to that value. To do so,</p>

<ul>

<li>do not wind the camera to the next frame after your shot.</li>

<li>Put the lens off the "A" mode.</li>

<li>Press the DOF preview slide switch and lock it.</li>

<li>You will notice that the aperture blades close down to the current marking on the aperture scale. Start moving the aperture ring while looking at the lens diaphragm.</li>

<li>Stop rotating when the diaphragm just starts to open.</li>

<li>The aperture scale marking beside the index mark was the aperture in the last shot.</li>

</ul>

<p>If the verified aperture value agrees with what you expected under your controlled shot, your camera's exposure system is working fine. Repeat several times to be sure. To bring back the lens to "A" mode, rotate the aperture ring once to its maximum aperture setting and then rotate it back to the "A" position.</p>

<p> </p>

[holly_ster]

 

<p>Dear HS:<br />I apologize for my very late response. My camera started working again miraculously and has continued to function properly up to this point.</p>

<p>For the first test:<br />Nothing happens when I do that except that it blinks "1" contiually.</p>

<p>I intended to pursue your second test, except that I don't believe I have a "DOF preview slide switch," unless you are referring to what the manual calls the "stop-down lever" which cannot be locked if the aperture is in automatic mode.</p>

<p>However, after I took the picture, the light meter began to function properly once again.</p>

 

 

[holly_ster]

<p>I apologize for this extra post, I don't know how to delete it.</p>