Philipp500 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 <p>Hi everybody! I was lucky to pick up a T90 w 50/1,8 the other day for $60. Since it was quite dusty and dirty, I gave it a good cleaning and started testing. Everything was just fine, including the spot metering (the small button, not the mode) until it just stopped working. I switched between the different modes but to no avail. No spot meter anymore. What do you think? Possibly some dirt inside? Thanks for your input. BTW I'm looking for a 300TL flash now, anyone?...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_goehler Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 <p>As far as I remember you only need the small button for flash spot metering. The regular spot metering works via the metering select switch.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 <p>Manual at Butkus (<a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_t90/canon_t90.htm">link</a>). Make the $3 donation to help him do more of it.<br> There are quite a few references to spot metering and how to do it in the manual of which this is more or less the main page</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 <p>Thanks to you guys. I did download the manual from Butkus and have downloaded more of them in the past, made the donations with my e-mail adress, but never got any feedback. My problem is when I press the spot meter button (even in the spotmeter mode) nothing happens in the scale to the right. It has worked a few time, but then nothing anymore. The camera is not with me right now, but I'll try again ASAP, about next week.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 <p>I have a similar problem with a T90. I suggest that you firstcheck whether you can see <em>any</em> information at all on the viewfinder right hand side lcd display when selecting various modes and functions. If some features do display, then I suggest you work systematically through the various button presses and mode options on the camera until you understand just how all of them interact. You may then "see the light" :-) The T90 can seem a little quirky at first.</p> <p>Of course it could be the button that has dirt affecting the connection with the circuit board - especially if other functions do display on the lcd. The remedy is not an easy one and involves dismantling the camera - see below.</p> <p>If nothing at all appears on the right hand side lcd display it <em>suggests</em> that the display has lost electrical contact with the underlying circuit board which is connected via a conductive rubber strip connector. These can fail and stubbornly refuse to be cleaned or repaired. However, this is not really an easy fix and involves dismantling the camera, which I cannot heartily recommend: the inside of a T90 is packed with electronics that were not intended to be serviced and which are certainly not for the faint-hearted.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_janes Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Check the easiest stuff first...batteries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 <p>Thanks a lot for the insight Allan. I'll try harder and come back in a few days. However, rather than going the way you suggest in case it really doesn't work anymore, I'd rather switch to manual or exposure correction and forget about the spot metering. I also use some fully manual cameras and don't mind. This said It would have been nice to have this T90 in fully working condition. Yes Rick, the batteries are new and everything else works perfectly. There was some corrosion in the chamber however (old leaked batteries, of course, people seldom remove them). I removed it carefully before my test.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 <p>I agree wholeheartedly with Rick - check the batteries and use the freshest you can get. One of my T90s is very fussy about batteries - it doesn't like some low power and undercharged Ni-MH cells; another one is much less fussy. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 <p>Check the viewfinder illumination switch behind the palm door; it has to be fully 'on' to properly see the vertical scale. The spot meter button doesn't function if the lens' aperture ring isn't locked on 'A'. Neither will it work if the camera is in stop-down mode. All this according to the body sitting in front of me.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 <p>Hi Fred, thanks a lot. I think you nailed it. I still can't check on the camera but I've been using it with 2 lenses with T-mounts which obviously don't have an "A" setting. It's all manual (even with preset aperture... for interest's sake a Cunor 35/2,8 and a 105/2,8). I'll try it with an "A" lens and I believe that's the problem since it has been working. I switched lenses quite a few times including with FDs. I'll come back and let you know. The illumination works as it should. So what (who?) is the body in front of you? Is it the soul of some defunct T90?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 <p>Her name (since you gave me the idea) is Ernestine, and she is a resurrected T90. I picked up a lot of four allegedly dead T90s off ebay for $26 a month ago and got Ernestine working perfectly within minutes by beating her on the ground. The others are being just a little recalcitrant, and I may have to perform surgery. But I'm sure getting my $26 worth!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 <p>Hi Fred. What is this "beating on the ground" thing, everybody talks about? Is it a joke? Ernestine... Nice name.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 <p>No joke. My office floor is carpeted concrete. Holding the camera by the hand grip in the approved fashion I bring the camera sharply down, with some force, directly on its base, several times in succession. This is often enough to loosen the shutter magnets. In extreme cases I have to do the same first on its back then on its face. Sounds erotic, put like that...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 <p>...and once it works again, does it stay that way or do you have to repeat the medication / treatment before each use?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 <p>Stuck shutter magnets are only a problem when the camera isn't used with any frequency. A properly CLA'd one won't have this issue for several years, though some would say otherwise; probably depends on how competent your repairman is. One that's been serviced by myself stays in good working order <em>as long as I use it regularly</em>. </p> <p>I can't speak to the long-term effectiveness of this repair. I had a brand new one for six years or so, then sold it... ... I bought my first <em>used</em> one just five years ago. So while I know them really well, I haven't been using or maintaining them continuously for the last 25 years. I can only testify what works for me right now, in my reduced financial state. If I could afford it I'd have them all CLA'd by Steve in Sparks NV and be done with it.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 <p>Thanks for your input Fred. I like the camera very much. Bought it from a pro who went digital years ago and I think mine hasn't been working for a long time too. It looked really bad, and I think that's why it didn't sell. I picked it up and noticed no dents, knocks or bad treatment marks, just dust and dirt, and indeed, after the cleaning, it looks very good and works well so far. I'll post again once I checked the spot metering thing (that's on Thursday)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philipp500 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 <p>Hi Fred, great news! I've mounted a lens with an "A" setting, (a Soligor 35-140 / 3,5) and the spot meter works perfectly! I have a fully functionnal T90 now. Thanks again to all!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 <p>Cheers!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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