I made a detailed inventory of the some 300 photographs taken in
the trip yesterday evening, excluding those (about 27) still in the
camera. Along 7 rolls, the problem has clearly gone to worse, from 23
(96%) normal, no side band and 1 (4%) missed in the oldest roll to 5 (14%)
normal, 15 (42%) with side band and 16 (44%) missed in the latest roll. In
total, 108 (53%) normal, 44 (21%) with a side band and 53 (26%) missed.
The band, which may be completely black, more or less
"transparent" or a juxtaposition of both of them either with clear edge or
with a smooth transition in between or with the "normal" portion of the
photograph, always appear along the longer edges, i. e. at the top OR at
the bottom of the picture. Never along the shorter edges. This is
consistent with the vertical displacement of the horizontal stripes of the
shutter, but I cannot understand why sometimes the band is on top and
others it is at the bottom. I have also not found a relation with the use
of the flash; the problem appears equally in photographs taken with a
flash and in those taken without flash and under sunshine conditions. When
there is a band, its width is of 47% of that of the photograph in average,
ranging from 10% to 96%, with 44% being a frequently repeated value.
Of course I guess many of the completely unexposed frames
correspond to the failures to fire a flash (third reported problem).
I shall use the 9 outstanding virgin frames in the camera to make
same tests and have a look at the shutter back after roll removal. Raising
the mirror to check the front will not be so easy... Anyway, I do not
remember to have seen it dirty before or during the trip.
Most probably, we shall have to have the camera professionally
fixed. But first I should like to learn about (possible) causes of the
problem(s).
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