LX Users If you have the time and inclination, would you carry out a test on your cameras please. Below is a paste from a letter to Pentax UK regarding my LX. Please carry out a test on your LX as described below:
'I am returning the enclosed camera as the specific fault mentioned when sent in for repair (see copy of original letter) is still in evidence. The original letter details the fault but I�ll explain again. The fault is erratic exposures on Auto when set at 3200 ISO. I am aware that no film in the camera will cause longer exposures due to the reduced reflectivity of the pressure plate. The fault occurs with film and without film. I am also aware that the LX (and the ME Super apparently) give shorter exposures if the LED's extinguish just prior to releasing the shutter. This seems to happen on all of them and is perhaps best described as a bug; it is not the fault that I�m experiencing - though it is similar. � Set the camera on a tripod facing steady illumination, set the ISO dial to 3200, the shutter to Auto and select an aperture that gives an indicated exposure of � of one second or less (this is so the shutter fires slowly enough for you to hear what�s going on) without film the camera will give an exposure of about 2 seconds. � Repeatedly fire several exposures and you will hear that about four in every twenty are obviously shorter, some so short that they must be faster than 1/60th (with 1/60th and shorter exposures, the sound is indistinguishable). In the field this results in gross underexposure. As the ISO speed is lowered this happens less and less, indeed even at 1600 I fired 20 test exposures and they were all fine. Unfortunately much of my photography is low light with fast lenses and fast film so this is an issue. I was prepared to ditch the camera (or resign it to manual only use) as I can�t sell it not working properly but I considered your repair charge of �104.98 to be a worthwhile investment in having a useable camera.' IMPORTANT - Would you also let me know which shutter you have:- Cock the shutter, lock up the mirror and look through the lens mount at the cocked shutter curtain. If it is uniformly covered in white dots you have shutter (1) the early shutter. If it has two dots 'missing' top and bottom centre you have shutter (2) the latest shutter. I suspect that this is an anomaly of the later shutter only but I may be wrong. Your help is much appreciated. Thank you Anton Browne _______________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime, only �13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890
