Yashica electro 35 GS underexposure problem

[srirayanad]

Hi, recently got my yashica electro 35 GS serviced for POD problem. Now the shutter mechanism works fine (i tested under different apertures and it opens and closes without any problem) and the light meter works fine. But when i shot a film (400 ASA; shot mostly indoors near window with plenty of light) and developed it, found that it is underexposing by as much as 2 stops. Any idea what could be the reason and how to repair it? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[one eye jack]

Hi, recently got my yashica electro 35 GS serviced for POD problem. Now the shutter mechanism works fine (i tested under different apertures and it opens and closes without any problem) and the light meter works fine. But when i shot a film (400 ASA; shot mostly indoors near window with plenty of light) and developed it, found that it is underexposing by as much as 2 stops. Any idea what could be the reason and how to repair it? Thanks for any suggestions.

You mean before servicing using ASA 400 same location and lighting you get different reading?
It's simple to verify use a digital camera set at ISO 400 and assuming same lighting condition/location
compare the reading.If you get same reading with digital means meter is working fine.

Why 2 stops difference? Don't take it personally but I think meter was fooled as it was bright so tendency to underexpose similarly with dark scene overexpose.Meter is averaging type and referenced
to 18% grey in theory.Need to compensate for this senario by adjusting shutter speed or aperture.

 

[srirayanad]

You mean before servicing using ASA 400 same location and lighting you get different reading?
It's simple to verify use a digital camera set at ISO 400 and assuming same lighting condition/location
compare the reading.If you get same reading with digital means meter is working fine.

Why 2 stops difference? Don't take it personally but I think meter was fooled as it was bright so tendency to underexpose similarly with dark scene overexpose.Meter is averaging type and referenced
to 18% grey in theory.Need to compensate for this senario by adjusting shutter speed or aperture.

Hi one eye jack, thanks for your comments and wish you a happy new year. Before servicing for POD, the exposure was awful anyway (most of the frames were dark) and so i cant compare the exposure before and after servicing. I was talking about the exposure after servicing for POD. Perhaps you are right that I need to meter for the subject and expose accordingly. Please correct me if i am wrong, but i assumed the meter in yashica electro 35GS is center weighted averaging type and hoped that the metering would be ok if i keep my subject in the center. Although it is a good idea to compare exposure using digital camera, unfortunately the 35 GS doesnt show you the exposure time and so i wouldnt know if the exposure is similar to the digital camera meter's.

 

[one eye jack]

Hi one eye jack, thanks for your comments and wish you a happy new year. Before servicing for POD, the exposure was awful anyway (most of the frames were dark) and so i cant compare the exposure before and after servicing. I was talking about the exposure after servicing for POD. Perhaps you are right that I need to meter for the subject and expose accordingly. Please correct me if i am wrong, but i assumed the meter in yashica electro 35GS is center weighted averaging type and hoped that the metering would be ok if i keep my subject in the center. Although it is a good idea to compare exposure using digital camera, unfortunately the 35 GS doesnt show you the exposure time and so i wouldnt know if the exposure is similar to the digital camera meter's.

Hi,
I forgot yashica is old tech but exposure wise it follows the way meters measures and work.Although it is center weighted meaning measurement in the center part of the frame but if the scene is overly bright or dark then it will be under or over exposed respectively by as much as 2 stops.

One way you can check is use a digital camera set at ISO400 and shoot
the same window scene hopely same brightness or shoot a lamp or bright light source occupying same area of the frame and see by adjusting/choosing different aperture and see what's the shutter speed like but do note yashica max. speed is 1/500 sec up to 30sec..Check the LCD and select a speed and aperture that gives good exposure in LCD.Use this same setting for yashica and see if it tallys with the digital setting if the meter is working correctly assuming the electro mechanical shutter is working too.

PS: there should be no arrows appearing in view finder or lights on the top of camera indicating under or over exposure. Hope the lens on the digital is as
big as F1.7? When meter sees such extreme light conditions it will be fooled,you have to compensate by opening or closing the aperture as this is the only thing available on electro 35.