I have purchased a used camera and I do not know what the dark slide is for. Do you pull it out before you take a picture? What is it for. Is it so you can remove the back with film in it? This is the first medium format camera I have and I no nothing about the "dark slide" use. Can you explain. Thank you. Barry Tuber

And you did put the camera in automatic? and not in a scene mode, or something like that? I don't know if your camera has a setting like A, S, M or P, but you should not use these settings, unless you know what you want to achieve with that setting.

It has nothing to do with the memory card. Try pulling your batteries out -- including the backup battery -- and letting the device reset to its default settings. You probably changed the contrast accidentally.

It's been a while since I used a mamilla 645, so forgive me if this is wrong, but I seem to remember the dark slide would only come out with the camera wound on, ready to take a picture.

Hello
When you look at your pictures are they dark, murky and hard to see? If you took pictures at a wedding, dance recital, theater performance or any indoor event and they came out dark, read on to learn why your pictures are dark, and how to fix this common camera problem.

Many people take pictures of indoor events, only to be unsatisfied with the final outcome of their photos. Although you may have bought the top of the line film or digital camera, there are a few limitations that you need to know about.
To correctly expose your pictures, you camera needs a lot of light. The compact point and shoot varieties adjust for this when you're outside during the daytime, and usually your pictures turn out fine, right? Well, then how come when you take indoor pictures, they sometimes come out too dark? There are two culprits; your zoom function and your flash.
Most compact cameras today offer a zoom function. When I used to work in retail photography sales, the first feature that consumers would ask for is zoom. People love to get close-up pictures without using their feet. Although zoom does bring your subject matter in closer, it also decreases the amount of light that can get into your camera. Essentially, the more you zoom, the less light your camera can receive, and your pictures will be darker.
So, if your taking pictures indoors, in a dark church, gym or other window-less room it is very difficult for your camera to get enough light to properly expose your pictures.
This is when most photographers decide to turn on their flash. The flash on your camera is a great tool to illuminate dark situations that are in close proximity to the camera. Most built-in flash units are designed to allow the light to travel 8-10 feet away in poor quality light and up to 15-20 feet in brighter situations.
What most camera users fail to realize is that although your zoom function is visually bringing you closer to the action, you flash cannot reach that far to illuminate the subject, and your pictures will be dark.
Hope it helps, if so do rate the solution

Did you made sure the dark slide was removed? Check to see that the firing pins on the camera back are coming through the revolving bracket okay and that they are engaging the pin on the film back (left side). Is there film loaded? You can check without film if you have the multi-exposure lever engaged (red spot visible) and dark slide pulled out.

no there isn,t.but these cameras do not have enough flash to take great pictures at night,for one you cant be to far away,two you have to have a subject in range of the flash,other wise all you get is darkness.but at the most 10ft is the farthest you can go and still get a great shot at dark.also use auto mode when taking pictures,because it adjusts to light-dark etc.i know this because i have the same camera and its awesome,plus im a photo technician and ran a photo lab for 3years selling digital cameras. good luck,hope i helped

check on your menu on camera to camera
light mode

that is a defall in the cam you have to call sony, the lens is having problems with the light comming in the cam.

You have a bad film pack. Replacing the film pack with a new one should fix the problem. Nothing in the camera can change the color of a picture. The camera can over expose pictures (wash out the picture), under expose pictures (dark pictures), or the picture can be out of focus (blurry).

Look for Contamination on the slide Take Denatured Alcahol and Clean the Assembely Let me Know ttech