Just had another test with some outdated Kodak T-max P3200 dated 06/89 from my fridge : well, I tried all the shutter speeds outdoors down to 1/30 and ran out of apertures so went indoors on a different subject by window light and went down to 1/2 sec before running out of apertures at f22, then I set the Canon 199A Speedlite up again and set 'auto' and although shutter was on 1/250 it read '1/60th' in viewfinder when flash was charged -- I rated film at 250 ASA and processed in home-made ID11 1+1 and results were better : after excercising shutter many times with camera empty -- the 1/1000 and 1/500 are still only 'slightly denser' than the rest which indicates running slow but not as bad as before -- the flash exposures were all 'even' so no troubles there - maybe I should avoid using 1/1000 and 1/500 OR set a higher film speed if I use those two shutter speeds.

Pete, being the owner of a few A-1s myself, I got curious about this. It sounds to me as if your second curtain may be dragging a bit. So I went over to the Classic Camera Repair Forum Archive hosted by rangefinderforum.com. Unfortunately, the repair forum shut down a couple of years ago, but the guys over at the Rangefinder Forum have been generous enough to host it because even in its archive state, it remains a trove of information. So I did a search on the A-1 only (could have searched on the different A-series and I would have gotten a lot more hits, but I'll let you do that if you've a mind to) and I ran across one interesting post that might at least partially apply to your situation. A frequent cause of complaints with the A-series cameras is the magnets that control the release of the shutter curtains. Sometimes these magnets get coated with lube or other substances and lose their power to operate properly. I've never cleaned them, but I've read about the process enough, and I don't believe it is terribly difficult. Just easy does it and all. Anyway, it might at least be something for you to check into. Here's a link to that specific discussion:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/2/25969.html?1355583245

And a link to the archive, in case you'd like to do some searches of your own. One thing, though -- since this is an archive, the search button doesn't work. I had to do a "CTL-F" to open a "find" window on my browser, then I typed "A-1" in the "find" window and searched that way. Eh, it works.

http://rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/board-topics.html

BTW, the Canon 199A flash was the top of the line flash, meant especially to be used with the A-1 and F-1 back in the day, so this is a feature where it automatically sets your shutter speed to 1/60, regardless of where you have it set. I mention this only because it sounds to me as if you hadn't expected it.

I've another unrelated question -- about your film. You've downrated the ISO from 3200 to 250, which seems like an extreme amount to me. How are the negs coming out with this much lower ISO? I've just finished up almost a brick's worth of Plus-X Pan, ISO 125, that expired in 1983. At first I was exposing at ISO 125 and developing normally, but the negs were coming out a bit on the thin side. So I continued to expose at ISO 125, but I extended developing times by about a minute and this gave me much better density with the negatives. But chances are, I suppose, that ISO 125 and 3200 are two entirely different animals. I do have some B&W 3200 and some B&W 1600 in my freezer, that's been in my freezer(s) continuously since about 1992, and I've wondered if it will require any special handling. I have only a couple of rolls of the 3200, one is B&W and one is E-6! But the 1600 is all Fuji Neopan B&W. I have probably 10 rolls of it. I've had this rather large stash of film sitting in my freezer all these years and I've been slowly working my way through it this past year, figuring I've been holding onto it for long enough.

cooltouch : sorry not been in contact but found your reply here -- so kind of you to help out and do that 'research' -- yes-- I had found some info about the Magnets you mentioned -- as I had 'Lubed' in the base plate the cogs and linkages and also the 'Canon Squeak' problem maybe there was some lube got onto the magnets -- but I took off base-plate a couple of times more and could not see any.
About the FILM -- the Kodak T-max 3200 I have was given to me -- it is all outdated now -- I did a test and found that I had to downrate it as much as I did to get dense enough negatives. I tried ID11 1+1 and also mixed up some Kodak DK50 formula and used that 1+1 ... i also have some Fuji Neopan 1600 left -- I have used it rated at 400 ASA for pics in a Jazz Club taken on a Pentax and Praktica so NOT SHOWN in This Group ---- I processed in 'Promicrol liquid 1+14' and got some negs that I could prints to give to the musicians but there was a high 'Fog Level' . Kodak DK50 formula is supposed to be very good for lowering Fog Level on old film.