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Author Message   Harlee Tinkerer Username: Harlee Post Number: 51 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A Votes: 0 Posted on Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 05:24 pm:    I recently picked up a fine black AE-1. Upon pressing the shutter, red diods sarted blinking in the viewfinder and the needle rested at the very bottom of the scale. After fiddling with it for a while, I did get the needle to register the correct F-stop and the blinking stopped. I had removed the bottom plate and fired the shutter manually which seemed to get it reading correctly. However, every once in a while the blinking starts up again and the needle drops to the bottom of the scale. I don't want to run film through it until I know that it's working correctly. I'm sure it's either a capacitor or some contacts not working correctly but I'm not sure where to look. I'd hate to remove the top to have a look, but probably that's where the problem may lie, cause it's not visible with the bottom plate removed. I understand the AE-1 is an electrical nightmare, but has anyone had the same problem and were you able to find the problem. I may have to send it off to Gary's Camera to have a CLA, but I 'd like to attempt to find the culprite first.