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Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 112
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 08:29 am: | 
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Folks, this is a weird one regarding my new project of tuning up my recent acquirement: Canon A-1 
Last night I was trying to work the shutter of my the camera to let the lubricants set when out of the blue, after many releases, the advance jammed up on me.
I tried activating the multi-exposure switch, but that did not work. It could just move the advance lever but it did not feel like as it does when advancing a frame normally. After this, a click could be heard (I think it is the magnet on the rewind side working). But the shutter and mirror do not move.
The lens was in the stop down position. I took out the lens and I could see the red dot beside the stop down lever on the body.
The magnet on the winding side, the is the little one, was still attached to the armature. I was not being pushed away as it should be when release button is pressed.
After a few hours, I took out the battery, activated the multi-exposure switch and give tiny multiple strokes to the advance lever. Put the battery in and it started to work normally again.
Now, since then, I have experienced this multiple number of times, irregularly.
What does make the problem go away is if I nudge the mirror up. That makes it flip and the shutter releases normally. I can then advance to the next frame.
Anybody have any idea what is going on?
Thanks. |
Mikel
Tinkerer
Username: Mikel
Post Number: 212
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 01:24 pm: |
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Have you cleaned and relubed the mirror damper flywheel? |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 115
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 06:36 pm: |
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It wasn't that a big of a problem initially. I think the mirror jammed like this only once and that too when I had it open, and then only a few time afterwards. I had not tried the camera properly yet after I had received it, mind you.
I cleaned the mirror today with naphtha and also with H2O2 + ammonia mixture to disinfect from fungus. I noticed that the problem got much more severe after that.
What I also noticed was that in the jammed state, I was able to make the mirror flip, resulting in continuation of the exposure, if I pushed the mirror up a bit (using a plastic needle sort of thing). The mirror appeared to have a obstruction that clicked as the mirror started up. I did this a few times while feeling the click carefully.
Finally, I decided to touch the lever responsible for moving the mirror with a syringe needle wet with oil. Only a really tiny drop, from inside the mirror box. Worked the mirror a few times. Also touched that hinge with a tooth pick with a tiny speck of synthetic grease on it. Since this treatment, I haven't yet observed the mirror jamming problem.
Here is my theory. The lubrication at that hinge was already insufficient, characterized by the occasional mirror jamming. When I cleaned the mirror with naphtha, it appeared to have seeped to the hinge as well, thus reducing or removing the lubrication and making the problem quite worse. Lubricating that hinge made the problem go away. Does this theory make sense?
To answer your question, yes, I lubed the flywheel using a syringe from the top.
Thanks. |
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