| Author |
Message |
    
Brienne
Tinkerer
Username: Brienne
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 11, 2013 - 11:53 pm: | 
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I just received the used Canon AE-1 I purchased off of ebay.
I am new to the film world and photography in general.
however right off the bat I noticed it has the infamous squeal. (Not my concern though)
The shutter curtain does not open. I opened the back and when I shoot (on all settings, including bulb) the curtain does not budge. In fact on bulb mode It does not open at all and it just shoots at a normal speed. Now maybe I am an idiot and the curtain is not supposed to open? But that seems doubtful to me.
The shutter button itself and other things seem fine.
The light meter is working.
What could this be related to? simple battery fix? (waiting for mine in the mail) or something else perhaps?
Thanks guys! |
Dxqcanada
Tinkerer
Username: Dxqcanada
Post Number: 23
Registered: 11-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 04:20 pm: |
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If the curtain is not moving ... how do you hear the squeal ? |
Dxqcanada
Tinkerer
Username: Dxqcanada
Post Number: 24
Registered: 11-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 04:22 pm: |
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If the battery is dead it will not release the shutter. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1293
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 05:06 pm: |
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The squeal comes from the mirror damper, so you would hear that if the mirror is working even if the shutter curtains do not move.
On bulb, you said it "doesn't open at all, it just shoots at a normal speed". What does that mean? It can't shoot at a normal speed if the curtains aren't moving. |
Dxqcanada
Tinkerer
Username: Dxqcanada
Post Number: 25
Registered: 11-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 05:28 pm: |
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Ah, I thought that squeal came from the curtain takeup mechanism. |
Brcamera
Tinkerer
Username: Brcamera
Post Number: 268
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 06:03 pm: |
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When you say the shutter curtains do not move, are the curtains actually traveling together and not making an exposure? Is that what you mean when you say it "shoots at a normal speed"?
Since the mirror is returned to rest position by the closing curtain, the closing curtain must be moving if the mirror is completing its cycle.
Most common problem is MG3 electromagnet for the closing curtain. This might be a case for returning the camera if it was sold as working.
Bill |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 1069
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 13, 2013 - 11:31 am: |
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Clearly things are very wrong here and I suspect the Brienne, being new to this game, is going to have difficulty in spotting the clues and describing what is actually going on. Clearly he has been sold a piece of junk and should return same to the seller, just as Bill states. He is going to get information here ranging from the very helpful to the bloody useless kind, but I think the poster will have trouble sorting this out - especially as this appears to be his first excursion into the guts of a fairly complicated camera. If he opens the camera up the seller certainly will not take it back, so he should return it for a full refund or repair by the seller.
I think we should be giving sensible help here. Brienne indicates he has little or no experience of this type of camera, so is DIY the way to go when he can get his hard earned cash back via eBay? We all started somewhere in the 'sort it out' game, but the AE-1 can present many pitfalls to the absolute beginner. |
Tronds_63
Tinkerer
Username: Tronds_63
Post Number: 21
Registered: 12-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 14, 2013 - 01:13 pm: |
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Does the shutter open before the counter reaches frame 1? On some cameras it doesn't.
Opening the back and looking at the shutter won't help on these cameras.
Place a piece of white paper where the film is supposed to be. Close the camera and advance to frame 1 is shown on the counter.
Remove the lens and look into the housing when pushing the shutter release. If the shutter is working you will see the white paper. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1296
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 14, 2013 - 05:33 pm: |
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I think Glenn is (as usual) the only one here who's really been thinking clearly: This camera needs repair that you are probably not going to manage yourself as a DIY project, and the cost of repair would likely exceed the value of the camera. The clock on the eBay sale is running. Return the camera for a refund while this is still an option, and look for another. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 1071
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 15, 2013 - 09:05 am: |
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Thanks Rick. Just felt that we help keep a new convert to photography and film in the fold. Ones first conversion, of what was purchased as a supposedly working camera, to a useless paper weight can be very depressing to some people! |
