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Aka_amatuer
Tinkerer
Username: Aka_amatuer
Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 08:31 am: | 
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Well I recently bought a Canon A-1 and it has devloped a problem. Now this A-1 is in beautiful condition but that dosent mean crap if it dosen't work. I ran a coupple rolls of film through it and every thing went fine, but recently the shutter SOMETIMES refuses to fire. Now looking at my username you can tell that im reletivly new at this photography thing but i would like to think that I know enough to rule out user error as the problem. But anyway on to the problem. I could be taking a couple of pictures, going through the normal steps, and just out of the blue when i press the shutter button the shutter wont fire and the camera will emit a noise that sounbds like a small eletric motor straning. I could set the camera down and come back 5-10 minutes later and press the shutter button and it would fire normally. I could then take a couple more pictures before the shutter will refuse to fire again. Please Help. |
Turnergande
Tinkerer
Username: Turnergande
Post Number: 21
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 10:17 am: |
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I have encountered a few Canon AE-1 & AE-1 Program cameras (not exactly true classics as of yet) with uncooperative shutters. Often the problem lies with a the electro magnetic shutter i.e. the magnets in the lower end which somehow get contaminated. Also, these 'electro battery dependent wonders' often require a fully charged battery (silver oxide 6 volt?). The timer delay on A series cameras will emit a sound as it runs down and trips the shutter but that may not be your problem. Did you check the shutter curtains with camera back open? Are they fully closing? Fortunately there are plenty of pro repairers still able to get the A series cameras back in action, often for $100 or quite a bit less depending on the problem. At least yours does not have the infamous & rather common Canon squeal (mirror box lube problem). I'm sure you will get some more repair specific comments from this forum's Canon experts. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 321
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 10:46 am: |
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This sounds like the symptoms of a dying battery. Did you put a new battery in the A1 after you bought it?
The noise sounds like the "Canon Squeal" which occurs in A series models. It is possible for this to stop the shutter from operating, but that's a pretty severe case.... often they can squeal along happily for quite a while before they quit.
I'd look into the battery first, see if that makes it work dependably, then worry about the squeal. |
Aka_amatuer
Tinkerer
Username: Aka_amatuer
Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 08:25 pm: |
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thanks you guys, i had thought that it might have been the magnets not working but i thought i should check here first. |
Johnlees45
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 52
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 02:08 pm: |
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Help! I've just (last week) bought a Canon AV-1 which has "squealed" but only a couple of times in two reels of film, though all the slides came out perfectly. Should I demand a refund and cause myself a lot of bother and aggro or just cross my fingers and hope that it's just a minor glitch? |
Flyingo
Tinkerer
Username: Flyingo
Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 06, 2007 - 11:01 pm: |
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Aloha everyone. First, I apologize for not completely checking the past posts for my answer, but here's the skinny: My AE-1 was working fine, then one morning last week I went to take another frame and the shutter "clicked" once - on the downstroke - but no return noise. Now shutter release won't work at all - it just goes down with no action. Now, no film advance or camera operation. I've cleaned the bat contacts (they were not corroded) and put in a fresh battery. Indicators in VF look fine and show full charge, but nothing. I rewound the roll to save the film and the rewind button is in and won't come out either (related, I'm sure...). Mirror and curtain are down - looks normal. I'll spend more time looking into the magnet situation - and how to fix it - in these posts but any advice/comments/insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time - Mike O. |
Spdtwn
Tinkerer
Username: Spdtwn
Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 03:09 pm: |
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I tend to subscribe to the KISS principle, especially with complex cameras. Do have a look at the most accessable magnets by removing the base and carefully cleaning the magnet faces-CRC contact clean is ok. You may have to cut back the plastic dust cover surrounding the magnet if a squirt of cleaner doesn't get to the magnet face. Cover can be put back & secured with tape.
As for the 'screaching', there's an escapement on the side of the mirror box that 'dries' out..It can (sometimes) be lubricated without major stripping, but 'keyhole surgery' is required. |
