I finally tried using a hair dryer to fix a sticky shutter

For months my old Pentax Spotmatic had a shutter that would hang open at slow speeds. I read online that some folks use a hair dryer to warm up the lubricant, but I figured that was just asking for melted parts. Last week I got desperate after missing shots at a family reunion. I set my wife's hair dryer on low heat and pointed it at the shutter mechanism for about two minutes. The camera worked perfectly for three rolls after that. I still don't fully trust the method, but it sure beat paying $80 for a CLA. Has anyone else tried this trick, or did I just get lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_perry12d ago

Have you checked if the old lubricant is actually gumming up again in cold weather though? That fix might only last until the first chilly morning.

finley93912d ago

Yeah @sage_perry, have you had a chance to look at that lubricant on a cold day yet? I had a similar issue with an old garage door opener last winter, and it would seize up every time the temp dropped below freezing... it was a real pain to keep adjusting. Sometimes those fixes just don't hold up when the weather changes, you know?