charles_green•2mo agoProlific Poster

Just figured out my old method for cleaning shutter blades was causing more harm than good

I was cleaning a Nikon FM2's shutter last Tuesday, using the same cotton swab and lighter fluid technique I've done for a decade. The blades looked clean, but the shutter started sticking at 1/500th. My mentor, who fixed cameras in Seattle for 40 years, stopped by, took one look and said, 'You're leaving a film that attracts dust.' He showed me how to use a specific pec pad and pure alcohol with a single-direction wipe. Has anyone else had a routine habit that was actually a hidden problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.evan2mo ago

My old Leica M3 had the same shutter drag from my cleaning routine. That Seattle mentor advice is gold, saved me from doing more damage.

the_sarah1mo ago

Wait you were wiping a Leica shutter with something? That's wild, I didn't even know you could mess with those yourself. What were you using, just like a random cloth? That Seattle guy must have seen some horror stories.

palmer.thomas2mo ago

Yeah, it's crazy how many little routines are like that. I used to always wipe my glasses with my shirt, but that just ground in tiny scratches over years. A lens cloth was the real fix. It's the same with @bell.evan's Leica, you don't know the method is the problem until you see the right way. Makes me wonder what else I'm doing wrong without realizing it.