Just learned flex cables can crack from humidity alone

I was diagnosing a stuck shutter on a Canon AE-1 Program and found out the flex cable was busted even though the camera was stored in a dry box. Turns out Arizona's low humidity can make those old ribbons brittle over time, not just moisture. Anyone else dealt with dry climate failures on older gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivias882d ago

I have to push back on that a little. In 30 years of repairing old film cameras the dry climate angle is usually not the main culprit. More often its age related material degradation combined with physical stress from normal use like the mirror slap or winding force. Your dry box might have kept humidity stable but that ribbon cable was likely just reaching the end of its natural lifespan.

wesley8732d ago

Buddy of mine @olivias88 had a Nikon F3 cable crack just sitting on a shelf. Same deal, Arizona sucks.