Got my first Canon AE-1 curtain sync right this morning

I've been fighting with those horizontal cloth shutters for years. Finally sat down at my bench in Brooklyn yesterday and just watched the curtain action through the back with a flashlight. Noticed the second curtain was dragging by about 3mm. A tiny dab of lighter fluid on the axle and now it's hitting dead on at 1/125. Has anyone else had luck adjusting those tension springs without pulling the whole mirror box?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerycarr11h agoProlific Poster

Lighter fluid on a shutter axle sounds like a recipe for a smoky shoot.

milar469h ago

ok but think about it this way - lighter fluid evaporates super fast so it's actually way less risky than using a heavy grease that stays wet forever. a tiny drop on a sticky shutter axle, fire it a few times to work it in, and the excess is gone in seconds. i've done it on old beatup k1000s and never had a single issue. sure beats dumping $50 plus shipping on some specialty lube that does the same thing.