Hot take: I thought ultrasonic cleaners were a gimmick for camera parts until this old Leica

A customer brought in a Leica M3 last month that had shutter capping so bad you couldn't see through the viewfinder. The usual cleaning methods with rodico and lighter fluid did nothing. My boss, who's been fixing cameras in Chicago for 40 years, told me to run the whole curtain assembly through the ultrasonic tank with his special solution. I was sure it would wreck the delicate silk, but after a 10 minute cycle at 40 kHz and a careful dry, the curtains looked brand new and the timing was perfect. It completely changed my mind on using tech I didn't fully understand. What's one tool or method you guys were wrong about at first?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_dixon671d ago

Ever wonder if we're too quick to call something a gimmick just because it's new? I mean, I was totally wrong about lens calibration charts being pointless until one saved me a huge headache.

perry.nancy1d ago

Yeah but "too quick to call something a gimmick" feels off. A lot of new stuff is just repackaged old ideas with a higher price tag. Lens charts have a real use, they fix a real problem. But so much new gear just creates a problem to sell the solution. I get being open minded, but I've wasted money on things that were absolutely gimmicks. Sometimes that first gut feeling is right.