Customer brought in a Nikon F3 that went through a washer machine

Guy said he accidentally left his camera bag on top of the washer and it fell in during a spin cycle. Took me 2 hours to carefully clean and dry everything. The before picture looked like a science experiment gone wrong. After I got it all sorted, the shutter speeds were actually within spec. The meter needed a new battery and some contacts cleaned. Anyone else ever dealt with a camera that went through something stupid like a dishwasher or dryer?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.leo14d ago

Honestly, dealing with a washer-dunked F3 is something I've actually had to do before. The big trick is getting the dried soap residue out of the film gate and mirror box, that stuff can gunk up the shutter mechanism fast. Use a lot of isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush for the contacts, and don't skip the battery compartment, even a tiny bit of moisture in there will kill the meter again in a week. Tbh you got lucky the shutter speeds held, I've seen those old Copal shutters seize up if they don't get dried fast enough.

dylanh9714d ago

Alcohol's the only thing that really cuts through that soap residue.