Just realized most people are using the wrong lubricant on shutter blades

I was fixing a Pentax K1000 last week and the shutter was sticking at slow speeds. Customer said another shop already looked at it and they used some kind of silicone spray. That stuff gums up after a few months and makes things worse. I use a tiny drop of naptha-based lighter fluid on a q-tip to clean old residue off first, then I use a specific dry film lubricant made for clock movements. It's super thin and doesn't attract dust. I've seen at least three cameras this year where someone used the wrong oil and ruined the shutter timing. Has anyone else run into shops just using WD-40 or something random on shutters?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth_ramirez6d ago

Oh I don't know, people act like a drop of WD-40 is going to make the camera explode or something. I've got a beat up old Minolta that's been running fine for years after I used sewing machine oil on the shutter once. Maybe if you're working on a super expensive Hasselblad or something it matters but for a K1000? Those things are tanks. I think you're being a bit dramatic about the "ruined shutter timing" thing. Most people shooting film these days can barely tell if their exposure is off by a stop anyway.

angela_carter6d ago

Haha, guess I'm more of a soup-and-clocks kind of tech than a pour-silicone-everywhere kind.