Vent: Thought my Yashica was toast until a q-tip saved the day

So I picked up this old Yashica-Mat from a thrift store in Nashville for 30 bucks. The shutter was stuck wide open and I figured I'd need to send it off for a CLA that would cost more than the camera. I was about to pitch it in the trash bin honestly. On a whim I grabbed a q-tip and some lighter fluid from the gas station and dabbed around the shutter blades. After about 3 tries the thing snapped right open and started firing like normal. Has anyone else had a random household item save a camera that seemed totally dead?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan_foster601mo ago

My old Mamiya 645 had a sticky mirror that I fixed with a q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. I dabbed it on the mirror bumper and worked it back and forth like 5 times and it freed right up. Sometimes the simplest fixes are the best ones before you go full repair mode.

aarons361mo ago

@nathan_foster60 totally nailed it. I had a broken shutter on a Minolta SR-T that I fixed with lighter fluid and a q-tip. Works perfect now, felt like a wizard for a whole week.