My Yashica-Mat shutter seized up mid-roll and I almost trashed it

I was shooting a wedding for a friend two weeks back in Green Bay and my Yashica-Mat's shutter just locked up at 1/125. I panicked and nearly threw it in the trash because I figured it was a goner. But a guy on the Facebook repair group told me to check the self-timer mechanism first. Sure enough, it was stuck in a half-cocked position, not actually broken. I dabbed a tiny bit of lighter fluid on the gears, worked it back and forth, and it's been fine since. Anyone else almost junk a camera over something dumb like a stuck self-timer?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylerw9219d ago

Ngl, lighter fluid sounds sketchy but I guess it worked for you.

nathan_bailey19d ago

Actually had a buddy who used lighter fluid on a tough stain once and it turned out fine. He just let it sit for a few minutes to evaporate before lighting it up. Not my first choice but it can work in a pinch if you're careful.