Old timer told me to never use canned air on shutters. He was right.

Guy named Pete who ran a shop in Detroit for 40 years warned me. Said the propellant leaves a residue that gums things up over time. I didn't listen and used canned air on a Pentax shutter. Six months later it started sticking at slow speeds. Had to tear it down and clean everything with lighter fluid. Has anyone else had a pro tip that they ignored and paid for later?

4 comments

4 Comments

wren_rodriguez1mo ago

@julia92 absolutely nailed it. That Pete guy knew exactly what he was talking about. The worst part is the residue from canned air is almost invisible until it's too late. @julia92 probably knows someone else who learned this the hard way too. It creeps into the shutter mechanism and mixes with the old grease there. Turns everything into a sticky mess that slows down the whole works. I've heard of people who used canned air on old Leicas and ended up with shutters that would only fire at one speed.

nathan2891d ago

Yeah, I gotta push back a little on this one. I’ve been using canned air on shutters for years and never had a problem, but I always buy the kind that says “no residue” on the can (it’s usually the stuff for electronics). The cheap brands with bitterant in them, yeah, that’s trouble - that stuff leaves a film. But if you’re careful and don’t spray it from six inches away with the liquid blasting out, it’s fine. Pete was probably right about the cheap stuff though, gotta give him that.

julia921mo ago

Pete knew his stuff.

grant.richard1d ago

Right @julia92, seems like Pete had the manual before the manual existed. I'm just over here with my disposable cameras trying not to break the winding wheel.