30
Skipping the grease on shutter repairs saved me from countless callbacks
After fifteen years in camera repair, I've seen too many issues from over-lubrication. Guides say to ALWAYS grease shutter curtains, but I think that's wrong. Grease can dry up and spread, causing sticky shutters and blurry photos. Just last month, a classic SLR came in with a frozen shutter from old grease. It took hours to clean out. Now, I skip the grease or use minimal dry lube. This change has cut down my callback rate BIG time. Try it, you might be surprised.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_lily1mo ago
That sticky residue from old grease is such a pain to deal with, reminds me of cleaning gunk off appliances. I get what victor_stone is saying about wear, but after seeing how much trouble dried lube causes, using way less worked way better for me too.
8
victor_stone1mo ago
Consider why the factory applied grease in the first place. Proper lubrication reduces metal-on-metal wear over decades of use. Skipping it entirely risks premature shutter failure, trading callbacks for future breakdowns.
1
barbaramurphy1mo ago
What if the factory amount is right for new parts, but we should use less on older shutters with built-up gunk already?
7