Talked to a retired repair guy at a camera show in Chicago last weekend

He told me he never uses compressed air to clean shutters, just a soft brush and patience. Said he fixed thousands of Nikon F2s over 30 years that way and never had one come back with a stuck blade. It got me thinking about how we rely too much on quick fixes instead of doing the slow work. Anyone else have a tip from an old timer that stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_anderson61mo ago

Buddy of mine back in Minneapolis used to work at a camera repair shop in the 80s. He told me never use a lens cloth straight out of the package, always wash it first with plain dish soap and air dry. Said the anti static coatings on new cloths leave a micro film that smears over time. He showed me on a beat up old 50mm f1.4 how much dust a pre washed cloth picked up compared to a fresh one. Still wash every cloth I get before first use, never had a scratch.

jamieperez1mo ago

Same deal with new microfiber towels for cars too, @adam_anderson6.