c/camera-repairers

Took a Kallitype workshop in Portland that changed my whole repair approach

I went to this workshop at Blue Moon Camera last spring thinking I'd just learn a new printing process. But the guy running it showed me how he cleans his old lenses with a mix of distilled water and a drop of dish soap. I've been using solvents and fancy lens cleaners for 10 years, and here this guy just wipes away haze with soap and water. Tried it on a dirty 1950s Elmar lens I've been avoiding and it came out Perfect. No more spending $40 on specialty cleaning fluids for me. Has anyone else found a simpler method that they swear by?

1 comments

gibson.sean•7h ago

Bellows or no bellows on that old folder camera? Here's my take.

I had to pick between replacing the bellows on a 1940s Zeiss Nettar or just sealing the light leaks with liquid electrical tape... I went with the tape, figured it'd save 6 hours of work. It held for about 4 months, then pinholes showed up again. Now I'm wondering if I should have just coughed up the $40 for new bellows from the start. Has anyone else tried the tape route on a folding camera and had it actually last?

1 comments

nina180•1d ago

Bought a $20 ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight expecting it to be junk. Actually works great for lenses.

I've been fixing cameras for about 4 years now and always just used lens cleaner and a microfiber for stubborn spots. Last month I had this old Pentax K1000 with some fungus on the rear element that would NOT come off with manual cleaning. Figured why not try the cheap route first. Threw the lens in for 3 cycles with some distilled water and a drop of dish soap. Came out spotless. No scratches, no residue. I'm still in shock. Has anyone else had good luck with budget ultrasonic cleaners on glass?

1 comments

troyp37•1d ago

Update: I used to swear by canned air for sensor cleaning, but a job in Portland changed my mind

I was cleaning a Sony A7III sensor at a shop in Portland last month, and canned air left a residue streak right across the frame. The customer was watching me work and said 'you know, a rocket blower would have avoided that.' I tried it on my next three jobs and it worked perfectly every time. Plus I saved about $15 per can versus buying new ones. Now I only use canned air for blowing out lens mounts, never sensors. Has anyone else had a bad streak from canned air that made you switch?

c/camera-repairers

Took a Kallitype workshop in Portland that changed my whole repair approach

Bellows or no bellows on that old folder camera? Here's my take.

Bought a $20 ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight expecting it to be junk. Actually works great for lenses.

Update: I used to swear by canned air for sensor cleaning, but a job in Portland changed my mind

Can we talk about the grease situation on older Pentax shutters?

Serious question, has anyone else had a shutter jam on a Nikon F2 in winter?

My lens bench got a surprise visitor last Thursday

Overheard a guy at the camera repair meetup say he never cleans shutter blades with alcohol

A retired Canon tech told me to use a pencil eraser on contact points

Discovered a trick for cleaning old lens haze with qtips and lighter fluid

I finally tried using a heat gun to loosen a stubborn helicoil on a Nikon F2 from 1974

Spent 2 hours cleaning a shutter before I realized it was the mirror

Chasing a light leak on a Pentax K1000 for three days before I realized it was the foam around the mirror bumper crumbling off

Chatted with a old timer at a shop in Pittsburgh last week - he said I was cleaning shutters wrong for years by using alcohol instead of lighter fluid

Just realized I was cleaning sensor contacts all wrong for 3 years

One week where every shutter release came back working - not a single return

Small camera shops vs online repair parts - which do you trust more?

Finally caved and bought a proper lens spanner for $45

Pro tip: switched from canned dust-off to a manual rubber blower for sensor cleaning

My third Canon AE-1 this year just locked up mid-roll and I'm this close to tossing it out the window

Changed my mind about ultrasonic cleaners after seeing a 40-year-old lens at a shop in Chicago

So here's a debate: vintage brass vs modern alloy lens barrels after I visited the old Graflex repair shop in Rochester

The before and after on a Yashica Mat 124G I rebuilt last week

Decided to go with a used leaf shutter lens instead of getting my old one serviced

Chose a vintage Nikon F over a Canon F-1 for my first full mechanical body