Finally fixed a shutter that had me stumped for 3 days

I had a Canon A-1 come in last Tuesday with a mirror that would lock up randomly. The owner said it started after a light bump, and I assumed a bent linkage. After replacing the bumper foam and cleaning the gears twice, it still failed about every 15 shots. Turns out the magnet on the release switch had a tiny crack that only opened up when the camera warmed up. I used a spare from a parts body I got at a swap meet in Portland for $12, and it's fired 200 times since. Has anyone else run into a magnet issue that only shows itself after the camera sits for a while?

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angela_carter21d ago

The 12 dollar swap meet camera is the real hero here, honestly. I had almost the same thing happen with an FTb last year, cracked magnet in the self-timer that only acted up after the body warmed up from sitting in a car for an hour. That intermittent stuff is the worst because you think you fixed it, then it dies again right when you're about to hand it back. I ended up testing the magnet with a fridge magnet to see if the pull was weak, that's how I found mine. Once they crack, even a tiny hairline, they'll drive you nuts for weeks. Definitely keep a few junk bodies around just for those little gremlin parts.