As in life, so with machinery, electronics and cameras; old age brings problems. In the case of cameras, this manifests itself in some strange ways and each model, let alone brand, can bring its own set of troubles.
What tends to be a constant across all old 35mm SLR cameras is disintegration of the light seals, thin strips of foam rubber that usually end up becoming a sticky mess! These are essential for stopping light entering the camera body via the back door where you load a film and creating odd streaks on or simply ruining your photos.
Removing old seals gets messy, with bits of sticky foam to be carefully eased off and the more reluctant bits usually needing a little persuasion with some form of solvent, “Goo Gone” being a particular favourite. A whole cottage industry also seems to have developed catering to those wanting to do their own renovations, with packs of pre-cut seals available for most models, along with handy collections of wooden tools to extract the sticky stuff in the first place. What’s not so good is most of these seal kits use sticky back foam. These are fine for larger areas on the camera doors or mirror bumper, but have a nasty habit of sticking where they shouldn’t as you try to replace what was in the thin channels top and bottom of the shutter area.
Other than sticky seals, lets say some electronics doesn’t really age gracefully and the severity of problems can vary across the brands. Being a long time Olympus user, even from new some OM series bodies had a nasty habit of draining the batteries when not in use, so you always carried multiple spares. The now highly desirable XA series compacts have a whole string of woes associated with them, some now incurable due to lack of parts and as a result it’s very much caveat emptor when buying second hand. This doubly so as people advertise as an XA, while it’s actually an XA2 or even an XA1 and the price differences are considerable, so you really need to know what you’re looking at. But Olympus are not alone with dodgy wiring, as I’ve recently discovered.
Nikon’s 35mm SLRs have become legendary, the F3 and later FA and FM2 still commanding considerable sums on the used market. Their more consumer aimed F series cameras or the EM, which are more affordable for us lesser mortals, but still give you access to the same high quality but equally hugely expensive lenses, were not all blessed with the same longevity. Having picked up an FG-20 which was in great condition aside from the light seals, I also ended up with an immaculate EM simply because it had a lens with I wanted and the price was right. I then decided to go for what’s supposed to be the best of the budget end and bought an FG, which actually pre-dates the -20 in terms of release year. Again it needed the sticky mess sorting out, but this time exhibited what I’ve now found is a common problem, the shutter speed indicator lights for 60 & 125 flash together and that’s your lot. Occasionally it works fine, but a permanent fix means I now need to perform a little open top surgery to solve the issue, which is a dirty frame counter switch apparently. Photos to follow!
Another major problem with old camera lenses and occasionally even camera viewfinders, or not that old in some cases, is actually fungus growing inside the lenses in particular! Dust particles inside is one thing, but with fungus, the situation actually gets worse over time as the thing is still alive. Push/Pull type zooms are a particular favourite as the zoom action induces airflow. All it takes is a small spore or two and suitable “growing” conditions, so warm with a bit of humidity and if you don’t use the lenses often, you’re in trouble the next time you do. Regular use and normally a good dose of sunlight as a result, along with keeping the lenses with sachets of silica beads you usually find in the box with a new lens is the best way to avoid problems. Limited repairs to camera electronics is one thing, trying to get a lens apart and back together again is something different entirely!
Now, anyone want to buy a nice Nikon EM with matching zoom lens?
