any repair tips for a leaf shutter?
 

I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Just rescued a Compur leaf shutter for a Graflex. Used the old trick of
removing both front and rear lens cells, then repeated flooding with
Ronsonol lighter fluid. Cleaned out all the gook (and what looked like
graphite) - the shutter now works like a charm.

Regards,

Marv

RolandRB wrote:
I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

RolandRB wrote:

I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Rick Oleson has useful notes about Compurs:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/leaf_shutter_cla.htm
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-55.html
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-88.html

Actually he has good notes on many other things as well:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-27.html

-- Lassi

RolandRB wrote:

I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Rick Oleson has useful notes about Compurs:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/leaf_shutter_cla.htm
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-55.html
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-88.html

Actually he has good notes on many other things as well:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-27.html

-- Lassi

RolandRB wrote:

I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Rick Oleson has useful notes about Compurs:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/leaf_shutter_cla.htm
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-55.html
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-88.html

Actually he has good notes on many other things as well:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-27.html

-- Lassi

"RolandRB" wrote in message
om...
I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Best way to clean any leaf shutter is to take it apart right down to the
shutter blades and clean the parts. The other method is to remove the glass
and flush the shutter with Ronsonol lighter fluid or naphtha, results may
vary with this method *and* the shutter must be dried completely. The last
thing you want to put in a shutter is "graphite" as it is to course and may
cause problems; especially if it mixes with the light fluid making a thin
paste.

"RolandRB" wrote in message
om...
I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

Best way to clean any leaf shutter is to take it apart right down to the
shutter blades and clean the parts. The other method is to remove the glass
and flush the shutter with Ronsonol lighter fluid or naphtha, results may
vary with this method *and* the shutter must be dried completely. The last
thing you want to put in a shutter is "graphite" as it is to course and may
cause problems; especially if it mixes with the light fluid making a thin
paste.

"RolandRB" wrote in message
om...
I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

The way to restore MF leaf shutters is to remove the front and rear lens
cells and flush the shutter assembly with lighter fluid. The better fluids,
like Ronsonol, seem to work best. Dry the assembly completely before you
reassemble the lens cells. NEVER use graphite on lenses: It is too coarse
for the precise movement of leaf shutters. I have yet to find a manufacturer
who uses lube on their shutters.

"RolandRB" wrote in message
om...
I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them). Since most lenses with leaf shutters are MF
lenses, is there some long-lasting trick to make them come back to
life, such as using very fine graphite powder, or do I have to bite
the bullet and pay for a full shutter service from those competent to
service Compur shutters? Perhaps there are some current or ex-camera
repair people here who have worked on Compur leaf shutters who can
answer my question.

The way to restore MF leaf shutters is to remove the front and rear lens
cells and flush the shutter assembly with lighter fluid. The better fluids,
like Ronsonol, seem to work best. Dry the assembly completely before you
reassemble the lens cells. NEVER use graphite on lenses: It is too coarse
for the precise movement of leaf shutters. I have yet to find a manufacturer
who uses lube on their shutters.

RolandRB wrote:

I have a couple of Retina Reflex IIIs with slow shutter blades (true
of almos all of them).

Are the blades sticky or the slow speeds? If the blades are sticky, I remove
the lens cells and carefully clean them with "lens cleaning fluid" I bought
in generic form from the camera store using a q-tip. You might have to
flood the blades with fuild, them wipe off the excess after working the
shutter. Never had one that didn't come around doing this. Do -not- use any
lube on the shutter blades, they are suposed to be dry. I don't like the
flooding the whole shutter deal as it washes out -all- the lubrication in
the shutter.

--

Stacey