Picked up a tip from an old Leica repair guy about cleaning shutters

I was chatting with a retired repairman named Frank at a camera show in Chicago last month. He said using a bit of lighter fluid on a Q-tip is way better than those fancy sensor swabs for old cloth shutters. I tried it on a beat-up Konica from 1972 and the shutter speeds came right back to life. Has anyone else used lighter fluid for cleaning or is that too risky for newer cameras?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.wren1d ago

Oh man, I used to be super against using anything but dedicated cleaning stuff for shutters. But honestly, hearing it come from an old Leica guy like that makes a ton of sense. I might have to give it a shot on a beater camera I've got sitting around.

the_lucas1d ago

Oh, I've gotta push back on this one a little bit. Lighter fluid is definitely a solvent that can degrade the rubberized coatings on some shutter curtains over time, and I've seen old cloth shutters turn brittle and crack from that stuff. I'd be real careful taking advice from someone who hasn't touched a modern camera in twenty years, especially since most of those old Leica guys had their own secret tricks that don't always translate well.

henryr451d ago

Switched my thinking on this too honestly. I was always a 'stick to the instructions' guy with camera cleaning stuff but hearing it from someone who actually fixed Leicas for a living changes things. Gonna grab some lighter fluid and try it on an old Spotmatic that's been gathering dust.