I know everyone says to never use WD-40 on a shutter, but a tiny drop on the pivot of a stuck Hasselblad 500C mirror fixed it instantly.

After the mirror locked up on a client's camera, I used a single drop on the hinge with a needle applicator, and it's been working perfectly for six months now, so has anyone else found a 'forbidden' fix that actually held up?

4 comments

4 Comments

emmam892mo ago

Okay, but now I'm just picturing a bunch of camera repair pros having a heart attack reading this lol. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. My own forbidden fix was using a bit of pencil graphite on a stiff film advance lever, which felt like pure heresy. It actually smoothed it right out and hasn't gummed up yet, knock on wood. Sometimes you just get lucky with the wrong tool for the job.

davidkim2mo ago

That whole "wrong tool for the job" thing happens way more than people admit. You see it all the time with duct tape on car trim or a butter knife as a screwdriver. It's like the official fix is locked behind a skill wall or a pricey part, so you just use what's in the drawer. Graphite on a lever is a perfect example. When does a hack become a legit repair, or is it always just waiting to fail?

lily571mo ago

Man that pencil graphite trick sounds like a lifesaver, I've been there too.

sean8542mo ago

Seriously, that's just asking for trouble down the line. It might work now, but that stuff attracts dust and turns into a gummy mess that ruins the whole mechanism.