Noticed a shift in shutter lubrication over the last 15 years.

I used to see a ton of Kodak Retinas and old leaf shutters that were bone dry but still worked fine with a tiny drop of naphtha. Now I'm getting more digital-era cameras where the grease has turned into a sticky paste, especially on Canon 5D mirror boxes from around 2008. Has anyone else seen that gummy residue show up way more often on later models?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_nelson13d ago

Hit the nail on the head. I've been running into this exact gooey mess on Canon 5D mirror boxes from that 2007-2010 range too. My go-to fix is a tiny dab of isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip to break down the sticky stuff, then follow it up with a single drop of pure silicone oil on a fresh swab. The key is using just enough to get the mirror moving smooth again. I've had good luck with this on half a dozen 5D classics, but your mileage may vary depending on how bad the gunk is. Just be careful with the alcohol near any plastic parts or the foam light seals.

briancampbell13d ago

That gummy grease thing is spot on. It's like how everything now seems designed to turn into a mess after a few years instead of just wearing out cleanly - appliances, phone batteries, you name it.