A guy at the flea market said he just throws out any camera with a stuck shutter

I was picking through a bin of old film bodies last weekend, and the seller told me he doesn't even try to fix a stuck shutter anymore. He just parts them out or tosses them. That got me thinking about how we decide what's worth saving. I had a Pentax K1000 on the bench last month with the classic mirror slap issue, and after about four hours of work, I got it running smooth for a friend. It wasn't a big money job, but it felt good. Where do you all draw the line between a fixable problem and a lost cause? Is it just about the hours, or the specific mechanism, or something else?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_evan3d ago

Last year I found a Minolta X-700 with a dead capacitor for five bucks. I watched a few videos, ordered the part for another three dollars, and had it working in an hour. For me, the line is usually cost and complexity. If the repair needs a special tool I don't have or the part costs more than the camera's worth, I might stop. But a simple mechanical jam or a common electronic fix is often worth the try. It keeps another piece of history working.

wren_thomas163d ago

Plus it's just satisfying to bring something back from the dead, even if it's not worth much.