My grandpa's old Pentax Spotmatic had a sticky slow speed gear. I spent a whole Saturday with a tiny bottle of lighter fluid and a toothpick, cleaning out old grease. The sound of that 1-second delay finally clicking over smoothly was so satisfying, better than any new camera sound.

My friend tried one and her skin cleared up so fast it was almost spooky.

Hang on, what exactly was he calling a joke? Was it your gear setup, the timing between checks, or something else? I've heard some of those old-timers have methods that seem crazy but actually work. What part of your routine did you change first?