TIL a chat with an old Leica tech in Chicago changed my mind about using modern lubricants on vintage shutters.

He said, "That new grease will gum up in a year, stick with the light clock oil your granddad used," and after seeing three 1950s cameras come back with sluggish blades, I finally get it.

3 comments

3 Comments

davis.mia14d ago

Hate it when you find out the hard way. Live and learn, right?

rayc893mo ago

Clock oil isn't actually a lubricant for shutters.

rivera.christopher3mo ago

Oh man, that explains a lot. I totally used some on an old camera shutter last year thinking I was being smart. The thing just got gummier and slower. I guess I basically turned it into a sticky clock instead of fixing it. Live and learn, usually the hard way.