Found a weird fix for sticky Minolta X-700 shutter curtains

Had one come in last month with the classic 'stutter and die' issue. After cleaning the usual capacitor, it still lagged. On a hunch, I very lightly ran a cotton swab with a tiny bit of lighter fluid along the top curtain rail. The difference was instant. The curtain travel went from sluggish to smooth in about two minutes. Has anyone else had luck with this method on other cloth shutter bodies?

3 comments

3 Comments

ramirez.vera16d ago

Whoa, careful with that lighter fluid trick. That stuff can really mess with the old glues holding the curtain material together, making it brittle over time. A tiny drop of pure naphtha on a swab is a safer bet for cleaning the rails, it evaporates fast and leaves less residue. I learned that the hard way on an old Nikon FE. What do you use for cleaning sticky rails?

the_alice16d ago

Good tip on the naphtha. For sticky rails, I've had luck with a little isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud. It dries clean and doesn't leave a film. Just go easy and keep it away from the curtain itself.

tessaperry15d agoMost Upvoted

Feel that pain with the FE, had the same thing happen. Watched the mirror bumper foam turn to dust after a bad cleaning attempt. Now I just use a tiny bit of lighter fluid on a toothpick for the rails, nothing else. It's a careful game with these old cameras.