How come every vintage camera has at least one stripped screw?

4 comments

4 Comments

Honestly, finding a stripped screw feels like a rite of passage at this point. My first thought is always a quiet apology to the next owner, because chances are high I'm the one who did it years ago with a worn-out screwdriver. There's a special kind of panic when you're trying to fix something at 2am with the only tool you own. Pretty sure my old toolbox was just a dollar store screwdriver and a lot of hope. We're all just leaving little marks of our own bad decisions for the future.

martin.nora1mo ago

Stripped screws seem to be a required feature on old cameras. Previous owners likely tried quick fixes with bad tools... now we deal with the evidence. It's their way of leaving a mark, I guess.

sean_stone1mo ago

Is stripping screws really a required feature? I've handled old cameras where the screws are perfectly fine. Lots of times it's just age and use, not some botched repair. A stripped screw can be annoying, but it's rarely a game-ender. With a little patience, you can usually get it out or work around it. Turning it into some deep message from past owners seems like overthinking it.

spencer_coleman22d ago

But is it always a bad repair job? Sometimes metal just gets old and soft. I kinda agree with @sullivan.lisa that we've all been there, but often it's just wear.