Just hit 1000 shutter actuations on a repair and it changed my mind

I always thought the old rule about testing a camera with a few dozen shots was enough. Then I fixed a Canon AE-1 last month and the client wanted it for a big event. I ran a full roll of film through it, 36 shots, and thought I was done. But I got this weird feeling and kept going with a dummy battery and mirror lockup. I hit 1000 actuations on my counter and found a tiny shutter drag that only showed up after shot 800. That number really got me. Now I run a full stress test on every major shutter repair. How many test shots do you guys usually do for a full CLA?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_taylor5d ago

My old boss at the camera shop in Portland swore by 200 shots, but I found a sticky mirror return on a Nikon FM2 after about 450. Now I just run a whole bulk roll through anything with a cloth shutter, which is about 100 exposures. It feels like overkill until it isn't.

ruby_jones5d ago

Yeah, "feels like overkill until it isn't" is the perfect way to put it.

kimmurphy4d ago

Just do the whole roll, it's cheap insurance against a ruined trip.

-1