Canon F1 advance lever stuck

jomclx

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2022
Messages
1
Location
California
Format
35mm
Hey everyone! I just recently got a Canon F1 as my firs t 35mm film camera and before I had gotten any film, I was taking some fake photos to see if everything sounded and looked good and it did!
Then the film advance lever got… stuck? It wouldn’t move past about 25-30 degrees of rotation, and I couldn’t press the shutter button (it wasnt locked either). I took it to a camera shop and they wanted $300 to repair it… but when i refused and went to pick it up, the film advance lever was working! So i loaded film, took about 12 photos during the day. Today, I grabbed it all excited and went to take another picture and the shutter button didn’t work as before (it presses down all the way but no actuation is made) and the film advance lever wasnt progressing!

Any recommendations? Thank you in advance!
 

__Brian

Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2019
Messages
343
Location
US
Format
35mm RF
These cameras are 50+ years old and having a clean-lube-adjust done is typically required. These are complex pieces of machinery with 2000 parts in them. It can take a couple of hours to tear down, clean, lube, adjust and repair. You can look around for someone cheaper, get some online articles and try the repair yourself, or get another camera. Sometimes the fix is simple, like dropping the bottom plate and hitting the right spot with some light camera oil. Other timer- a major teardown.

Cleaning the viewfinder on a Nikon S4, 15 minutes. 4 screws and the name plate is off, a few screws- the cover glass is off and surfaces are accessible.

Cleaning the viewfinder of a Contax Rangefinder- several hours.





What idiot designed this camera?
 

flavio81

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
Messages
5,069
Location
Lima, Peru
Format
Medium Format

Camera tech here.

What gets stuck is the whole camera, not just the advance lever. The advance lever is a symptom. Have you checked if the problem only happens in the slow speeds (1 second to about 1/15th)? Avoid using them and try to fire the camera repeatedly with no film.

Camera most likely requires a routine service where all lubricants are put again into place and all grime or dirt is cleaned inside. This costs but $300 looks like too much. The Canon F-1 is a professional camera, do not tamper with yourself. Also, don't force it.

Find a technician that charges less and that is recommended by somebody. The F-1 can last forever if cared for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…