Canon FTb Shutter Capping on 1/1000

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My Canon FTb, which until today has functioned perfectly, has now decided to give me only half an exposure at 1/1000. To tell the truth it may have been doing this all along, and it's only been a nice sunny day like today that saw me shoot it at that speed. Any ideas? I can take the lens off and fire it at all the speeds and it seems to open fine until I get to 1/1000 and then you can see clearly that one of the curtains is not working properly. If this means a CLA of the shutter assy then that is outside of my skill level, so any recommendations for a repair person would be appreciated.

I'm in Florida by the way.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Here you have a recommendation: http://www.fixationuk.com/Fixation/Repairs.html
Unless you say where you are in this big World, it might be close to you... it might not be!

 

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Thank you. They look a good shop from their website. Unfortunately, I am in Florida in the Colonies, so the post costs would probably be too high. I will edit my original post to give my location.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Good luck for the repairs!

 

[randyB]

If there is an actual camera store close by they may be able to send it out for repair for you. If not you could try KEH repair.

 

[CanonShot]

I can recommend either of these guys, each has worked
on my classic Canons, and each resides in Florida.

Joe Careta
http://www.slr35.com/Camera Repair.htm

John Titterington
http://www.geocities.com/~titterington/camera-repair/

Don

 

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Wow, someone in Florida too. Thanks! I'll contact them tomorrow.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I have a FTb it is a great camera, when I kide it fix it is alread here. Keep it!

Jeff

 

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Sometimes you get lucky. After reading some tips on the web (shutter capping on FTbs seems to be a popular subject), I dropped a little lighter fluid onto the shafts where the curtains roll up on either side of the film chamber through the front, w/ the mirror up and the shutter on 'B'. Next, I took the bottom plate off and dropped a drop of lighter fluid onto what appeared to be the shutter bushings (observed by cocking the shutter and watching what turned). Then, I opened the back and put a drop of lighter fluid on the top and bottom of the take up spool. Not the last one that you thread the film leader into, but the toothed sprocket one right before that. I let the camera sit for a while after firing the shutter a few times, and now it's opening beautifully on 1/1000. The camera is immaculate inside, but it had sat up for a spell, and I suspect some of the lubricants dried out. I'll continue to test it for a week or so, then load some film in it and see what happens. At this point it looks fixed though.