Canon AE-1 Repair
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- Опубліковано 9 лис 2024
- Behold the expensive and beautiful Canon AE-1 recently purchased. In this video the camera is tested more thoroughly and all of the minor issues are repaired. Of course when the top comes off the tungsten wire snaps so it goes to show why it's always nice to have extra parts handy.
Thanks for watching!
Email for questions, comments or concerns:
rompingbroncorepairs@gmail.com
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www.rompingbroncorepairs.com
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@rompingbronco
@rompingbroncorepairs
Thank you *so* much for showing around 11:13 how you lubricated the aperture control mechanism side of the camera!! This issue seems to be very badly documented online (or, well, you get floods of people fixing "canon squeak" dumping oil in the mirror damping side...)
I recently bought an AE-1 Program that had a squeak that actually only occurred at small aperture value and when advancing the film. (Not the shutter/mirror damping!) Also, I observed the aperture of the camera closing down at show shutter speed and it was not going to the smallest setting every single time when set to f22. That would have over exposed pictures!
I had a hard time finding a description of that specific problem online. But in your video you show how you tested it by cocking the shutter, pressing the depth of field preview button and moved the lever on the right side of the mirror box down. Indeed my AE-1 Program did some crunchy noises there.
I removed the bottom plate, removed the screw that prevented me to move the electromaged out of the way to access the same hole, and I spritten done *the tinyest amount of mist* of a very thin machine oil in there with a syringe. (I really really want to put the least amount of additional oil in there) I actuated the mechanism by hand a few time and the noise got progressively better.
The thing is back together, I have actuated the shutter dozens of times with the lens set to f/22, and it is hapilly closing down as you would expect, and without any bad noises
This camera works very well, the meter seems accurate, I had ran a first roll of film in there, no light leaks, no problems. The only real issue it had was these aperture shenanigans.
I've been thinking of getting into cleaning / fixing cameras since I love tinkering and old cameras and I already have a box full of q tips, microfiber cloths and alcohol gel for when I buy a new camera and clean all the gunk off of the externals. This video is so cozy I love the vibe.
You should use an ae-1 once at least. I have an all black one from the original factory just as they started expanding, it’s such a nice camera.
Hi, thanks for the in depth video! I'm having an issue with my AE-1 where the 2nd shutter curtain moves with the 1st at every shutter speed even in Bulb mode so my films weren't exposed at all. I'm running out of ideas. I've swapped out the battery, checked if the curtains are stuck together, cleaned the MG3 contacts - still no luck. At this point I'm suspecting it might be electronics issue but I'm not so sure. Everything else works fine, the condition is great. Hoping you could help.
Amazing structure!
The tungsten wire that runs across the top is the bane of my existence
this video was super helpful to me while fixing my canon ae -1. Ive put it back to gather after replacing some broken parts and now im having an interesting issue I was wondering if you could help me out. I advance the film lever with no film inside, I snap a shot but then the curtain won't close unless I press the battery tester button. It seems the second magnet stays attached unless I press the battery test button. any ideas?
Thanks Bronco! If an A1 / AE1 LED comes on but shutter button doesn't fire. Where would you look / clean?
LED turns off when shutter pressed, no action from mirror or shutter. Mechanically it can be tripped.
I recovered a nice AE-1 from my uncle. I have to say, the condition is pretty great, it was in a leather case and stored in a camera bag. The minor issues I have are the light seals (they look bad, haven't tried to shoot some film yet, so I don't know about light leaks yet), mirror bumper (same as light seals), some squeaking shutter and a bit of dirt in the viewfinder (still very usable).
I live in Italy, they are asking 100-150 euros for a check + cleaning, do you reckon I could save the money and fix these minor issues by myself?
Thanks for the videos!
Hey, I have a AE-1 Program and it’s been my go to camera for years, worked perfectly. I recently got a cable release but when I tried it, it didn’t fire the shutter. I’m pretty sure it’s not the cable release and wondered what it could be for the camera to work as normal when you press by hand, but not with the cable release?
When you lubricate parts of the camera? Where do you typically add and what kind of lubricant?
I hear sewing machine oil works the best, anything heavier will most likely damage your camera. Most vintage camera store can get shutter squeaks fixed.
Do you repairs for other people or just on cameras you own?
I’m trying to take the top off an old AE-1 and am having a hard time with the piece on the film speed dial that you used the tweezers on. I got a set of precision tweezers and I keep bending the tips because it won’t budge. Really just trying to get into the shutter button because I can’t get a cable release to work, camera seems fine and pretty clean otherwise. And I also broke that wire. Update: Got it off, and somehow the cable release now works, but with no wire I now have no light meter.
Really want to bring it back to life
Hi sir, may I ask a question? I have Canon A-1 but when I do From f/1.4 to around f/5.6 everything is fine, but if I close the aperture more than that it has issues. My lens blade won't go close smaller. But, when I try to stop-down the lever, I can close it till f16. (When I press lever stop-down It produces weird noise).
I read somewhere in reddit, it's a Dry aperture lever problem? He said "This fix is the same as the squeaky shutter fix only on the opposite side of the mirror box"
Is it true?
Thanks for advance sir
how did you learn how to do this? this seems like such a sweet niché skill to have, super dope!
Years of headaches and thousands of broken cameras haha thank you though I appreciate the comment
Hello! I have an A-1 that works, but it wont send the signal to the power winder to wind. Both work by themselves, but it won’t auto wind when the shutter is pressed. Any ideas?
What is the best way to contact you about a repair? Self-timer on my AE1 not working. I am going to attempt the repair, but I am looking for a back-up plan. Thanks
Very informative, thanks!
What is the solution you are applying to the qtip to clean? Also when lubricating to remove squeal what type of oil are you using?
I typically clean with some diluted white vinegar, the oil depends on the severity of the squeal something viscous is usually preferred because too much oil will jam the camera but Deoxit X10s works alright
Hey All - I have an almost like new AE-1 and am new to photography! There is nothing wrong with the stock lens on mine but I was wondering people thoughts on "upgrading" the lens. Is it worth it or does it not matter too much?
I would say it’s based on what you prefer, my recommendation is use the 50mm for a bit and see what you like about it and if there’s more you’re looking for then maybe explore some different focal lengths, I have a video going over 3rd party lenses that I would also recommend. Maybe picking up a cheap 28mm lens just to see if you like a wider angle look or if you want something a little longer go for a zoom like the 35-105 3.5, it’s a solid lens and gives you a good range of options. Definitely stick with the 50 first and then see if it’s something you want to change up! Thanks for the comment
I opened the top of the camera to repair a fogged focus lens, and when removing the section of the housing that holds the focus lens, a small leaf spring about 15mm long sprung out and I'm at a loss as to where it should go? any ideas?
Friend gave me an AE1 program and shorts out my batteries.. Any clue what might be happening? My batteries die from full to empty in an hour
Nice! Do you fix cameras just for fun? I have a broken AE-1 🙃
If you'd like to send me an email about what is broken with your AE-1 I can get you a repair estimate or walk you through what you can do to maybe fix it. Although repairing cameras is fun it's also my business haha but I am happy to help if possible!
@@RompingBronco Ok, great. I sent you an email. Thanks! :)
A broken tungsten wire is always a problem on ae-1
what kind of screwdriver are you using, thanks
It's a JIS, Japanese industrial, you can find a set of them on eBay!
I've recently bought a Canon AE-1 and the battery runs down extremely quickly. I've noticed the light meter never turns off and believe this might be the cause, would you have any advice on how to fix this?
That's likely because SW1 and SW2 are making contact, basically when you partially depress the shutter button that will activate the light meter and then full press to the SW3 contact will release the shutter it could be a simple fix such as removing the top and bending the contact of the whole housing could need to be replaced. It's hard to say for certainty but that would be my guess, hope it helps!
hey, my ae 1 dont go over f.2.8.. i dont know why maybe something inside is slightly broken ? do you have an idea why it dosnt go further then 2.8 ?
if i turn the lense counterclock wise to dismount it it goes all the way to f22
I bought an AE-1 program and it was completely dead. I sent it to a repair guy, and he charged me $165 to fix it. It works... But the light meter is stuck at flashing 32.
I think there's another bad chip in it...
I left my Canon AE-1 in a basement founded a couple years later Frozen and water damage do you think it could be salvaged
I most definitely think it can be resurrected! Thanks for reaching out, if you want to shoot me an email with some more details hopefully I can help you out a bit more.
so got an ae-1 for 20 bucks and at first it worked fine but now it doesnt meter and a red led and a M flash in the viewfinder when i meter. Is it something i did? i cleaned the mirror and the bit of glass at the top by the mirror with isopropyl alcohol. hopefully that didnt break it
Hey! I think this means you need a new battery. If you press the battery button on the top and look through the viewfinder you’ll see how much battery juice you have in the meter. If it’s low / showing M you will need a new battery (I think!)
@@eloiselacey7969 Ive tried a new battery and it didn't work, but I did take the top off and removed and reinstalled the tungsten cable and now it meters accurately again except below half a second at 400 iso. But all the other shutter speeds meter accurately
Oh Man, I wish you would have shown how to remove the top without breaking the Tungsten wire. Can you message me somehow? I'm not triggered, just hope you may have some advice. 😊
Unfortunately the tungsten wire was broken before I removed the top, I do have better videos going over the top removal process more specifically.
holle sir,the cocking lever was not return and how can i refix it
Thanks for watching! That's kind of a broad question, I would need a little more info to offer a more direct and helpful response
My light meter is not functioning, it reads everything as under exposed. How do I fix it?
I have a similar issue, did u ever figure out what the issue was?
@@angelramirez2540 I sent it out for repairs and it was replaced.
my rewind lever shaft fell inside my canon ae 1 now i cant open the back
That happens to me more than I would care to admit haha, what you can do is use a small dentist tool or screw driver and manually open the back. It's hard to explain so I might just make you a video for it and post it later today if that would be more helpful.
Thanks for watching!
I have an ae1 where all the speeds are the same I can't find anything in the repair manual nor can I get a straight answer from anyone on where and how to trouble shoot this
Is there anyway you can point me in the right direction plz
Thanks for watching and I'd be happy to help! What speed is it firing at approximately?
@@RompingBronco I believe it's at 60. I'm at a bench right now.. I do have a follow up..
@@tonyhomsi2245 1/60 is the mechanical speed of the camera so I'd say on one hand it's a positive that it's firing but it sounds like there is an electrical short. Something I recommend is setting the shutter speed to a slower speed such as 1/8th and manually firing it from the bottom for a little bit, sometimes that "wakes up" the circuit.
I also have a an ae1 body that when advancing it doesn't engage the shutter it just keeps advancing.. i tried to switch out advance assembly but it continued to do the same thing.. the shutter magnet grounds out normally telling me that it's working.. but that's where my trouble shooting ends... what I'm wondering about is the smaller magnet on the other end of the bottom plate.. how do I know when and if that little guy needs to yanked and replaced
@@RompingBronco I'm at my bench right now.. could this be a result of a bad electro magnet.. what I'm asking is does the electro magnet either work or doesn't work.. or can it be faulty to the point where it would give me these kinds of results.. I only see videos on changing them when their not spitting out any charge.. ok I get that.. but are there other circumstances where they need to be replaced.. and getting back to my second question.. how do I know when the second smaller magnet is bad.. I believe it M 3 part number.. it's the small one next to the advance gears..
Am I the only one that thinks it sounds like Seth Rogen does camera repairs now?
It’s a pretty common observation, I appreciate the comparison
Hey man, could you check your email when you get a chance im dying to get my ae 1 fixed as soon as possible! I've spent 8+ hours on it already lol
PEOPLE, I did so much research prior to finding this video. The Tungsten wire is not a common failure, The top was removed improperly and I too broke mine. No replacements available anywhere. I'm very upset as my father who passed 2 years ago, bought his new, it only needed new lightseals, cleaning of the back of the focus screen, mirror and veiwfinder. Now it's garbage. watch this video if you need to remove the top. ua-cam.com/video/K2QiKG7RkhM/v-deo.html
I just bought one from goodwill and plan to rent it out to film photographers before reselling it through my camera store.