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Strange shutter bounce on a Nikon F2 after CLA | Camera Repairers - Opinions Matter

Strange shutter bounce on a Nikon F2 after CLA

I cleaned and re-lubed a Nikon F2 last week and the shutter speeds looked perfect on the bench but now they're bouncing at 1/2000 on actual test rolls. The curtain seems to hang up just slightly right before it closes, like the brake isn't grabbing. Has anyone run into this after a CLA and figured out what's causing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

zaram973mo ago

Jumping in late here but @robinp72 might be onto something with the tension. I'd check if your shutter speed adjustment ring is seated perfectly after the CLA, a tiny misalignment there can mess with the brake timing at high speeds. Could be a hair out of spec from the cleaning if the old dried grease had it locked in place before.

robinp723mo ago

Did you check if the tension on the take-up spool might be too high? I've noticed a pattern in a lot of mechanical stuff I fix around the house, like old sewing machines or even a squeaky lawnmower, where after a good cleaning everything runs smooth but then a tiny bit of friction or a small adjustment throws off the last little step of the cycle. It's like the parts need a little break-in time to settle into their new rhythm after being all cleaned up and tightened down.

the_evan3mo ago

Build on that idea about the break-in period. I've seen the exact same thing with old lawn equipment and even a vintage hand-crank drill I restored last year. You clean everything up, oil the parts, and it feels stiff or skips a beat for the first few minutes of use. But if you just run it through its paces a dozen times, the parts start to mesh and wear into each other again. It is like they need to remember their old pattern after being disturbed. That small friction point you mentioned is usually the culprit, and a little patience with a few cycles can often smooth it right out without having to tear it apart again.