Canon FD 300mm f/2.8 Flurite with chrome ring shutter blades get stuck

<p>Hi,<br>

I've had my Canon FD 300 F/2.8 FLUORITE with the chrome ring since about 1997. I used this lens quite a lot at my sons track meets and other occasions. Then I stopped doing photography and stored it with desecant in a sealed tube in a safe in the attic. About six years ago I took it out shot some photos using film. They were bad , had quite a bit of flare. When I checked the lens I noticed the shutter blades were sticking. That is they did not return to their normal position but instead remained partly closed after depressing the shutter release. On the whole the actual speed of the shutter wasn't bad, not too different from normal. It was just that the shutter blades didn't return all the way to the normal resting position. This of coarse made the lens intermittantly slower than F/2.8 and caused the flare. I took it to a place in Manhatton (I work in New York) and they did an overhaul. It worked OK but since I don't do much photography these days I stored it the same way I always do. About two years ago I noticed a tiny bit of sticking of the shutter blades and didn't think it was worth over-hauling (suppose it is damaged during the repair) for such a small problem. Today I took the FLUORITE out and noticed that the problem is significantly worse. My wife says that this is caused by the variation in temperature in the attic where I keep the lens. It does get cold in the winter 40 degrees and hot in the summer about 95-100. However, I keep all my other lenses in the same place , including another 300mm FLUORITE and they have never had this problem. I would like to know from the FORUM membership what they think is causing the problem and since I have now decided to repair this unit to recommend someone that I can trust with this beautiful lens and will fix it right. <br>

Raphael</p>

Raphael, my hunch is a lubrication compatibility issue, where the old lubricant residue was not fully cleaned away and it's

reacting negatively with the newer lube to create a non-lubricant. In my own line of work I have seen this occur, and the cure was to meticulously clean away all traces of the old (lubricant incompatibility was a major contributor to the loss of an Alaska Airways MD-83 passenger jet and all passengers over the Pacific in January, 2000).

 

Steve at Camera Clinic in Sparks, NV has serviced my FD 300 2.8 SSC and did an excellent job. Closer to you, I wonder

if Gus Lazzari would tackle this? It is a very high quality and very valuable lens, it deserves the very best hands and

technique.

<p>I agree with Rick that this is probably a lubricant issue. </p>

<p>Noted Canon repair tech, Ken Oikawa, also works on FL and FD lenses. You may try him too.</p>

<p>Thanks for the explanation it sounds perfectly logical. Do you have the contact info for the gentlemen you recommended for the repair?</p>

<p>Thanks, Raphael</p>

<p>The aperture blades of FD lenses (and of all lenses, for that matter) don't need lubrication. They should be dry and lube free. The problem is lubricant migrating from the helicoid, which could be the result of relatively high storage temperature.</p>

<p>It's time to send the in the lens to have the blades cleaned, and perhaps the excess helicoid grease removed as well. I've had oil cleaned from aperture blades for as little as $35.</p>

<p>Ken Oikawa<br>

28288 West Worcester Road<br>

Sun City, California, 92586<br>

951-246-9136<br>

Ken prefers items to be sent via USPS, NOT UPS nor FEDEX.<br>

He does not do PayPal and will call and request a personal check after he evaluates your repair. This is usually the same day he receives your item.<br>

Turnaround time for many Canon A, EF, F and FD items (~ the 10 or so) he has done for me has averaged about one week each. He is also a good friend of Steve at Camera Clinic in Sparks, Nevada, and on occasion, Ken says they will ‘trade’ certain work issues, if required, to expedite repairs.</p>

<p> I will give feed back after the lens has been serviced.<br>

Thanks, Raphael</p>

<p>As far as I know, stuck aperture blades are the main way lenses fail.</p>

<p>Lenses that I know get stuck open, though. A spring pushes it closed, the camera pushes it open. </p>

<p> If the shutter release is pressed repeatedly there are instances when the shutter blades go all the way back to their neutral position at full aperture open. Even the amount that the blades hangup varies. To me this sounds like what was explained previously , that something is sticking. If something were broken it would not work period.<br>

When I get this lens serviced I will share the info and we will all know.<br>

Raphael</p>

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<p>If you do have the breach lock 300 f2.8, it may be possible to "exercise" the lens back into shape. I have had that problem with another BL lens, and after setting it to manual operation by releasing the lock ring, I spent a fair amount of time flicking the aperture lever back and forth and finally the blades began to respond properly. Now when I use that lens, I make sure it stops down properly before I use it by giving it an off camera flick or two. </p>

<p>I also recommend Ken Oikawa. He's about as good as you can get when it comes to Canon FD and FL.</p>

<p>Also, I would not store ANY lens -- or camera for that matter -- in my attic. Summer time temperatures are just too high. Heck, I don't like leaving them in a parked car during the summer, for the same reason. Unless your living space is exceptionally tiny, I would consider bringing them back down back into it. Even if I lived in a very confined space, I would still think of something. Like shelves. At my former house, which was way too small for my family, I built overhead shelves along the walls throughout the house. Having them as such, they didn't restrict living space, but one had ready access to their contents.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I just had my Canon FD 300/2.8 FLUORITE evaluated for sticking shutter blades which I posted a few weeks ago. It turns out that it is not the shutter blades that is causing a problem but it is the mount unit that is defective. I don't know for sure but I assume the mount unit contains the small metallic arm that goes into the camera body and is activated when the shutter is released. This lens is a beauty the body is clean and the optics are mint. Hence, I have to find a way to either replace ( from a similar lens ) or repair the mount unit. I was thinking of using S.K. Grimes to machine the parts that have to be replaced. They machined an adapter for this lens so that a standard size filter could be fitted in front of the first element. Canon used an odd ball thread size for the front of the lens and no off the shelf filter can be used . I am open to suggestions for a way to solve this problem.</p>