robbz_fotoz Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 <p>I wanted to get brave and find a Canon A-1 Guinea Pig to do a lube process I've read about. So I did ... found a fairly cheap, cosmetically perfect body, 30 years old. Foam seals were supposed to be "very good". Still had the hot shoe cover, sports grip and PC cover. Of course it had the squeal as I expected but was ready to "lube". Good so far right ? Then I took the body cap off and saw that the aged mirror foam had oozed on to the bottom of the (reflex?) mirror. Now if the oil thing didn't give me some hestitation, this development surely did. I think this constitutes a re-furbishing I wasn't counting on. Of course if I have the work done myself I'll know it was done right. Any thoughts on how difficult it is to rid the foam residue on the mirror ? I might be brave enough to "lube" a camera per instructions but I'm not stupid enough to clean a camera's mirror. My local camera technician who specializes in Canon A bodies quoted me a cost of $ 134 that includes new seals and body foam, disassemble the camera to properly lubricate the mirror cage where the infamous Canon Squeal originates from and re-calibrate the speeds. This was before I saw the foam residue so I am wondering if the cost will go up ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatulent1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 <p>Ouch. Foam on the mirror might indicate foam elsewhere inside. Not a job you want to tackle without experience.</p> <p>$134 seems kinda high for a CLA. A few years ago I'd have said $65-$75 was the going rate. <a href="http://www.cameraclinicusa.com/">Steve Sweringen</a> charged $125 for a complete CLA of the T90, and that included shutter rebuild and return postage, though that may have changed.</p> <p>You have a lovely camera in beautiful condition, you want a good job done, but you don't want to pay far above what the camera itself is worth. I suggest finding someone else.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon_yee Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 <p>Cleaning sticky, black deteriorated foam on the mirror is not a difficult task if you're patient and and careful. Just use lots of cotton swabs and solvent, such as naptha. I've also used Windex and denatured alcohol with no problems. Front surface mirrors are somewhat delicate and can be damaged if you're clumsy, but my experience is that they're not as delicate and fragile as some have claimed. The first passes with a swab and naptha may not seem very effective, but the rotted foam will get softer and easier to clean as it absorbs the naptha. After all of the old foam has been removed, there may still be a haze or fog on the mirror. This can been cleaned off by fogging the mirror with your breath and then delicately polishing the mirror with a clean swab. My preference is to use a clean swab with a piece of lens tissue wrapped around it to polish the mirror. Don't forget to check for rotted foam on the focusing screen as well. Cotton swabs are cheap and effective, but they do shed bits of cotton lint. To avoid this, I sometimes use lintless foam swabs designed for cleaning tape recorder and VCR heads.</p> <p>My experience has been that damage on a reflex mirror has to be really extensive before it's visible in the viewfinder. I repaired a reflex mirror on a TLR that had been cracked in two pieces diagonally using super glue. As ugly as it looked, after reassembly, you couldn't tell the mirror had been broken by looking through the viewfinder.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member69643 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 <p>I think $134 is reasonable to pay, if the guy is a Canon A series expert. You'd have a really good camera then, and one you know has been properly looked at.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_mareno1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 <p>Gordon has the right idea. I've cleaned up many a mirror, although older cameras have much more fragile mirrors, mainly because they're just older My method is a little different. I take lens cleaning tissue and soak it pretty good w/ that liquid that comes in the little bottles that you get in the kits. You know, they come in a blister package, along w/ the tissue, and a brush/blower. I give the mirror a quick wipe w/ the wet tissue, then a quick wipe immediately afterwards w/ a dry tissue. If that got a lot of stuff off, throw the tissues away and take a fresh tissue, wet it , give the mirror another wipe, followed by a wipe w/ new, clean, dry tissue. I wouldn't do this too often, but a few times, as needed, will usually remove a lot of gunk. Be more careful of the focus screen. Only brush it lightly w/ a soft brush.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillacmike Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 <p>The only mirrors I would be afraid to clean of deteriorated damper foam goo are Pellix mirrors. But then again they don't have mirror damper foam. The others are easy, but you do need to take some amount of care.</p> <p>Now if it's all over the screen that's a bit more difficult, but if the screen is removable, then you can do that. I;d be more worried about messing up the screen than the mirror. </p> <p>I've never seen mirror damper foam goo anywhere but the mirror edge (which is usually not part of the viewing image) or the focusing screen, unless someone smudged it all over the place.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbz_fotoz Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 <p>it's on the mirror edge. But it's still goo-ey. This camera looks good -- a mere brush mark on the left side of the prism but otherwise perfect. Lug nuts are not attached either. I'm thinking maybe a demo or display model that was put aside and never sold. Or someone brought this and never used it. So after all these years of not being used much the seals just fade to mush. I complained to the seller and was refunded my $, (and was shocked I must add) so I will bring this to my repairman on Tuesday of next week. I think after 30 years of not being used this camera deserves a life.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_stephan2 Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 <p>I once cleaned the mirror on my Nikon F3HP. I picked up some alcohol, not the stuff you get at the drug store from a hardware store and saturated a q-tip with it and wiped the goo off. I was very careful and it was a easy repair. After the mirror I refoamed the body and it was as good a new. I think the alcohol I used was de-natured if I'm not mistaken. <br> Good luck with the repair. It sounds like a great DIY project.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbz_fotoz Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 <p>Mark ... that's a great testimony to making things work and keeping them that way. "Old" stuff was meant to last and that includes film cameras as they just don't make Nikons and Canons like they used to, do they ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbz_fotoz Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 <p>seller finally wrote to me after some unnecessary brou-ha-ha and now wants the camera back. Sending it back (at his cost) might be the kiss of death for Mr. Canon A-1 serial number 1471968 so I'm debating what to do. He did refund my cost and original shipping so by right I should send it back. I've just gotten attached to this dang thing like a pup from the pound. Why ? I'm probably a camera hoarder in the making.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon_yee Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 <p>A-1s that are as cosmetically clean as this one are becoming increasingly difficult to find. I consider the rotted mirror foam to be one of the easiest of DIY fixes, and trivial compared to the shutter squeal fix.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillacmike Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 <p>Robb, re-pay the seller and keep the A-1. It's too nice to send back!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_kushner2 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Although tempting to keep, I'd send it back. I had 2 cosmetically perfect & was too distracting to keep them from getting any nicks while using them. Upgraded to F1N as a keeper to use & avoid the common A series problems of 30 year old cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theo_bern Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 <p>Robb,<br /> Just saw your post here. Send it to me and I will service it for free, squeal, light seals, mirror and everything.<br /> I owe you buddy, and this is the LEAST I can do since you like the camera so much.<br> Hope I answered on time, before returning it.<br> <br /> Your friend from Cyprus.<br /> Theo<br> P.S Hope you still have my email</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbz_fotoz Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 <p> Theo: DANG ! you're a day late, I just shipped it back to the seller this afternoon. I had kept it for over a week and the seller did refund money but I was torn between returning and having my repair technician do the work. I finally shipped it back just about an hour ago or else ... however your offer was too kind and I may come across another camera yet you might work on. This body was beautiful but it need a complete overhaul. <br> Now how are you doing ? I miss hearing from you, totally. Write when you have a spare moment.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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