I have a canon eos 650 and the shutter has a sticky substance on it. I suppose it came from film. How can I clean it?

-- Reggie Segars (rsegars@tsixroads.com), January 01, 2002

Answers

If you do a search using EOS 650 and Shutter problems you will get several links to info about this problem. The shutter brake or bumper breaks down and this sticky tar like substance appears on the shutter blades in the upper left hand corner when viewed from the rear. The ultimate and proper repair is to have the shutter and bumper replaced which will cost as much or more than replacing the camera with another used 650. I have been sucessful in removing the sticky stuff with rubbing alcohol and Q tips. After repeated treatments I then used a small amount of graphite powder to coat any remaining sticky stuff and have been able to use the camera without any problems for about 3 months. Each time I load a new roll of film I hold the camera with back open and no lens mounted and make sure that the shutter is opening completely at 2000 sec before using the camera. PLEASE REALIZE THAT THIS WORKED FOR ME BUT I DO NOT RECOMEND YOU TRY THIS UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT SOMETHING ELSE COULD GO WRONG DURING THE HOME REPAIR.

-- Russell Boate (rboate@eagle.ca), January 01, 2002.

About thirty questions before this one I posted this information about cleaning a Rebel shutter. The same thing applies to the 650.

"You can do this yourself, but you do risk destroying your shutter if you're not careful. So just be careful. Don't press on the shutter blades. If you are too forceful and one of them pops out of it's track, you can bend it out and pop it back in though. Use lighter fluid on the end of Q-Tips or other cotton swabbed sticks. Rub some on and fire the shutter a few times. Wipe it off with a dry Q-Tip. Repeat this process dozens of times, using a clean Q-tip each time.

"Be sure to go in from the camera front as well. Remove the lens and raise the mirror with your finger. Then do the same thing you did for the back of the shutter. Alternate going from the front and back of the shutter, firing it several times every time you swab it. Keep ding this until all the black stuff is gone.

"You can also use alcohol but the lighter fluid is faster.

"Then let it dry for a couple of days, firing the shutter every few hours to make sure it doesn't freeze up on you.

"This may happen to you again in a year or two, but then you will know how to fix it again. Good luck."

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), January 01, 2002.

I recently tried Jim's cure on my old Elan and it took a lot of repeat treatments to get it off. I ran a roll of Elite Chrome through the Elan and the shutter is very accurate.

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), January 01, 2002.

wow. i never knew this happend. what other cameras does this happen on? i own an elan iie and am concerned because it is not that much farter up the line than the rebels...

-- Jeff Nakayama (moonduck22@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

The Cause of this ( shutter plague) is due to a few things.. First of all if the camera is kept in too warm of a storage area the Lubricent will thin out and seap into the shutter blades, this is especially common in cameras where the shutter and inner components are worn. Always store your camera in a cooler area

I have used the Q-tip method with alchohol. and it does work, with patience and gentle work. The only down fall to this method is that it might need to be done on a regular basis in between rolls of Film. Also when testing the shutter try 2000 as well as a delayed ( 4 sec) test. this will show you if any sticking would occur and gives your eye the ability to actually watch the shutter operate. Sending the camera in especially an older model for a shutter overhaul and to check the timing and focus is well worth the cost of keeping a good sturdy camera (Like the Canon 650) in good condition. Consider it like a 15000, mile tune up on your car.

-- Chad B. (chad.ptmc@verizon.net), January 03, 2002.

My local repair person says that he's had hundreds of these early EOS in with similar symptoms. Usually they clean up well, occassionally they don't. As far as he's concerned it's a factory problem, but I guess the factory doesn't see it that way. I got 11 years from my Elan, guess I'll get it a routine CLA in another five.

-- (bmitch@home.com), January 05, 2002.