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Update: I stopped telling customers to toss their old sticky aperture blades
I used to tell folks a gummed up aperture was a lost cause and to just buy a replacement lens, but a guy named Dan at the Columbus camera show talked me into trying a soak in lighter fluid on a stuck Canon FD 50mm f/1.8. Took about 20 minutes of gentle working and the blades snapped back like new, and that was 3 months ago with no return visits. I've since done 6 more and saved every one. Anyone else soaking instead of swapping, or do you still draw the line somewhere?
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ramirez.vera3d ago
Tried the same thing after watching a buddy revive a stuck Pentax 50mm with a good long soak. I used plain Ronsonol, let it sit for a day, then worked the ring back and forth real slow with a tiny screwdriver. The first few moves felt gritty and scary, but the blades broke loose and clicked like new after maybe 15 minutes of gentle back and forth. That lens has been my daily driver for over a year now and the aperture is still snappy. The trick for me was not rushing the soak and blowing out the leftover fluid with a rocket blower before I called it done. I draw the line at oil on the glass or a bent blade, those still go in the junk pile.
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