Naked Canon P

[jjthe2]

I have a Canon P with a sticky shutter problem, sometimes the release gets stuck in the depressed position and nothing will release it except removing the top cover and giving it a nudge from below. I took the front cover off trying to find exactly what's causing the issue but there's no way to recreate the problem consistently. Anyway, I thought some of you may enjoy seeing what's under the covers, so I'll try to attach a picture...

 

[julianphotoart]

It reminds me of what the Terminator looked like at the end of the movie (but in a good way -- I love the Canon P).

 

[Kim Coxon]

Two old men sitting in deckchairs and one says to the other "It's looking nice out today" to which the other replies "Well put it away quick someones coming!" I think I will leave the VI-L to the pros.

Kim

 

[Solinar]

You're a brave man. I have no idea what the problem may be, but that looks like a well designed, but complicated camera. Just wait till Joe sees this.

 

[back alley]

he saw it already!

shock & awe keeps running through my head.

 

[jlw]

You're a brave man. I have no idea what the problem may be, but that looks like a well designed, but complicated camera.

It's not something you'd want to try for your first disassembly, but the classic Canons actually come apart pretty easily. Removing the top-deck controls without scratching anything is probably the hardest part.

Once the chrome pieces are off, you just remove a few screws and the main body section opens like a book, giving full access to the inner mechanisms. If you put the controls back on, you can even wind and fire to check functions. This makes things a LOT easier than on some camera models which won't operate without being partly reassembled.

 

[jjthe2]

Yeah the disassembly was relatively straightforward, no hidden screws, no leatherette to peel away. The baffles attach directly to the front plate and lift straight out. The most annoying thing is the circular rangefinder window must be removed before the top can come off.

But once inside, it's pretty cool just to look around. No mystery electronics, there's only one wire that snakes around from the flash terminal to the shutter. And I never really understood how the shutter worked until I saw it roll and unroll on it's spools.

 

[RayPA]

I have a Canon P with a sticky shutter problem, sometimes the release gets stuck in the depressed position and nothing will release it except removing the top cover and giving it a nudge from below. I took the front cover off trying to find exactly what's causing the issue but there's no way to recreate the problem consistently. Anyway, I thought some of you may enjoy seeing what's under the covers, so I'll try to attach a picture...

That's a great shot! Very cool. Thanks for posting it! It's still a beautiful camera, even stripped to the bones!

😀

 

[John Shriver]

My IV-SB2 is in the same state on my workbench, as I've just replaced the shutter curtains. Working on getting the shutter speeds accurate now.