Nikon SP shutter issue: major or minor

[JSteed#2]

Hello all
My cherished SP seems fine except that the one second setting is very spotty. Most of the time, the shutter remains open, and sometimes it closes after much more than a second. 1/2 second, 1/4 second and the rest of the higher speeds seem fine. Question: should i ignore the problem (i rarely use one second) or get it fixed now? If repair is recommended, to whom can i entrust this very beloved camera for repair?

 

[Mackinaw]

Speaking for myself, since you rarely use one second, and the other speeds work fine, I wouldn't worry about it and would just use your SP.

As for repair techs. I had good success with Stephan Gandy's repair tech, though I'm not sire he's accepting any work now. Check the Cameraquest repair page for more info.

Jim B.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

In a nutshell, Jim is right. Your slow speed escapement is dirty and needs cleaning and adjustment at the very least. After that, the rest of the camera could use a CLA because the slow speeds are the first to go when a camera gets dirty. The escapement is very sensitive to dirt and old lubricants not working properly. Operating your camera outside those those speeds (below 1/60) shouldn't do too much harm, and just like Nikon Fs, the rangefinders are really robust. That said, it should still be given a CLA because if the slow speeds are off, the main speeds and slit width adjustment won't be too far behind in needing service.

Phil Forrest

 

[xayraa33]

Most Nikon RF cameras are usually very tolerant of a gummed up slow speed escapement mechanism when compared to other makes of RF cameras with focal plane shutters that have been dormant and out of use for long spells.