Sid836
Well-known
I have an Olympus PEN EES-2 that constantly develops a sticky aperture. I open the lens, clean the aperture and after a month or so it happens again. Is there a more durable remedy for it?
Olympus PEN EES-2 and sticky aperture
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btgc
Veteran
Obviously, you are fighting rainwater by putting fingers into roof holes. Literally, you have to replace roof - dismantle camera enough to clean old lube out of shutter (clean also each blade separately) and helicoide, and apply very sparingly modern lube on helicoid just to ensure it's smooth, not a bit more.
Sid836
Well-known
I had it completely dry. I'll dismantle it again and have it cleaned up once more. Damn! I have done this so many times that I can open it apart even with eyes closed!
Sid836
Well-known
Question, could the addition of graphite improve things?
btgc
Veteran
You had cleaned visible parts of blades, right? As they move, they travel in parts of shutter inaccessible from lens' pass-through hole. I'm not insisting dismantling is only way to clean ot - it largely depends on amount of old lube and how it were treated. If someone has flushed lighter fluid into lens in hope unfreezing shutter, lube has migrated....imagine warm sauce flooding over noodles like no cold sauce can do.
If you add graphite powder into equations....what we have....blades coated with thin film of lube...powder sticks to blades and....in my understanding graphite powder (which itself works as dry lube) were used in large shutters to reduce friction - used in very small amounts, but I definitely don't think it removes migrated lube or helps to avoid issue other ways.
If you definitely don't want to dismantle shutter, keep cleaning blades and working, working and working shutter. Use lens cleaning paper, small pieces one by one (don't reuse) to clean between blades. There's no guarantee you will reach state when shutter works reliably. It may work for some time and after time (under different climate...moisture, heat, cold) become sluggish or freeze again. But you choose - for occasional and non-critical use (call it playing) in dry climate this workaround may work well enough. Personally I have cameras which I haven't dismantled fully to clean but I also don't rely on them. Life is finite 🙂
If you add graphite powder into equations....what we have....blades coated with thin film of lube...powder sticks to blades and....in my understanding graphite powder (which itself works as dry lube) were used in large shutters to reduce friction - used in very small amounts, but I definitely don't think it removes migrated lube or helps to avoid issue other ways.
If you definitely don't want to dismantle shutter, keep cleaning blades and working, working and working shutter. Use lens cleaning paper, small pieces one by one (don't reuse) to clean between blades. There's no guarantee you will reach state when shutter works reliably. It may work for some time and after time (under different climate...moisture, heat, cold) become sluggish or freeze again. But you choose - for occasional and non-critical use (call it playing) in dry climate this workaround may work well enough. Personally I have cameras which I haven't dismantled fully to clean but I also don't rely on them. Life is finite 🙂
Sid836
Well-known
🙂 Absolutely!
I'll tear it down once more and clean it up. Then I guess it will spend most of its time storred away as I should spend more time taking photos than dealing with its troubles.
I'll tear it down once more and clean it up. Then I guess it will spend most of its time storred away as I should spend more time taking photos than dealing with its troubles.
OlympusRF
Established
I really think that dismantle completely the shutter is the only way to do it well.
I usually dismantle the entire camera, the PEN EE is the simplest camera around to dismantle, just with a little of attention you put it working again.
Even if you mount anything wrong, there's not many pieces or positions to mount it wrong, or else just dismount and try again.
I usually dismantle the entire camera, the PEN EE is the simplest camera around to dismantle, just with a little of attention you put it working again.
Even if you mount anything wrong, there's not many pieces or positions to mount it wrong, or else just dismount and try again.