Slow Shutter on Petri 2.8 Color

[sooner]

Hi All,

I just bought a Petri 2.8 color that arrived with a stiff focusing lever and speeds that are off. From about 1/60 to 1/300, all the speeds are the same, I'd estimate more like 1/30 of second. Only when I get to the really slow shutter speeds does the speed change and slow down, but I can't say whether they are accurate either. The one second is definitely more like 1.5 seconds. After doing some research, I thought about removing the outer lens and putting some naptha on the gear mechanism (never the blades, right?), but I don't have a spanner wrench to access the first layer of outer gears. Any advice on repair, or who might do it for me at a reasonable cost? I would just return it to the seller, and may yet, but it's beautiful otherwise, and it came with the two auxiliary add-on lenses and finder which are super cool, and what I paid is probably worth those alone. Thanks in advance!

 

[NeeZee]

I only own a Petri Color 35 but top cover removal and cleaning the viewfinder was quite easy at least (and I'm really not good at this DIY camera repair thing...).

Anyway, a google search on rangefinderforum (petri 2.8 repair site:www.rangefinderforum.com) will give you something to read at least (shutter issues, disassembly etc.).

As it seems to be a fully mechanical shutter, it shouldn't be difficult to find a repair person to fix it. I'm not in the U.S. though, so I can't recommend anyone in particular.

Good luck!

 

[sooner]

Thanks for the tip, I found some useful threads. It sounds like I should expose the outer shutter mechanism and drip a few drops of naptha on it and hope that clears things up.

 

[sooner]

Update: I put a slight amount of Naptha on the shutter blades, and that cleared things up! Speeds returned to normal. Then, after trying the shutter a bunch, the shutter button stopped working. I tightened up the lower plate and that fixed it. This morning, the shutter had gummed up again a little, not as bad as before, but in need of another treatment. It felt good to feel like I had actually fixed it--at least partially.

 

[sooner]

Okay, I still need help. After a while, the slow speeds returned. Can anyone explain what's going on and how I can get a permanent fix? I assume the Naptha is evaporating. Do I need to add a lubricant to the shutter blades after applying the Naptha?

 

[BernardL]

Do I need to add a lubricant to the shutter blades after applying the Naptha?

NO !!!
Absolutely avoid lubricant not only on the blades, but in any place where it might migrate to the blades: this means the blade pivots, etc. The only place that maybe should be lubricated is the contact between the shutter body and the main shutter ring (the one that rotates when the shutter is cocked then released), because it moves fast, and under tension from the spring.

 

[sooner]

Okay, so no lubricant on the blades, got it. Any further suggestions for why the Naptha treatment isn't sticking (pun intended)? Other online forums suggest soaking the entire shutter mechanism in Naptha for a week. Is there really nothing short of that?