Beginner Urgent Help Needed!

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brownwizard

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Anoush
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Hi all,

ran into an issue with my nikon f3, my entire first roll with the camera cam out shaky and overexposed, i went to a shop and had the seals replaced and the kind guy helping me also put some lighter fluid and said the hardware was super gunky. basically the issue is that the shutter is firing at weird times, if i select one sec, it will shoot in 2, 3 or 4 secs. i find this only happens in the full seconds and its the same for 2, 4 and 8 secs and also aperture priority. the funny thing happening is that when i hold the shutter down and keep it held, it will shoot at the precise time?? if i tap the shutter while selected at 1 sec it will take several secs, however i hold the button down it will shoot appropriately at 1 sec. bizarre but if i have rambled and youd like clarification please ask below and ill be happy to provide any detail but help is needed! i ordered some ultramax and iwll be travelling abroad in less than a week and i need to know if it is worth taking or just dead weight to me.
 
Don't take it anywhere, you'll just ruin film and frustrate yourself.

Solve the problem, test it, then take it places.
 
thanks rob, any solutions? since posting this ive just realised its shooting accurately timed with the mechanical release so it seems ive narrowed it to the electrical shutter, maybe it wasnt cleaned enough or just stick it through using the mechanical shutter, i also bought an sb12 flash to use with it
 
The correct course of action is of course to send it to a repair technician.

Home brew bodge ups I have heard of "a drop of lighter fuel" around the shutter release button, and far riskier, in the oven at 50 degrees c for an hour to soften congealed lubricants.

It goes without saying that you drink homebrew at your own risk and possibly ruin a nice camera.
 
im not sure im willing to put my camera in an oven LOL but i think i have found out that the issue is the shutter magnet. maybe ill try the lighter fluid and see what happens. thanks
 
With the right knowledge, old cameras can be brought back to life to give many good years of service. I've resurrected a Nikon F, F2, F3, F4 and an F5. They all work very well.

A quick squirt of lighter fluid is not going to achieve anything, you need the right switch cleaning fluid (IPA at a push) and the correct tools and lubricants.

Take it to someone who knows what they're doing. Why risk ruining a camera that just needs a little TLC? Just buy a working one, they're cheap enough.
 
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Spend a bit of your holiday cash on a pentax 17 if you insist of film. 72 images per roll, perfect holiday film camera. Or take your phone.

I wouldn't trust any one of my old cameras for special moments. You will end up missing shots that'll give you happy memories for years to come.
 
the fact is im going to be leaving in literally 5 days so im not sure what the likelihood is of being able to buy another camera is and I was itching to take the f3, is it still possible to use since the mechanical shutter is shooting accurately? or just unusable until it gets repaired
 
If you really HAVE to take it, then shoot at the mechanical speed and just adjust your aperture to fit the conditions. Depending on what the weather is likely to be on your trip, shoot a film that gives some exposure latitude such as HP5+ unless it is going to be a really sunny venue.

Then get it fixed when you get back.
 
the thing is, when I activate the light meter, the mechanical shutter shoots at the speed chosen by the light meter it’s a weird backup but works. OR when I shoot with the electronic shutter but actually fully hold the shutter down through its cycle it will shoot accurately so it’s not unusable just a pain in the backside. but the question is, is it reliable?
 
Isn't there a mechanical flash speed setting (like 1/125)? Don't activate the light meter (use your phone for metering using an app) and shoot at 1/125 all the time.

I don't know that camera so I might be wrong, just guessing based on the film cameras I use.
 
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