My Yashica-Mat's shutter got stuck mid-roll last Sunday

I was shooting a roll of HP5 at a flea market when the shutter just locked up after frame 8. Popped the lens off and found a broken leaf spring sitting loose inside. Anyone know a good source for replacement springs on these old TLRs?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_harris21d ago

Honestly that stinks but its almost like a reminder that everything has a breaking point sooner or later. Tbh I've noticed this with old cameras or even old cars or vintage furniture - nothing lasts forever and the parts that break are usually the small ones you never think about. Ngl you might have better luck hitting up a camera repair shop for a donor body than trying to find a standalone spring online since those things are tiny and specific. I feel like half the challenge with old gear is just accepting you'll have to scavenge parts from another broken one.

hall.nina21d ago

Yeah you're right, @casey_harris, that donor body idea is smarter. I used to think springs were easy to find but now I get it.

xena121d ago

Yeah exactly, "everything has a breaking point" is something I've been noticing a lot lately. It's like how my old blender finally gave out because a little plastic tab snapped off - not the motor or the blade, just this tiny piece you'd never think about. @hall.nina, it reminds me of how people hold onto old phones or appliances way past their prime because the main thing still works, but it's always some random little part that makes you toss the whole thing. The scavenger hunt for parts becomes this whole other project you didn't sign up for.