The first time I saw a CLA transform a shutter sound...

Kai Dixon · 2026-05-06T21:15:04.69248+00:00

I used to think that cleaning a camera was mostly about optics, but I worked on a Nikon F2 from 1973 that sounded like grinding metal before I touched it. After a full CLA with new damping grease on the mirror box, the shutter went from a harsh clunk to a soft whisper in about 2 hours of work. The before and after audio difference was so dramatic it convinced me that mechanical feel can tell you more about a camera's health than any number on a test slide. Has anyone else had a specific model that sounded totally different after a proper service?

adams.spencer5mo ago

Honestly, that F2 story hits hard, I totally get what you mean about hearing the health of a camera.

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troy8325mo ago

Is a shutter sound really that big a deal though?

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anna_ross194mo ago

Nah, I'm with @troy832 on this one. A shutter sound is just a mechanical noise, not some deep sign of a camera's soul or whatever. As long as the speeds are accurate and the frame spacing is good, a little rattle doesn't ruin your photos.

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