Had to choose between a new shutter assembly or a full rebuild on a Nikon F3

A guy brought in his dad's old F3 from the 80s with a shutter that was sticking at 1/1000th. The choice was a $180 new-old-stock assembly from a supplier in Chicago, or taking apart the whole curtain mechanism for a deep clean and re-lube, which I'd never done on that model. I went with the rebuild, spent about four hours on it, and got it running smooth. Has anyone else found the F3 curtains to be more forgiving than they look once you get in there?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindahunt8d ago

That's a tough call to make, especially on a camera with that kind of family history. Good on you for taking the time to do the rebuild yourself. Four hours is a serious commitment, but you probably learned more than any replacement part could teach you. Sounds like the F3 rewards that kind of careful work, doesn't it? Getting it running smooth on your own bench must have felt pretty good.

brookefox7d ago

Nothing beats that first click after a fix.