Is this mold on the shutter curtain of this Fujica ST801 Camera

hanhasgotqi

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Hello all,

I just bought a Fujica ST801 on the internet and found suspicious stains on its shutter curtain. Please see the images below. Could someone please offer some insight as to what they are and how I should clean them? The shutter curtain works fine. All the shutter speeds are accurate. Part of the shutter curtain is clean - the part that faces the film when the film advance lever is not cocked (1st curtain). However, once you cock the film advance lever, this dirty messy part of the curtain emerges, the 2nd curtain.

There is considerable rust on the camera's interior, so it probably has been stored in a humid environment in the past. Yet I don't smell any musty smell. Could it be mold? It almost looks like some kind of water damage. What would you suggest as a way to clean it?

I am inclined to clean it with q-tips saturated with 91% alcohol. Is that advisable? Would you rather suggest 9% vinegar? I just want to make sure I don't mess up the speeds of the shutter, which is still accurate now, or don't apply something corrosive enough to leave a hole on the curtain. Any experiences you have had with such mechanical shutters would be much appreciated! Thank you guys! - Han

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Never seen that before but since there is interior rust, yeah, it could be water damage. Interior rust usually means the camera has been dunked or left out in rain, etc.

Your suggestion of alcohol would be what I would try.
 
Oxidation from an aluminum part in the shutter mechanism?
 
Thank you for your replies. The shutter curtain itself is made of fabric. There is some green stuff on the right edge of that curtain. You can see it on the 4th image. If this was on a metallic surface then I'd think it's rust, but it's on fabric. Strange.
 
The green will be verdigris from the metallic edging to the curtains (brass). It will easily transfer to the fabric.

As far as cleaning goes, I would be inclined to remove any loose stuff and then leave well alone. Rubbing the fabric, even gently, is likely to partially remove the light proofing finish causing light flares when you use the camera. While pristine cameras are nice, they don't need to be to work well.
 
I'm guessing this wasn't a pricey purchase but I'd agree that it's deadly to start tidying up the shutter curtains. Shoot it and see what your first roll looks like.
 
The green will be verdigris from the metallic edging to the curtains (brass). It will easily transfer to the fabric.

As far as cleaning goes, I would be inclined to remove any loose stuff and then leave well alone. Rubbing the fabric, even gently, is likely to partially remove the light proofing finish causing light flares when you use the camera. While pristine cameras are nice, they don't need to be to work well.

Thank you very much for your reply, John.

Somebody local suggested that I gently apply some Pledge Furniture Spray (Johnson & Johnson) by q-tip after taking the loose stuff off. He said that would replace any damaged light proofing finish, just in case. Have you heard of this being used? If not, is there any light proofing finish product I can buy just as an insurance? Thanks!
 
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If there are loose particles in the film chamber and you don't remove them the stuff is going to end up on the film which is like a magnet for dust. It could also work its way into other areas and become a never ending problem.

Another suggestion is to use something sticky like adhesive tape to remove the loose stuff (as long as it leaves no residue).
 
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