New Camera

photogoddess · Feb 1, 2005

I'm heading off to a fancy-shmancy workshop in Puerto Vallarta Mexico tomorrow. Because I felt that my Rebel 2000 wasn't an appropriate camera for the job, I bought a really nice, used Canon A2 this morning. Does anyone have any tips for this particular camera?

Big Mike · Feb 2, 2005

I don't know if that model is old enough to suffer from sticky shutter bumper syndrome...My old EOS does get some goo on the shutter blades but it's not much of a problem and pretty easy to clean,

Soulreaver · Feb 2, 2005

Big Mike said:
I don't know if that model is old enough to suffer from sticky shutter bumper syndrome...My old EOS does get some goo on the shutter blades but it's not much of a problem and pretty easy to clean,

I thought the shutter blades were very fragile.Didn't you have any problems with that?

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Big Mike · Feb 2, 2005

Well, they are delicate but they are still fairly easy to clean if you are careful. It's not so much the cleaning force that you have to worry about...it's just that if you slipped, you could damage them pretty badly.

I used some alcohol on a cotton swab and it took the goo off pretty easy. There is still a mark or stain on the blades from either the goo or the cleaning but the shutter still works as well as it can (for 17 years old).

BernieSC · Feb 5, 2005

A2 is a great camera. theres not really any specific tips. It has many features. You might want to look into getting a verticle grip next for it. It makes shooting vertically and handling the camera much better.

Just be gentle on the control dial, that was one problem canon had with that camera. The way the made it to be turned by pressing on the button on top of the dial many people turned it before pressing on it and broke the locking part of the dial. I thought it was a defect but I think if you know about it and just becareful with it, it won't be a problem.

Technically you might call that a defect if you have to take so much care to use a basic function on the camera. But its a fine camera.

BernieSC · Feb 5, 2005

Cleaning the shutter blades will not correct that problem you are talking about it will get on the shutter again because that is the seal for the lubricate in the shutter block that failed. You usually have to send it out and have it corrected.

Big Mike · Feb 6, 2005

BernieSC said:
Cleaning the shutter blades will not correct that problem you are talking about it will get on the shutter again because that is the seal for the lubricate in the shutter block that failed. You usually have to send it out and have it corrected.

I have always read that the common problem is the foam shutter bumper...it breaks down and turns to goo. Not leaking lubrication. I cleaned the goo off of the shutter on my 650, last year...and there has been no goo since then. And I have run a lot of film through it.