Oh my gosh, I can't believe this happened! AE-1 damage! Help!

keedokes · Jun 29, 2008

We went on vacation a couple of weeks ago and I didn't take my AE-1 with me--apparently that was a big mistake, because an entire gallon of distilled water fell off of the shelf with the ironing things on it, and knocked my camera bag down off of a lower shelf onto the floor.

The entire gallon emptied itself onto and into my bag, and when I discovered it two days ago everything was moldy. The original manuals are ruined, the water coursed through the filter boxes, ruining the paper inserts, the camera strap is covered in mold (and, of course, it was my husband's leather guitar strap that I coveted and used).

I'm scared to open up the camera. How do I clean everything? Is it safe to just use a vinegar/water solution on the lenses and filters? Do I have to get the camera body itself professionally cleaned?

I've gone from extreme sorrow (crying) to anger and have fluctuated back and forth between the two for the last several days. I'm crushed. Help!

dinodan · Jun 30, 2008

Yikes! My suggestion would be to get everything to a professional repair facility ASAP. You could have ongoing corrosion issues with the camera and lenses, and they likely need to be completely disassembled and cleaned. Good luck!

AndrewG · Jun 30, 2008

dinodan said:
Yikes! My suggestion would be to get everything to a professional repair facility ASAP. You could have ongoing corrosion issues with the camera and lenses, and they likely need to be completely disassembled and cleaned. Good luck!

+1. You can probably clean the filters yourself but don't touch the lenses; the multi-coating is delicate and can easily be damaged.

TamiyaGuy · Jun 30, 2008

I'd certainly get your camera and its lenses off to a professional, certified repair shop and get it cleaned. You'll probably be able to do the filters yourself, but if you're in any way doubtful then take them too.

Hope everything works out! Lol, I'd be devastated if that happened to my stuff.

keedokes · Jun 30, 2008

Well, good news. Something (maybe some higher power--is there a photography god? :hail

protected my camera itself. I finally got the guts to pull the lens off, and--it's clean. :shock: The exterior had a slight amount of mold around the grip, and the light shield had a bit in the grooves, and everything else in the bag and the bag itself is ruined, but my camera survived! *huge sigh of relief* *massive stress reduction*

The strap was wrapped around the camera, and I thought for sure everything was ruined, especially with the way that strap looked. It took me over a day to actually have the guts to go in there and start pulling everything apart.

Thanks for your help, guys. I think I still might have it taken in to get looked at, but for now I'm just really pleased. Talk about a swing in emotion!