Old vs New

[ksmattfish]

I think you've had somewhat of a run of bad luck. I think it's just as likely that a more modern electronic camera could have failed on you too. Any mechanical device will need a tune-up at some point in it's life. A good camera repair service would probably be able to fix your camera(s), and extend their life another 30 years.

My favorite mechanical cameras seem to be ones I aquire after they've been sitting on a shelf for decades. Going from zero rolls of film in a decade, to 1/2 dozen or more per week has sent more than one to the repair shop, but they have all been able to be repaired, and work great once they got warmed up.