Ae-1 program, is it worth fixing?

[cpaussie]

Hi, I have an ae-1 programm that I took to a camera repair place. He told me that my camera has dust and mold. My 50 mm 1.8 lens is the same. He quoted me around $150 to get them cleaned. (he also told me that it is the same cost as my camera.). I'm not sure what to do? :(

[sun5150]

I think you can get a used one on Ebay for less then that.

[nqjudo]

It depends on you really. The AE-1 is a great little camera to have if you like shooting film. If mine were to have the same problem I would definitely get it fixed. You could shop around though. I remember seeing on place on the Web that specialized in AE-1 repair and restoration via mail order. It might be worth a look.

[Rhys]

Unless you are especially attached to that camera then I would give consideration to either replacing it with a secondhand one or to going digital.

My experience of repairs is that while they work, something else goes a little later meaning that you either sink more money into it or you just write off the money you spent getting it fixed the first time around and then get a replacement. By this time, of course, you could have had something very nice, new.

[cpaussie]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I think I will get it fixed. This is my first camera that I bought for my 21st. I've never had any problems with it before. As some of you may know, I am saving up for a digital camera, but I refuse to get it on credit, when I have enough cash I will get whatever is the best value for money. Once again thanks.:)

[cdifoto]

I'd get a 2nd opinion on the repairs necessary and the cost to fix it.

[cpaussie]

Don, the only reason, I went to this store is because they don't charge you for looking at it. I will look around at other stores know and see if I can get a better price. Thanks.
btw I've been looking at your work lately and its fantastic!

[Rhys]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I think I will get it fixed. This is my first camera that I bought for my 21st. I've never had any problems with it before. As some of you may know, I am saving up for a digital camera, but I refuse to get it on credit, when I have enough cash I will get whatever is the best value for money. Once again thanks.:)

Say no more. It has sentimental value.

[Mark_48]

cpaussie,

Good idea to get the second opinion and don't mention mold, just to see if the second opinion is the same. The first camera repair place said you have mold in the camera and lens. Not sure if he may have meant fungus or maybe it's considered the same. Fungus appears as tiny hair like plants growing across a lens, mirror, or prism. An acid in the fungus can actually etch into the lens coating and can't be simply wiped clean. If it's not too bad it may not affect the image quality to a great degree.

Is the mold/fungus visible to you if you look at through the lens or through the viewfinder? And have you tried a roll of film to see how the results look? If it's really bad and the image quality is poor, I'd look for a replacement as they are going pretty cheap. Just make sure if you do replace it the next one doesn't appear to have the start of fungus growth. Hopefully your attachment is more for the camera than the lens.

If mold/fungus is on the camera's mirror or in the prism it may be a nuisance to view through it, but it won't affect the final picture image quality.

Fungus can spread over time if not stopped. I had a Pentax lens that was starting and someone suggested putting out in the sun for a while. The fungus growth hasn't got any worse so it may ahave worked. Try to store your stuff in a dry place. Try a Google search for "camera lens fungus".

As far as the dust, you might be able to get a can of compressed air and simply give the open back and front a blast to clear out any dust. Avoid hitting the shutter curtain with a direct shot. Do not use compressed air on a digital camera.

The other thing on older cameras that can be a problem are the foam seals around the back film cover. They can get gummy, fall apart, and not seal out light well, which can result in fogging of the film edges. Usually this doesn't cost a great deal to get fixed.

I'm assuming the camera and lens work OK and you had just brought it in for a cleaning and checkup?

The link below is an USA online used/new camera dealer that does repairs. The link below is the repair page that you can get an estimate online for a repair. It may give you a ballpark idea about estimates you're getting.

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/repair.aspx

[Rhys]

I have a Tamron 135 f2.5 which has fungus. That fungus has not worsened in the 15 years I have had the lens despite not being stored in the sun. It has been kept dry though.

[Mark_48]

Presumably the sun treatment simply kills an active fungus. I think it's the UV content that does it. No I'm not storing the lens in the sun, just left it out for a couple of hours to get a tan.

[cpaussie]

Thank you Mark and Rys, no I cannot see mold on the mirror or viewfinder. I bought the camera in because my sigma zoom was not working, when I went to take a photo the shutter button would stick. I tried lots of time to see if it would work, but no luck, as soon as I got it to the store it worked perfectly.:mad: also, I found my flash photos being underexposed.
I will try another roll of film and see how I go.:)

[Mark_48]

I happen to recall I had some PDF files I had downloaded for my AE-1. They include instruction manual, repair guides, etc. May or may not be useful, but hey they're free so why not.

Here's the link where I got them...
http://www.canonfd.com/choose.htm

[cpaussie]

Thanks again, Mark. My son downloaded it for me. Will have to look through. I rang a few more stores, I of them told me thats it's not worth fixing as I can get another, for $50. He also told me that my camera was a simple camera and very easy to use. He told me about how you can give professionals a p & s camera and hobby photographers a pro camera and the pros would take better photos. He practically told me I should get a low end camera because I will find it hard to use a higher end camera. I felt unworthy of getting a better dslr.:(

[Rhys]

Thanks again, Mark. My son downloaded it for me. Will have to look through. I rang a few more stores, I of them told me thats it's not worth fixing as I can get another, for $50. He also told me that my camera was a simple camera and very easy to use. He told me about how you can give professionals a p & s camera and hobby photographers a pro camera and the pros would take better photos. He practically told me I should get a low end camera because I will find it hard to use a higher end camera. I felt unworthy of getting a better dslr.:(

Occasionally you find badly opinionated people working in shops. Just ignore them and don't go back to that shop. They're not worth your time and effort.

[cpaussie]

Thank you Rhys, you made me feel a little better. :)

[Rhys]

Thank you Rhys, you made me feel a little better. :)

I don't know why some enjoy belittling others but you run across them occasionally. Maybe they're desperately in need of a root with a sheila followed by a schooner or two?

[cpaussie]

lol, :p

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