That week I tried to fix my grandmother's old camera

Last Tuesday I dug out my grandma's old Canon AE-1 from 1978 and tried taking pictures around the park on North Avenue. Every single photo came out soft and hazy, I thought the lens was busted for sure. Turns out I just had the focus ring set wrong for most shots, and the viewfinder needed a good cleaning. Has anyone else wasted a whole day on a simple fix like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

leelewis3d ago

36 year electrician here and I've definitely done the same thing with tools. Spent a whole afternoon tearing apart a multimeter once before realizing I just had the dial on the wrong setting. Your AE-1 is a solid camera by the way, those old Canons are tanks. Next time check the battery compartment for corrosion too, that's another common headache with vintage gear. A little contact cleaner and a new battery can save you a whole lot of hassle.

lunawilson3d ago

Wait, people actually fix these with just contact cleaner and a new battery? @leelewis, that's way simpler than what I was thinking, you just saved me a huge headache.

emery6033d ago

Spent two hours trying to fix a dead Game Boy once, turns out I just put the batteries in backwards. Glad Lee saved you the same kind of dumb tax.