Canon A-1: Mirror Squeal and Mg2 Magnet Self-Release
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
Servicing a Canon A-1 body. Most of the Canon A-1 bodies that I see these days need light seals and/or lubrication of the mirror retarding gear. Light seals on this camera were fine (obviously not original) but the mirror had a very loud squeal. After servicing the gear and during final checking, the mirror would release on its own after the wind stroke. This is always caused by the Mg2 magnet. In this case, the magnet armature looked clean but a did find a fiber floating around in the magnet enclosure that was causing the armature to not make contact from time to time (fiber is seen in the center of photo three).
I like the A series Canon, have been servicing them since they came out in the late 1970’s. Amazing cameras and the AE-1 was the first camera to use an embedded microcontroller in its circuit.
A note regarding the “squeaking” mirror box issue on Canon A series: Do not squirt oil or cleaning fluids in the camera. You can easily do major damage that may make the camera not economically repairable. Yes, these techniques are all over the internet (squirting oil in the lens mount screw hole or from the bottom), but proceed with much caution. canon canona1📷
