Found a hack for aligning shutter curtains using just a phone flashlight

I was working on this old Pentax spotmatic and the second curtain was dragging bad. Couldn't get the alignment right with my regular light setup. Tried using my iPhone flashlight aimed at a 45 degree angle through the lens mount and it lit up the curtain edges perfectly. Saw the gap instantly and fixed it in like 10 minutes. Has anyone else tried weird phone tricks for repairs?

2 comments

2 Comments

grantthomas2d agoMost Upvoted

Phone flashlight trick saved my Minolta alignment too.

christopher3852d ago

Just a phone flashlight" sounds like a recipe for burning out your shutter curtain fabric. I'd rather stick with a proper low-heat led work light than risk damaging a vintage camera part.