Why does nobody mention how brittle old shutter curtains get in dry climates?

I tried cleaning a 1960s leaf shutter on a Nikon F in Phoenix last week and the cloth literally crumbled under my finger. Has anyone else had curtains disintegrate like that or did I get unlucky with storage conditions?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura_allen17d agoMost Upvoted

...and that Hasselblad story reminds me, I once saw a guy's Mamiya RB67 curtain just split right down the middle in the middle of a shoot in New Mexico. Dry heat does weird things to old rubber.

wendyk5629d ago

Oh gosh, a buddy of mine had a Hasselblad curtain turn to dust in the Arizona heat last summer!

finleym4329d ago

Man, that's rough. Was the camera out in the direct sun for a long time, or did he just leave it in the car for a bit? I've heard those old cloth curtains don't stand a chance once the glue gets baked. Arizona heat is no joke, especially for gear that wasn't made for it. Did he manage to find a replacement shutter before the whole thing gave out?