Overheard a client say they 'fixed' their lens with a YouTube video and a toothpick

They brought it in today and the aperture blades are jammed with wood splinters. Has anyone else seen a repair attempt go this sideways?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahhayes12d ago

What was the actual problem they were trying to fix with a toothpick in the first place? I can't even picture the logic that leads from a video tutorial to shoving wood into the aperture mechanism.

-1

rosek4411d agoMost Upvoted

People get desperate when their gear breaks and they can't afford a pro fix. Saw a guy on another forum try to clear a jammed SD card slot with a paperclip, ended up pushing the pin way back into the body. The logic is always "it's right there and it might work," even when it's clearly a bad idea. Those quick fix videos feed that impulse because they make it look easy, never showing the wood dust now stuck to your aperture blades.

noahlane11d ago

So you've got a stuck aperture blade, right? People see a video where someone pokes it with a toothpick to unstick it, because it's cheap and handy. The logic is terrible though, because wood splinters and leaves bits inside the lens. If your aperture is stuck, you need the right tools to clean the old grease off, not jam something in there. That "fix" just guarantees you'll need a full repair later.