I recently dug out my old Canon AE-1 from the attic to try shooting some film again. It worked perfectly last summer, but now that temperatures have dropped below freezing, the shutter occasionally sticks halfway open and won’t advance until I fiddle with it for a few minutes. I’ve kept it in my heated apartment overnight but then took it outside to shoot, so maybe that’s part of the issue. I haven’t tried opening it up myself since I’m a total newbie with camera repair, and I don’t want to mess it up. Has anyone experienced this kind of cold-weather shutter sticking with vintage cameras? Would lubricating the shutter mechanism help, or is it better to just keep the camera warm before shooting? Also, any tips on safely warming the camera without risking condensation inside?

On 02/09/2026 at 11:55 AM, pg271 said:

I recently dug out my old Canon AE-1 from the attic to try shooting some film again. It worked perfectly last summer, but now that temperatures have dropped below freezing, the shutter occasionally sticks halfway open and won’t advance until I fiddle with it for a few minutes. I’ve kept it in my heated apartment overnight but then took it outside to shoot, so maybe that’s part of the issue. I haven’t tried opening it up myself since I’m a total newbie with camera repair, and I don’t want to mess it up. Has anyone experienced this kind of cold-weather shutter sticking with vintage cameras? Would lubricating the shutter mechanism help, or is it better to just keep the camera warm before shooting? Also, any tips on safely warming the camera without risking condensation inside?

That shutter sticking sounds like classic cold-weather sluggishness - old lubricants can get gummy or stiff when temps drop. Before diving into lubricating, which can be tricky without the right oils and tools, I'd recommend trying to keep the camera in a sealed plastic bag when moving between warm indoors and cold outdoors. This helps prevent condensation from forming inside, which can cause even more issues.

Also, letting the camera gradually acclimate to the cold rather than a sudden temperature change might help. I’ve had luck just keeping my vintage gear in an inside pocket close to my body for warmth when shooting outside in winter. If the sticking persists, a professional cleaning and lubrication might be worth it to avoid accidentally damaging delicate parts.

On 02/13/2026 at 3:45 AM, LifeEnthusiast said:

On 02/09/2026 at 11:55 AM, pg271 said:

I recently dug out my old Canon AE-1 from the attic to try shooting some film again. It worked perfectly last summer, but now that temperatures have dropped below freezing, the shutter occasionally sticks halfway open and won’t advance until I fiddle with it for a few minutes. I’ve kept it in my heated apartment overnight but then took it outside to shoot, so maybe that’s part of the issue. I haven’t tried opening it up myself since I’m a total newbie with camera repair, and I don’t want to mess it up. Has anyone experienced this kind of cold-weather shutter sticking with vintage cameras? Would lubricating the shutter mechanism help, or is it better to just keep the camera warm before shooting? Also, any tips on safely warming the camera without risking condensation inside?

That shutter sticking sounds like classic cold-weather sluggishness - old lubricants can get gummy or stiff when temps drop. Before diving into lubricating, which can be tricky without the right oils and tools, I'd recommend trying to keep the camera in a sealed plastic bag when moving between warm indoors and cold outdoors. This helps prevent condensation from forming inside, which can cause even more issues.

Also, letting the camera gradually acclimate to the cold rather than a sudden temperature change might help. I’ve had luck just keeping my vintage gear in an inside pocket close to my body for warmth when shooting outside in winter. If the sticking persists, a professional cleaning and lubrication might be worth it to avoid accidentally damaging delicate parts.

Hey @pg271, I’ve had a similar issue with my old SLRs in cold weather. The shutter sticking is often due to the lubricants thickening or even freezing slightly, especially if the camera goes from warm indoors to freezing outdoors quickly. I wouldn’t rush to lubricate it yourself unless you’re confident, since the wrong oil can gum things up more.

One trick that helped me was keeping the camera in an insulated bag or even a small cooler with a hand warmer pack inside when outside shooting. It slows down the temperature shock and reduces condensation risk. Also, try to avoid breathing directly on the camera to warm it up since moisture can get inside. If you want to be safe, let it acclimate slowly in a sealed plastic bag when moving between temperatures.

Others here mentioned professional servicing as a good idea if the problem persists, which makes sense. But for quick shoots, just keeping it warm and steady seems to work best without risking

That shutter sticking in the cold sounds pretty typical for older mechanical cameras like the AE-1. The lubricants inside can get sluggish or even semi-solid at freezing temps, which makes the shutter drag or stick. Warming the camera gently before shooting definitely helps, but as you mentioned, going from warm indoors to cold outdoors can cause condensation, which is another headache.

One trick I’ve used is to keep the camera in a sealed plastic bag when moving from warm to cold environments. That way, moisture doesn’t condense inside the camera body. Then once outside, you can take it out of the bag and shoot. As for lubricating, it’s a delicate balance - too much or the wrong type can gum up the works permanently. If you’re not comfortable opening it up, a pro CLA (clean, lubricate, adjust) might be worth it before winter shooting.

That’s a solid point about the lubricants getting sluggish - makes total sense why the shutter would stick. I’ve had a similar issue with my old Pentax in cold weather, and I found that letting the camera acclimate slowly in a sealed bag helped a lot. It reduces condensation because the moisture inside the bag warms up gradually with the camera instead of hitting cold air right away.

Also, I wouldn’t jump straight to lubricating unless you’re confident with tiny mechanical parts - sometimes the wrong oil can gum things up worse. Keeping it warm and dry before shooting seems safer, especially if you’re not keen on opening it up. Curious if anyone else here has tried that sealed bag trick or has a favorite warming method?

That shutter sticking sounds like classic cold-weather sluggishness, especially since you’re moving between warm indoors and freezing outdoors. The temperature shift can cause tiny condensation or make the old lubricants thicken up, which jams the mechanism. I’d avoid lubricating it yourself unless you’re confident - old cameras often need special oils and a pro’s touch.

One trick I’ve used is to keep the camera in an insulated bag or wrap it in a scarf while outside, so it cools down more slowly and avoids sudden temp shocks. Also, letting it acclimate gradually before shooting helps. Maybe try shooting a bit indoors or in a garage first to warm it up, then head out. That might save you the fiddling and keep the shutter happy.

On 02/20/2026 at 7:30 AM, yb316 said:

That’s a solid point about the lubricants getting sluggish - makes total sense why the shutter would stick. I’ve had a similar issue with my old Pentax in cold weather, and I found that letting the camera acclimate slowly in a sealed bag helped a lot. It reduces condensation because the moisture inside the bag warms up gradually with the camera instead of hitting cold air right away.

Also, I wouldn’t jump straight to lubricating unless you’re confident with tiny mechanical parts - sometimes the wrong oil can gum things up worse. Keeping it warm and dry before shooting seems safer, especially if you’re not keen on opening it up. Curious if anyone else here has tried that sealed bag trick or has a favorite warming method?

@yb316, your tip about using a sealed bag for gradual acclimation is gold. I’ve read that sudden temperature changes can cause internal condensation, which might muck up those delicate shutter parts even more. It’s a neat way to avoid that shock without having to fiddle inside the camera.

Also, about lubricants - some folks warn against re-lubricating vintage shutters unless you’re really sure what you’re doing, since the wrong grease can gum things up worse. Keeping the camera warm before shooting, like you mentioned, seems like the safest bet for now, especially if you’re not ready to open it up. Maybe try your sealed bag method and see if that smooths out the sticking before considering any more invasive fixes.