Canon AE-1 Mirror Locked Up? Unsure how to fix Dad's camera

[voightlandertroubles]

Hey all,

My dad passed his Canon AE-1 onto me with a problem and he's unsure how to fix it. It appears that the mirror is locked up? Batteries are new (we've tested 4 different brands) and we can't wind the film nor press the shutter. We're unsure what the problem could be? The lens is 28-55mm F/3.5 Canon FD.

I've attached the images just in case there's an obvious issue that I'm blind to haha.

Thank you for looking!
Pat

 

[tonyowen]

Mirror lock up is a Canon feature - to unlock see below
[taken from google search cannon mirror lock up]

1. Set the camera's power switch to <ON>.
2. Press the <MENU> button.
3. Under the [ ] tab, select [Mirror lockup], then press < >.
4. If [ ] (Enable) is set, select [OFF] (Disable) and then press < >.

 

[monst]

It may have stuck to the foam bumper if it has perished.

 

[Mackinaw]

Mirror lock up is a Canon feature - to unlock see below
[taken from google search cannon mirror lock up]

1. Set the camera's power switch to <ON>.
2. Press the <MENU> button.
3. Under the [ ] tab, select [Mirror lockup], then press < >.
4. If [ ] (Enable) is set, select [OFF] (Disable) and then press < >.

This is a 1976 film camera. There is no menu button on a AE-1.

It could be due to sticky mirror foam, or something internal. You may have to take off the bottom plate and look around.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hey all,

My dad passed his Canon AE-1 onto me with a problem and he's unsure how to fix it. It appears that the mirror is locked up? Batteries are new (we've tested 4 different brands) and we can't wind the film nor press the shutter. We're unsure what the problem could be? The lens is 28-55mm F/3.5 Canon FD.

I've attached the images just in case there's an obvious issue that I'm blind to haha. View attachment 284122 View attachment 284123 View attachment 284125

Thank you for looking!
Pat

it's a good camra and you have an emotional attachment. Don't risk ruining it; have it professionally serviced.

 

[gone]

The only thing I see that's iffy in your photos is that the lens stop down mechanism appears to be engaged. The little Rube Goldberg looking tab on the bottom right of the lens opening needs to be disengaged. Not sure if that's the issue, but it shouldn't be that way. There are several people that repair these at reasonable prices, If someone here can point the op to the right camera repair person it would be good. As Ralph said, it's a special camera to you, why not get it working properly?

 

[tonyowen]

From an old comment column on google:
No guarantees
I recently inherited a Canon AE-1 camera and after shooting and unloading one roll of film, the film advance lever and shutter release button no longer function. I've replaced the battery and it still is not working. The shutter release button presses down, but nothing actually happens and the film advance lever moves but cannot advance anything. In addition, when you look through the view finder, it is dark.
If the mirror is locked up, it most likely is a mechanical problem, not electrical. The first thing to check is the black plastic rim that goes around the shutter speed dial on the top cover ( it goes around 90 degrees of the shutter dial). Gently try to move it. It should not pull up at all as it is held to the top cover with several heat staked plugs. If it moves up a small amount, one of the plugs has broken off and fallen into the wind mechanism. I have seen many AE-1's with this problem when the mirror is locked up.
I had similar sounding symptoms on my brought-back-from-the-dead Canon A-1. Out of several shutter releases, the winder wouldn't move and the viewfinder turned dark in a few of them.
It turns out that the reflex mirror was getting stuck at the up position. I could force it down (using the clip of a ball point pen cap to pry the mirror away from the up position), and the mirror appeared to then retract to its normal position and the camera would function again, until the mirror locked up again.
The solution in my case was a touch of a lubricant oil to the hinge of the mirror driving arm on the side of the aperture box. In A-1, while looking from the front, the hinge is on the left side wall. The camera has been working flawlessly ever since.
My AE1 is doing the same - mirror is locked and the advance lever moves and is jammed. The reference to the black plastic rim - mine is separated and I do not have the tools to pull the lever off.

 

[John Koehrer]

The camera has been released:mirror up and stop down lever off set to the right.
None of the canon A cameras had mirror lock up feature.

Try opening the back and seeing if the take up sprocket moves in the direction of film travel. It's a guess but easy to try.
The camera had a three part release switch under the shutter button that would tarnish and cause the camera to
not release has nothing to do with what you have.

SLR's operation goes release button, mirror goes up and releases shutter-shutter then times out and closes, mirror comes down.

The mirror being stuck to pad may do what you have . Gently move the mirror downward with a fingernail to see if it latches, then try releasing the shutter.

 

[wiltw]

Canon AE-1 user manual, page 4:

"If your camera looks like this, with the red dot showing inside the camera mount, do not mount the lens yet.
First press the small chrome button as shown to release the stop down slide. Then mount the lens. Leave the stopdown slide as it is."​

 

[Huss]

Canon AE-1 user manual, page 4:

"If your camera looks like this, with the red dot showing inside the camera mount, do not mount the lens yet.
First press the small chrome button as shown to release the stop down slide. Then mount the lens. Leave the stopdown slide as it is."​

Is this going to be a case of RTM? I hope so!

 

[wiltw]

Is this going to be a case of RTM? I hope so!

It may have zero to do with the mirror being stuck in the Up position, but it was something I detected in the OP images of the camera body that was affected...something clearly in 'violation' of what Canon said not to try mounting a lens on the body.

 

[Mamiya_Repair]

From an old comment column on google:

If the mirror is locked up, it most likely is a mechanical problem, not electrical. The first thing to check is the black plastic rim that goes around the shutter speed dial on the top cover ( it goes around 90 degrees of the shutter dial). Gently try to move it. It should not pull up at all as it is held to the top cover with several heat staked plugs. If it moves up a small amount, one of the plugs has broken off and fallen into the wind mechanism. I have seen many AE-1's with this problem when the mirror is locked up.

The comment quoted above was taken from the old "classic camera repair forum". I made the comment on that forum about ten years ago and it is still valid. I'd recommend taking your camera to a repair shop as it can be a bit tricky to remove the wind mechanism to recover the broken part if you don't have the experience/tools to do so.

 

[voightlandertroubles]

it's a good camra and you have an emotional attachment. Don't risk ruining it; have it professionally serviced.

Thank you all for your advice! I've gone ahead and just done that