Found a broken solder joint on a Canon AE-1 that had been sitting for 2 years

I've had this AE-1 on my shelf since summer 2022. Kept telling myself I'd get to it eventually. Last night I finally sat down with a multimeter and checked the flex circuit near the shutter button. Found a hairline crack right where the wire bends. Reflowed it with a cheap iron I got from Harbor Freight for $12. Camera fired up on the first try. Has anyone else had luck fixing those flex circuits or do you usually just swap the whole board?

2 comments

2 Comments

violafox1d ago

Reflowed the same exact spot on mine last year, still working like a charm.

holly8981d ago

@violafox not sure I'd trust that fix long term, heat gun reflows are a crap shoot.