Canon AE-1 Film Camera

The notorious "shutter squeak" issue makes these a dangerous buy. They aren't supposed to sound like that and it's not normal...that is the point! It's not really "shutter squeak" at all and it is a bearing for the mirror. The grease used dried out rapidly and thus the "squeak". Some people had them re-lubed...that begs the question "by who?" The bearing is not accessible through the shadow box to be quickly lubed, it is internal. The kitchen table repair person has shot a squirt of things like WD-40 into the mechanical parts via removing the lens mount cover. Some repair places do about the same thing.
The problem is the grease is dry, the bearing squeaks when you click the shutter release because the mirror has to flip up to allow light to pass through the curtains to the film. Because it's dry the mirror flipping is retarded in travel, many times not reaching the top to be out of the way of the curtains opening. Thus an exposure can and will be affected. Too many tried at home techniques involve these cameras so beware...either you'll buy one of those or just one that effects exposures...why roll the dice with a camera that has a known issue or was tampered with? Consider yourself lucky to have found one done by a real pro repair person. AVOID THE CANON A MODELS~!