CLA in the USA?

[rbiemer]

My friend, Phil Barton, of Spotmatic Users Forum on Yahoo fame, uses Alan Turner in Phoenix, who has good ebay feedback and works on Kiev MF cameras, etc. If you go onto oivay and type in mjatinaz77 you'll be able to locate him. Phil says he does good work.

OTOH, if your camera is a Pentax, try Eric at pentaxrepairs@aol.com. He's the retired head of the Pentax repair division. He does superb work. But, he might just want to fiddle around with a Zorki 4K for the hell of it. And his turn-around time is super fast.

Ted,
Good to know about Alan Turner. And I agree about Eric! I'm expecting a K2 DMD today or tomorrow that he worked on for me. Very communicative and fast. Good price as well.
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Since 11-10-05

In a week or three! Ha! He still has my camera and I've heard nothing from him except when I sent him e-mail asking how it's going. I can tell you: slow, slow is how it goes with this guy. I'm glad I don't take my FSU RFs seriously. :bang:

Bill

Let's see....you sent your gear to him about two months before I sent mine so I should expect to get mine back...just about the time I retire? :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: I'd better put thecamera into my will so my neice or nephews will be able to use it. 🙄
Bother.
Well, I do have a DOA Zorki 3m body I bought specifically to re-paint and re-build...guess I'll have to actually get the screw drivers and Maizenberg's book out.
I don't like vodka enough for this kind of nonsense. :bang:
Rob

 

[kiev4a]

Let's see....you sent your gear to him about two months before I sent mine so I should expect to get mine back...just about the time I retire? :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: I'd better put thecamera into my will so my neice or nephews will be able to use it. 🙄
Bother.
Well, I do have a DOA Zorki 3m body I bought specifically to re-paint and re-build...guess I'll have to actually get the screw drivers and Maizenberg's book out.
I don't like vodka enough for this kind of nonsense. :bang:
Rob

O..L...E...G spells RELIEF. He's done at least a half dozen cameras for me -- none were gone more than two months (most less) and they always work the way they are supposed to work. Even with increased shipping costs to Russia I think he's still the best deal.

 

[rbiemer]

I finally sent a short note on 18 April to Mr. Mason about my Zorki 3m.
Just "Mr. Mason,
Hope things are going well for you.
Just a short note to ask how my Zorki 3m and lens are coming along?"
Tonight I got back an equally short note:

"It's on the bench Friday.

Regards,

Optical Repair Co."
:bang:
:bang:
Now I am worried about my joking earlier about the tech muttering "he wants his camera, fine. I'll fix his camera., etc" while he's working on my gear will turn to prophecy.:bang:
I must admit I would much rather gotten an email something like:
"Mr. Biemer,
sorry for the delay, got a bit swamped and I will get to your camera/lens as soon as possible."
Oleg for sure, next time I need some work done!
When I decided to use this guy, I wasn't trying to save $--I'm just barely smart enough to realize that you generally get what you pay for when you hire a skill-- Mason's price was some higher than Oleg's, but I was hoping to save time and the shipping back and forth across the Atlantic concerned me some as well.
I'll let folks know how the camera is when I get it back.
Rob

 

[reagan]

Unfortunate. I was hoping for the best too. Gee, I hope, "It's on the bench Friday" doesn't mean it's been on the floor til then. 😉 [joke]

 

[mjm6]

Cameras finally came back...

Cameras finally came back...

Well I just got a package from Phil Mason with my cameras, and they are all there, but he didn't do any work on one, and another isn't working entirely properly.

The other three seem to be fine, but it's not possible to tell if the shutter is capping at the higher speeds without a film test.

The IIIf RD had a weak secondary image, and he said it needed a new beamsplitter, but that didn't appear to fix the problem, so I'm unsure if he put one in or not. The 1000 speed is also not working on it properly. Otherwise, it looks like it is working fine.

I had sent him a Canon IIb as well, and he sent it back with no work done to it, so I'm unclear what the issue is with that. He also didn't work on the lens with that camera, which needed cleaning and some work to the aperture.

So now I have to try to squeeze blood from a turnip, since everything was prepaid...

I would recommend staying away from him if possible, as at the moment I'm not sure that he is a reliable repairman at all.



---Michael

 

[RJBender]

Well I just got a package from Phil Mason with my cameras, and they are all there, but he didn't do any work on one, and another isn't working entirely properly.

The other three seem to be fine, but it's not possible to tell if the shutter is capping at the higher speeds without a film test.

The IIIf RD had a weak secondary image, and he said it needed a new beamsplitter, but that didn't appear to fix the problem, so I'm unsure if he put one in or not. The 1000 speed is also not working on it properly. Otherwise, it looks like it is working fine.

I had sent him a Canon IIb as well, and he sent it back with no work done to it, so I'm unclear what the issue is with that. He also didn't work on the lens with that camera, which needed cleaning and some work to the aperture.

So now I have to try to squeeze blood from a turnip, since everything was prepaid...
I would recommend staying away from him if possible, as at the moment I'm not sure that he is a reliable repairman at all.



---Michael

Michael,

Did you pre-pay through an eBay auction?

R.J.

 

[mjm6]

RJ,

No, I had made contact with him just before he started advertising on Ebay. Even if so, it took him so long to finish the work that the complaint process would have long expired, and the same goes for Paypal (45 days for them).

I'll be calling him on Monday to get a refund if I can.


---Michael

 

[rbiemer]

Still no camera or any word from Mr. Mason. It's been "on his bench" for just under a month now. :bang:

Well, I do have a DOA Zorki 3m body I bought specifically to re-paint and re-build...guess I'll have to actually get the screw drivers and Maizenberg's book out.

I have decided to send this one to Oleg. I really want a working Z3m again and have spent some time seriously thinking about my skill level (very low) and my experience(non-existant) so haven't touched the camera with any thing but longing. 😀

Any body want to bet which camera I get back first? 🙄

Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Woo Hoo!! Just got this email from Oleg(in regards to the beater Z3m I sent him a couple of weeks ago):

Hello Rob,
Parcel is here!
Sincerely,
Oleg

STILL no sign of the Zorki I stupidly sent to Arizona :bang: :bang: :bang:
At least I know I'll have one good Z3m by the end of summer. Since I have reasonable confidence and expectations about the work from Oleg, I think it's time I have some "direct" words with Mr. Mason. 😀 Probably I won't be able to quote those words here at RFF 😀
Let you folks know how it goes for amusement's sake...
Rob

 

[kmack]

Darn it Rob, this has been one long strange trip.

If you need some "muscle" I have a very scary brother and sister-in-law in Arizona. They also have some
very scary friends.

Good luck. Thanks for the updates.

 

[ampguy]

question about service for these fsu cameras

question about service for these fsu cameras

what's the big deal about having them serviced? Aren't these like old leicas? Are leica repair people opposed to fixing cheap clones? Are they afraid of the radiation? I don't get it ?? Why doesn't some knowledgeable repairperson open shop in the US?

10 million immigrants cross the border daily to work at tortilla Bell and IHOP, can't 1 FSU person come to work on cameras??

 

[iñaki]

Woo Hoo!! Just got this email from Oleg(in regards to the beater Z3m I sent him a couple of weeks ago):


It´s funny I sent my nice Zorki 3m to Oleg in 1-june from Spain, and he emailed me today. Which one will arrive first? 😛

 

[Mister_Hat]

I noticed that Fedka is now offering Fed/Zorki repair and service. Price is US$60, an additional 20 if the curtains have to be replaced.

 

[rbiemer]

Darn it Rob, this has been one long strange trip.

If you need some "muscle" I have a very scary brother and sister-in-law in Arizona. They also have some
very scary friends.

Good luck. Thanks for the updates.

Good to know, but I emailed Mr. Mason this morning and just checked my email to find this reply:
"Based on the last email it should have been sent out some time ago. When I get back to my shop on Monday I will sort it out and get back to you.
Regards,
Phil"
Which I'm reading as "Oh, crap. I'll ship it out next week" 🙄

what's the big deal about having them serviced? Aren't these like old leicas? Are leica repair people opposed to fixing cheap clones? Are they afraid of the radiation? I don't get it ?? Why doesn't some knowledgeable repairperson open shop in the US?

10 million immigrants cross the border daily to work at tortilla Bell and IHOP, can't 1 FSU person come to work on cameras??

Don't know but my guesses are :
A) if a Leica service person is willing they will probably charge Leica service prices
B) If an FSU service person did come here to the US, his/her prices would also need to be much more than what Oleg is charging and I suspect spares would be harder to source.

It´s funny I sent my nice Zorki 3m to Oleg in 1-june from Spain, and he emailed me today. Which one will arrive first?

A freindly wager, perhaps? If you get yours first, I'll have a beer in your honor!(Ought to be a fun night as I'll be hoisting a one or to to Oleg as well when I get mine back!)

I noticed that Fedka is now offering Fed/Zorki repair and service. Price is US$60, an additional 20 if the curtains have to be replaced.

Good to know! I hadn't seen that before. Thanks for the heads up.
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Man I just love dealing with Oleg! Just today got an email as follows:

Hello Rob,
Your Z-3m repaired... It got new curtains, new slow speeds delayer and
new RF assembly... Camera have a many signs of reparing, so I replace
so many parts...
Repair cost is 48, shipping back is 17...
My payment instructions please find on http://www.okvintagecamera.com/payment.htm
Sincerely,
Oleg

This camera was the beater I bought thinking I might attempt to fix it up myself, so I know how bad it was. On his web site, Oleg says that some repairs might be as much as( but not more than) $85...I can't quite imagine how bad a camera would have to be to get to that level considering what my Z3m was like 😀
And 8 days after he got the package imine is fixed! 😀

Meanwhile back in Arizona, Mr. Mason still hasn't got my camera back to me after, umm, 5 and a half months :bang: :bang:
Lesson learned!
Rob

 

[wlewisiii]

B) If an FSU service person did come here to the US, his/her prices would also need to be much more than what Oleg is charging and I suspect spares would be harder to source.

I think this is the real killer - the cost of simply living in the US is so much more obscenely expensive than someone like Oleg is expecting that the price will jump much farther than most care to imagine.

This is one of the reasons I prefer to buy my FSU gear from Fedka.com. Yuri already lives here. Those expenses are built in. Plus he offers a real warranty. When you combine those two factors, then the people doing the older repairs will simply fade away. I expect that Oleg is hoping he can get a good enough "name" before his current biz at home is priced out of reach. Oleg does exquisite work; is it worth what you _will_ pay for it?

William

 

[iñaki]

Man I just love dealing with Oleg! Just today got an email as follows:

This camera was the beater I bought thinking I night attempt to fix it up myself, so I know how bad it was. On his web site, Oleg says that some repairs might be as much as but not more than $85...I can't quite imagine how bad a camera would have to be to get to that level considering what my Z3m was like 😀
And8 days after he got the package imine is fixed! 😀

Meanwhile back in Arizona, Mr. Mason still hasn't got my camera back to me after, umm, 5 and a half months :bang: :bang:
Lesson learned!
Rob

It seems that your Zorki 3m will arrive first, I´m still wainting for that mail 🙂

 

[rbiemer]

It seems that your Zorki 3m will arrive first, I´m still wainting for that mail 🙂

Not necessarily, the shipping time from the FSU to me is very variable--the range is anywhere from 6 days to three weeks and seemingly not dependant on which particular country the package starts from.
I will, however, give very long odds on which Zorki I see first... 😀
Rob

 

[ampguy]

Well

Well

Those times still beat shipping a camera from canada to calif. :bang:

Want to bet a 4 pack of walgreens film on who gets any camera first?? 😀

Not necessarily, the shipping time from the FSU to me is very variable--the range is anywhere from 6 days to three weeks and seemingly not dependant on which particular country the package starts from.
I will, however, give very long odds on which Zorki I see first... 😀
Rob