Contax Authorized Repairs

Good to know!

Good to know!

japancamerahunter said:
For all people who need Contax and Kyocera servicing, drop me a line. I work with Kyocera Japan directly and have close contact with them. I can deal with all of your repairs.
Thanks
Japancamerahunter
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That's very interesting indeed! How far back in the model lines will Kyocera still service?

Thanks!/ScottGee1
 
sepiareverb said:
Just got off the phone with TOCAD USA. Wonderfully simple process to get some G parts.
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Great to know they're still responsive. I need to send in my T3 and a N lens.
 
I dealt with TOCAD for an RTS3 repair and they were great. Professional, responsive and the repair was faster tan I thought it would be considering it went to Japan. I thought the cost was reasonable too. I am a happy customer.
 
schlops said:
Do you guys know an authorized place in Austria ?
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I doubt there is anybody closer than Tritec in Germany, but these still service (Kyocera) Contax cameras wherever possible. Only the last cameras sold until 2005 still have a year of parts supply by Kyocera ahead, all others can only be fixed if it needs no parts or if the required part is still in inventory.
 
I need to get the Vario Sonnar 28-85 I use on my Leica M240 serviced in the UK as a large lump of crud has taken up residence on the inside of the back element. I know these lenses are prone to dust due to the trombone action but this is way beyond dust. I do have an excellent Leica lens service man but he is very busy and will take longer than I have to do this, as I need this lens for a trip leaving Feb 2.

Alpha Digital who were doing Contax service in the UK have gone into receivership. Contax UK still seem to have an active website offering service but they used to use Johnsons Photopia for lens service and I would rather send the lens to my local tractor mechanic.

Any suggestions guys, preferably from personal experience, of a UK Contax/Zeiss lens servicer who would do a quick clean on this lens. Apart from the crud, the lens is working just fine and does not have the usual issue of lost parafocal (focus changing on zoom).

Wilson
 
What about Brian Mickleboro. He's a UK Rolleiflex guy but may do other Zeiss repairs.
Zeiss in Germany perhaps - length of time may be an issue.
There must be repair shops in the UK that can handle it properly.
 
JeffL said:
What about Brian Mickleboro. He's a UK Rolleiflex guy but may do other Zeiss repairs.
Zeiss in Germany perhaps - length of time may be an issue.
There must be repair shops in the UK that can handle it properly.
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Jeff,

I have used Brian in the past on Rolleiflexes. I would be very surprised if he would touch a zoom Contax lens. He is much more of a body man than a lens man, even on the relatively simple Tessars and Planars fitted on the Rollei’s.

I spent most of yesterday morning being shuffled from pillar to post on the phone with no success. Zeiss Germany no longer service Contax lenses. They do list two people in Germany but with qualifications/reservations on their abilities. A couple of people I spoke to, said they serviced Contax lenses but then immediately backtracked when I said it was a zoom. I know it is complicated lens with 16 elements and various moving sleeves but all I want is the back element taking out and cleaning and for a vacuum to be applied when the back element is out, to suck out any loose dust.

I think I will just have to use Malcolm Taylor and get him to phone me when a spare time slot is due to come up. He did an excellent job 10 years ago on my 35-70 Vario Sonnar, which had been badly damaged, with scratched front element and focus/zoom problems, in a totally botched service by Johnsons Photopia. It did take 6 months but of course the front element had to be re-ground and coated. I am due to get 5 Leica lenses back from Malcolm this morning after 6 bit coding and a clean of my Summicron-C 40mm and even that simple job took 2 months. However you just know the work will have been done immaculately. Perfection rather than speed is Malcolm’s modus operandi.

I will be sending Malcolm my Leica IIF, which my father bought in New York in 1953, for new curtains and a CLA some time next year. However, it really does not matter how long that takes, as I have more than enough (my wife would say far, far too many) film cameras I can be using while the IIF is away.

I just wish that Leica themselves were as good as Malcolm. After saving for a year, I bought this week, a new 50/0.95 Noctilux. I was going to buy the demo lens from Foto Mundus in Meppen but the morning that was due to be sent off, a new Nocti arrived from Leica. Foto Mundus offered me a deal I could not turn down for the new one. Sadly the Noctilux is not focusing correctly. It took me two minutes checking with my Leica M240 to detect this. I know the body is correct as all my other lenses focus correctly. I have asked Leica service (Andrea Frankl) if they want to repair or replace. As a registered professional with Leica, I have said I would expect them to replace, as I bought a new not a repaired lens.

Wilson
 
wilsonlaidlaw said:
. A couple of people I spoke to, said they serviced Contax lenses but then immediately backtracked when I said it was a zoom. I know it is complicated lens with 16 elements and various moving sleeves but all I want is the back element taking out and cleaning and for a vacuum to be applied when the back element is out, to suck out any loose dust.
Click to expand...

There is no need to look for a vintage camera expert that handles AF zooms. Any regular pro lens service would be better at that - modern Nikon and Canon zooms make up 90% of their work. The hard part will be finding one who
has (or would purchase) the service manual or is willing to handle the lens without documentation.

written on the road
 
sevo said:
There is no need to look for a vintage camera expert that handles AF zooms. Any regular pro lens service would be better at that - modern Nikon and Canon zooms make up 90% of their work. The hard part will be finding one who
has (or would purchase) the service manual or is willing to handle the lens without documentation.

written on the road
Click to expand...

I think you have hit the nail on the head - no service manual. I will see if I can track down a copy or scan from an Italian friend who has masses of Contax and Zeiss literature.

I am sure that all of us have taken something apart at some time, which we think will be simple, and as we remove a bit, all sorts of tiny springs and microscopic detent balls ping out at us. We then spend the next 30 minutes grovelling around on the floor, trying to find them all and that is before we start trying to work out how they go back 😱

Wilson
 
When I've had a RF Leica to be serviced, my choice was on SamCa in Genoa, Italy: two old gentlemen with an enormous capability to repair Wetzlar's masterpieces. In their hands an almost destroyed IIIg returned back like new (and -most important- it works like a new one too).

Finding a repair laboratory able to work on a RF Contax- II/III-IIa/IIIa is more difficult. Mr. Scherer seems to have too long a waiting list, but I've been told he's the best. I've been told about a repairman near Dortmund, but someone says he's excellent, other say he's not...

In fact, I've a fine-looking Contax-IIa that's in need of a proper CLA... but I'm afraid that it would return in my hands with something wrong.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.) - Northern Italy
 
Henry Scherer has done some great work for me on a couple cameras but his wait time can be a problem for some.

Mark Hansen worked on my Contax IIa a year ago, and I was very happy with the results. I wouldn't hesitate to use him again if needed. I don't know what his wait time is but you can check with him.

You can contact him here - http://www.zeissikonrolleirepair.com/contact.html
 
I was lucky enough to get my Contax IIA serviced by the Zeiss USA trained technician at Collectible Cameras in Phoenix, AZ just before he retired (he was well over 70 at the time) and he did a lovely job. I personally would not use Mr. Scherer or anyone else who is that rude to their customers. I am told that at least one of the European Contax repairers has a tendency to use Kiev parts, which can cause long term problems and less that ideal working but I have no personal experience.

Keeping these lovely old but complicated cameras working is going to become an increasingly difficult problem. The average age of fully trained film camera technicians would I guess, be close to 60.

My M4 has just come back today from Peter at CRR Luton, where it had a total CLA, rangefinder service and new RF mask, as the original one was growing fungus. Looks and feels almost like when I got it new in 1967 at Lizars in Aberdeen, Scotland. The shutter sounds far crisper.

Wilson
 
G2 Shutter release

G2 Shutter release

I've read a number of your posts and you have an extensive knowledge on the G's. Maybe you have an idea/suggestion for me. I went to use my G2 today, 3/7/14 and the shutter wouldn't fire. I changed the batteries and tried to shoot with different lenses; still the shutter won't fire. I tried setting the camera to auto as well as a shutter speed; still no-go.

However, without a lens mounted, the shutter does fire. Both LCD top screens work, the viewfinder gives correct info and the focus motor works.

Before I send it to ToCad for repairs, can you think of anything else I could do? Thanks,
 
I can only comment on the excellent service and surprising quick repair I received through TOCAD. My RTS3 had to be sent to Japan. TOCAD did all the work and the price was quite reasonable.
 
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