Contax Authorized Repairs

I am refurbishing a Contax II and in the process installing new ribbons. I shure hope I can get this thing back together. I have inserted the ribbons on the lower roller on each side and wound them around to their ends. The shutter bottom half has not been removed from its mounting spring roller. How many times do I have to rotate each end roller/pullly before attaching to the bottom shutter and then the top shutter. And, is 4 and 3/8 inches from each end the correct ribbon length...this is a 1938 model G prefix to SN.
 
Peter Browne said:
Any reputable places in Australia for a CLA on a Contax II (1938) and Zeiss Jena Sonnar lens (1935)?
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I suspect any competent general repair tech will be able to clean the lens.

Far as the body, a lot of people just do their own. It's a challenge, but doable. I know of repair techs who service pre-war Contax in the UK, US, and Germany. Believe there might be several places in Europe. Of course, anyone who repairs Russian Kiev (II and III) cameras will be able to tackle a pre-war Contax, as they are basically the same camera. At least one of them will tell you up front that he replaces the original pre-war German shutter with a Kiev one. This option probably requires shipping too.

Sorry, don't know anyone in Australia.

Best option asking your "local" camera techs. Contrary to internet hyperbole, you don't need a magic wand to fix them.
 
Contax Repair in Germany

Contax Repair in Germany

Since the genius of Contax Repair, Mr Enzmann from Bannetze, Northern Germany, has retired (thank you, Horst!), after long months of searching today I found a workshop in Berlin, Germany, that can still repair pre-WW2 Contax Bodies. I will be sending in an E-Series (1937) Contax II with shutter problems to them. I will keep the forum informed about the result. They have warned me, however, that repair times can be long, that possibly not every issue can be addressed due to increasing lack of spare parts, and that charges are 300 Euros + VAT on average (about USD 354, for the time being) which is similar to Henry Scherer in the U.S., I think. They did not write "repair" but "restauration" which seems sound and adequate for a historical camera that probably has not been CLA'd for decades.

Link is: https://www.fotokoenig.com/kamera-reparatur/

Mail Address is:

Foto Koenig Berlin
Steffen Quadt
Degnerstrasse 43
D-13053 Berlin

Postal consignment via DHL is:

Quadt - Fa. Koenig
Packstation 444
Post-Nr. 921325254
D-13055 Berlin
 
Who would be able to repair and CLA a Zeiss Contaflex Super? In my case, the shutter blades are stuck open.
 
Pál_K said:
Who would be able to repair and CLA a Zeiss Contaflex Super? In my case, the shutter blades are stuck open.
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If you get an answer, please post it here. I have a beautiful Contaflex. On mine, reflex view is fine, everything clicks and whirrs as expected, but the shutter does not open during the exposure.
 
drmatthes, thank you for adding a very helpful reference to this thread.

It seems that technicians in all fields who know how to repair 'vintage' tools have learned that restoration ultimately better serves both them and their customers. For those of us willing to invest, it's a win-win.
 
ZI Contax RF repair in the U.K.

ZI Contax RF repair in the U.K.

From another thread in the forum, I got informed that for U.K. owners/users of ZI equiment, also Contaxes, a ZI repairman, Ed Trzoska BSc., can be found in Leicester.

Link is: http://www.europhotoservices.co.uk/
 
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"Who would be able to repair and CLA a Zeiss Contaflex Super? In my case, the shutter blades are stuck open."

@Pál K & ColSebastianMoran:

As the post-WW2 Contaflexes have central leaf shutters (whereas the pre-WW2 Contaflex TLR has got the notoriously critical vertical Contax curtain shutter), any repairman or shop with central leaf shutter experience should probably do. Blades may be oily - or rather stuck in the resin-like stuff that has become of the degraded lubricant.

For those based in Europe, Arluewa may be an option: http://www.arluewa.de/cms/en/

For those in need of a translation into English, just drop me a PM.

DIY inclined people (unlike me) can find a good starting point here: http://www.tontrennung.de/assets/documents/Deckel/compur_shutter.pdf and here: http://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/rep/compur-repair/01-03.html, and there have been threads about the problem here: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threa...-lubrication-oil-from-shutter-blades.5519078/ and in RFF, too: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134384

Good luck...!
 
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Modern ZY Contax repair in Munich, Germany

Modern ZY Contax repair in Munich, Germany

Owners of modern Z/Y Contax cameras may want to get in touch with Heidi Foto in Munich, Germany:

Fürstenrieder Straße 63
D – 80686 München
Germany

https://heidi-foto.com/

beratung@heidifoto.net or contax@heidifoto.net

Phone: +4989-5801000

They are offering certain SLR repairs and camera re-skinning on a regular basis, but you may inquire for repair services on modern RF Contaxes as well.
 
Further repair people in Germany

Further repair people in Germany

Also, these places in Germany have been succesfully working on modern Z/Y Contaxes:

http://www.tritec-service.de/
(explicitly NOT "Canon only", like they state on their website, they just prefer Canon) in Braunschweig

https://foto-kauska.rf-webworld.de/reparaturservice
in Solingen.

(Funny thing is, Tritec is in Petzval-Strasse, and Kauska in Schützen-Strasse ["shooters street"] which should be a good omen:D.)
 
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drmatthes said:
...
As the post-WW2 Contaflexes have central leaf shutters (whereas the pre-WW2 Contaflex TLR has got the notoriously critical vertical Contax curtain shutter), any repairman or shop with central leaf shutter experience should probably do. Blades may be oily - or rather stuck in the resin-like stuff that has become of the degraded lubricant.
...

DIY inclined people (unlike me) can find a good starting point here: http://www.tontrennung.de/assets/documents/Deckel/compur_shutter.pdf and here: http://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/rep/compur-repair/01-03.html, and there have been threads about the problem here: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threa...-lubrication-oil-from-shutter-blades.5519078/ and in RFF, too: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134384

Good luck...!
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Those are valuable links - thank you!

I’ve not found any repair people in Washington or Oregon who want to touch a Zeiss Ikon, so I may try cleaning and lubricating it myself. I do have some experience and a fair bit of camera repair tools.
 
I do hope so - just scratching together now everything I can possibly find. Had massive problems finding Contax repair people myself. Darn complicated thing, finding them for those up to 90-year-old gems. Used to be a lot easier ten years ago.
 
Possible links for Australia

Possible links for Australia

Do you come from a land down under? - So, here are some of the Men at Work:

https://www.cameraexchange.com.au/about-us (in business since 1982, should at least have good contacts)

https://sydneycamerarepairs.com.au/services/camera-repairs/

http://www.cameraclinic.com.au/index.php/en/what-do-we-repair

http://www.f16cameraservice.com.au/camera-workshop.html (Estd. 1972)

https://www.camerarepairs.com.au/

Just keep on trying... That's what I did until I finally found a workshop for my Contax II here in Germany, too...
 
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