How much do you pay for a CLA?

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fort_wendy

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Was curious how much people would pay for a CLA.

I got an XD from Japan for $60. It was functional but needs a lot of cleaning and maybe checking to see if shutter speeds and metering is correct. The place close to me charges $120, is it worth it? So the mirror chamber has some white stuff on it. The viewfinder looks like it has fungus but it might just be foam deteriorating. Mirror bumper needs to be replaced.

http://imgur.com/gallery/u3ul2

How much would you pay for this?
 
I recently bought a Canon V L2 for under USD $50. When it was delivered I learned that it was fully functional, but very dirty (you could hear grit grinding when you mounted a lens), the viewfinder was dim, and I had no way to confirm the accuracy of the shutter speeds.

I shot a roll of film through it and the pictures came out beautifully. I just didn't want to keep shooting a grimy camera. I solicited CLA costs from multiple sources. The best was $185.00.

I am very glad I chose to go forward with this. Yes, the CLA cost was almost four times the purchase cost, but this camera will serve me for the rest of my lifetime.

You have to decide what a cleaned and adjusted camera is worth to you.
 
Thank you for the perspective. I was pointed to garryscameras.com for a $50 CLA + $8 shipping and it's pretty tempting but do I really wanna send my camera to the other side of the country? I will save a lot more and maybe get another camera CLA'd for the same price as one camera from my local shop. Decisions :bang:
 
I'd say $125 is probably the low end of a CLA. And it sounds like maybe your camera may need more than just a plain "CLA".
 
I think it all depends what the camera is worth to you.

I picked up a beautiful Kodak Retina Reflex III w/Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50mm f1.9 and case for under $40 at a thrift shop.

I spent more money than I paid shipping it to Chris Sherlock in New Zealand (never mind the CLA) but it was worth preserving the camera to me.
 
I just had Eric Hendrickson CLA my Pentax MX, which included full cleaning, fixing a "grinding" feeling in the shutter dial, new foam, meter calibration. Considering that Eric is Honeywell Pentax trained from back when the MX was in production, I was happy to pay the price as well as to send it a few states away. I am still on the fence about sending my Bolex REX4 to Switzerland for a Bolex tech to overhaul it and make it good for another decade, so I guess I don't mind sending a camera far away if I know I'm getting good service by a knowledgeable technician who stands by their work.

Phil Forrest
 
I think that using market value of the camera in question is wrong. I look at what the machine will do for me as the guide. Will it perform and will it make me feel good using it. Much of my gear is not worth what I have invested but it works and I feel good about using it.
 
Last year I had Don Goldberg CLA my Leicaflex SL, cost was $195 which included a battery conversion. Nothing short of first class work.
 
I think you have to understand that techs out there have a wildly different definition of what a CLA is.
The good ones really work on your camera, getting it back to tip top shape.
The bad ones (who often are the bargain price ones) just will replace the foams, give it a bit of a wipe down clean and put new batteries in.
 
Thanks for your responses.

I figured I'd take the XD to this local shop and send my x-570 with a stripped screw and needs a new cap to Garry. Is that a good idea?
 
fort_wendy said:
Thanks for your responses.

I figured I'd take the XD to this local shop and send my x-570 with a stripped screw and needs a new cap to Garry. Is that a good idea?
Click to expand...


I looked at his web page, his price for a CLA is $50 to $155. If you have a local shop that does decent work I would stick with them. I've found (have way too many cameras) that repair costs really don't vary that much. Repair is still a somewhat competitive business. And what someone ultimately charges you is pretty much based on what he (or she, or it) does - or doesn't do. Postage is going to cost you a bare minimum of $30~$40. Also repair should not be based on the value of the camera but how much you like using it and how much an outfit you (lenses, etc.).
 
CLA Cost

CLA Cost

It's been more than a decade, but the last time I took in a camera for a CLA, it was a Pentax 6x7 with metered prism. They CLA'd the body and calibrated the prism meter for $150. I'd expect inflation to have increased that price some. The repair shop was one of the factory authorized Pentax repair stations back when they had such. Far as I can tell, they did a very nice job. Advance Camera in Beaverton (Portland), Oregon.
 
I've had a few done in the last couple of years:

Pentax MX - Eric Hendrickson (CLA and new self timer unit) - $90usd

Pentax SV - F16 Camera Service (CLA and new shutter curtains) - $145aud

Olympus OM1n - Nagami Camera Service (CLA, replaced slow speed govenor and meter conversion) - $150aud

Leica M2 - Camera Clinic (CLA and diagnose/fix light leak issue) - $466aud
 
ray*j*gun said:
I think that using market value of the camera in question is wrong. I look at what the machine will do for me as the guide. Will it perform and will it make me feel good using it. Much of my gear is not worth what I have invested but it works and I feel good about using it.
Click to expand...

Well stated. Additionally, several of my cameras have nostalgic or emotional significance, so I will always want them to be kept functional at whatever cost rather than let them sit as inoperable artifacts. Thankfully, these cameras are common and not expensive to repair.

By the way, a bit surprising to see Mr. Fischer there.
 
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