If you don't want to do repairs yourself...

[btaylor541]

As you all know, I'm new to this forum. While I appreciate all the DIY advice here, I am just not interested in becoming a camera mechanic. I have the tools and the aptitude, but spending a few hours on a weekend working on cameras is just not my idea of a good time (though I know others enjoy it, and more power to them!). So with a newly acquired *bay pile of FSU gear, I needed to find a technician willing to work on the mess for me.

(A little aside: I rent FSU 35mm motion picture cameras to low budget filmmakers as a sort of hobby/business, and finding camera and/or lens technicians willing to work on the old Russian gear is a real challenge. I would imagine its the same in the still camera world.)

I shot a bunch of test charts and found lots of problems. Oy. How was I going to get it all straightened out and not become a camera mechanic? Fortunately I found Jerry Sorin of Bronx, NY. I think he does the repair work for Fedka. Anyway, I sent a whole bunch of cameras and lenses with lots of problems and he had everything back to me in a flash at very reasonable cost. There was one adjustment that needed a second look-- he apologized, then took care of it right away at no charge.

I think Jerry's great, and if you want or need to have someone do it for you instead of doing it yourself, I highly recommend him.

jerrysorin3@gmail.com

 

[Roger Hicks]

Wise choice. There'd be a lot more functioning cameras in the world if it weren't for amateur repairers.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Veloman]

edit the mail!

edit the mail!

It would be useful to edit jerry's mail in a way that robots can not harvest it... my 2 cents

 

[David Hughes]

And, dare I add to Roger's post, forums that encourage it?

Regards, David

PS And don't forget Oleg in Russia for repairs.

 

[Jack Conrad]

I've destroyed a few and have little tiny bits and screws to prove it. 🙂

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Those tiny little screws are hard to come by. I keep them in a film case for the next FSU lens that I work on.

These cameras are cheap. I bought 4 non-working FED-2's for $5 each. For that price, good for taking apart and finding out how they work. Parted them out, used the RF trim rings on them to fix a couple of Canon RF's missing the trim ring. They fit perfectly.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Trouble of having the fsu gear fixed by professionals is that it takes a lot of money if compared to the low price of the gear, i.e. one pays easily double or more than the initial price (btw the same goes for the barnack Leica's which are relatively cheap but a cla cost sometimes twice the costprice) And consider a cla of a sticking slowspeed escapement is such a joy to do yourself ;-)
I did many barnacks and zorki's, never broke one, all came out much better. However most important IMHO is always to know where own your skills end.
Further like Brians says it is nice to have parts left over from broken toys....

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I can't see how the cost of a second-hand camera should deter you from getting it repaired properly. I'll agree that a cheap camera won't cost much as a learning tool but I prefer to use the thing to take pictures. F'instance I've both a Leica II (1935) and FED 1 (f?) and value them both equally highly for photography. And in some ways the FED is superior to the Leica and vice versa. It not really something you can put a monetary value on.

Also, getting together a decent set of tools and so on can cost a lot of money and then only be used once (assuming you get the repair right the first time and don' mind spending a few hours with the screwdrivers and an oil-stone).

And how are you to collimate the lens and check the shutter speeds? This is something a professional can do quickly and easily because their turnover justifies having the proper equipment.

And if you break something, you'll have a problem and a long wait to get a replacement. Worse still, I can think of some breakages that would be beyond a lot of people and yet are fairly common. F'instance breaking the head of a tiny grub screw in half whilst it's still deep in the thing...

Regards, David

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Hi,

I can't see how the cost of a second-hand camera should deter you from getting it repaired properly. I'll agree that a cheap camera won't cost much as a learning tool but I prefer to use the thing to take pictures. F'instance I've both a Leica II (1935) and FED 1 (f?) and value them both equally highly for photography. And in some ways the FED is superior to the Leica and vice versa. It not really something you can put a monetary value on.

Also, getting together a decent set of tools and so on can cost a lot of money and then only be used once (assuming you get the repair right the first time and don' mind spending a few hours with the screwdrivers and an oil-stone).

And how are you to collimate the lens and check the shutter speeds? This is something a professional can do quickly and easily because their turnover justifies having the proper equipment.

And if you break something, you'll have a problem and a long wait to get a replacement. Worse still, I can think of some breakages that would be beyond a lot of people and yet are fairly common. F'instance breaking the head of a tiny grub screw in half whilst it's still deep in the thing...

Regards, David

Might be and surely everybody must do as he/she feels right to do, but I cannot justify myself buying a USD 50 camera and bringing it to a pro who does a cla for USD 250 (at least)...and I don't want people (not even a pro) to collimate my lenses! hands off! Most poople even pro's cannot collimate lenses - if I want that to be done, which I don't - I send the lens to the factory.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

A lot of people bring their cars into the shop to have it worked on. Modern cars are more complicated to work on, and I bring mine into the shop. When I had my '68 Cougar and '72 Mustang, I did a lot of work myself. It was cheaper, and I got some satisfaction out of it.

It's the same with cameras. I would not open up the M8 or M9- too complicated. I'll pop the top of a Canon 7 or Kodak Retina, no problem. FSU lenses, easy to work on. And it is satisfying to get good images from a camera or lens that you fixed yourself.

 

[wolves3012]

Wise choice. There'd be a lot more functioning cameras in the world if it weren't for amateur repairers.

Cheers,

R.

A lot depends on the individual who attempts repairs. FSUs are cheap, it's hard to justify the cost of a professional repair unless there are sentimental reasons. Financially, for most FSUs, it's not justifiable. If you have the mechanical aptitude and the tools available, I see no reason for not repairing them. The main thing is to know your abilities and limits and not attempt what you're not equipped for (tool-wise or aptitude-wise). Therein lies the problem, plenty of people attempt what they shouldn't tackle.

I've serviced and repaired a couple of dozen FSUs and done some minor work on my Leica IIIC and other cameras, so far I've broken nothing and achieved worthwhile improvements. As Brian says, there's satisfaction in using something you fixed yourself.

 

[David Hughes]

Well, I'm the first to agree with almost all Ron and Brian have said but I have also earned good money putting right amateur repairs in my own line and I know that there are people out there who have no idea at all about these things and couldn't do it with training and the right tools. Others can do it but come unstuck when things break or just go wrong. So I put in my 2d worth as a note of caution.

By the way, I've a beautiful FED 1 that cost all of USD10 and Oleg charged USD 48 to turn it into the proverbial thing of beauty and a joy forever. (Although I had to hand over UKP2 elsewhere for caps and hood... Luckily flea markets were alive and thriving a couple of years ago.) So my experience is that it was money well spent.

OTOH, I know what my M2 and lenses have cost me over the years.

Regards, David

PS I don't know what any of you may think but I've often thought that a weekend's workshop for FED's etc would be a good idea. We do it for other things in the UK, usually hiring a village hall for the weekend, plus a fee for the experts and then charge accordingly.

 

[fanshaw]

I have found that the most common fault with FSU cameras is a sluggish shutter. This can be fixed by simply cleaning the crud from the gears after removing the shutter crate. This is really simple with the early Feds and Zorkis. Anyone can do this without fear of ruining the camera. It is often when people assume that shutter tension adjustment is needed that damage is done. I have not yet had to do this. Cleaning has always been all that was necessary.

 

[Roger Hicks]

A lot depends on the individual who attempts repairs. FSUs are cheap, it's hard to justify the cost of a professional repair unless there are sentimental reasons. Financially, for most FSUs, it's not justifiable. If you have the mechanical aptitude and the tools available, I see no reason for not repairing them. The main thing is to know your abilities and limits and not attempt what you're not equipped for (tool-wise or aptitude-wise). Therein lies the problem, plenty of people attempt what they shouldn't tackle.

I've serviced and repaired a couple of dozen FSUs and done some minor work on my Leica IIIC and other cameras, so far I've broken nothing and achieved worthwhile improvements. As Brian says, there's satisfaction in using something you fixed yourself.

Sure, I'd not argue with a word, and indeed, I've fixed quite a number of cameras myself, including Zorkii 4-Ks, sticky Nikon F counters and most recently a complete stripdown (broken cocking string) on a TP roller-blind shutter. And I service my own Land Rover and even do quite major work on it (changing the gearbox, for example), though the fact that I was taught by my father, who was trained as an ERA (Engine Room Artificer) helps with the latter. When it comes to Land Rovers I'd actually back myself against a fair percentage of so-called professional motor mechanics,, because I know what I can't do.

Nor, though, would I argue with David Hughes's observation that I have also earned good money putting right amateur repairs in my own line and I know that there are people out there who have no idea at all about these things and couldn't do it with training and the right tools. Others can do it but come unstuck when things break or just go wrong, or with Fanshaw's It is often when people assume that shutter tension adjustment is needed that damage is done.

The OP's point was that if you don't want to do it, and you want to be sure it works afterwards, give it to someone who knows what they're doing. By all means repair things as a hobby -- HH Dalai Lama is a excellent watch repairer -- or because you have to repair them in the field, but don't get carried away by internet videos that encourage you to go out of your depth on expensive equipment you can't afford to throw away if you get it wrong.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I've put right a few repairs done by professionals. More than one lens mis-assembled by a very well-known Contax specialist with a multi-year waiting list for his services. I am a kitchen table hobbyist that takes apart lenses to relax. It takes the place of working on the Cougar, is not as messy, and takes up less room.

The OP has a small business of renting out equipment, and having a professional repair shop do the work is business. That is the way to run a business, and it is very much appreciated having the reference for Jerry Sorin.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Interesting thread. I've learnt something.
Apparently all professional repairers never make mistakes in their work, and all amateur repairers are crap, and will break their cameras, if they work on them. I'm glad we got that sorted.
Regards,
Brett

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I think we've all learned that Jerry Sorin comes highly recommended as a repairman that does good work, charges reasonable prices, and does not have a waiting list measured in years. We lost a great repairman when Eddy Smolov stopped doing repairs due to poor health. Eddy Smolov recommends Jerry to his customer base.