Inflation and Camera Repairs & Servicing

[raydm6]

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Last time I chatted with him he said he was getting 400-600 emails a day. Things fall through the cracks sometimes.

I wonder how many of the 400-600 emails per day are actual customers? That's approximately 12,000-18,000 emails per month! I can't believe they are all customers.

He could be a victim of email harvesters (bots/spiders). His email address is in plain site on his web site and I am sure splashed across forum threads and other web sites over the years.

He should probably use a contact form, email address image, CAPTCHA, email obfuscate JavaScript code, or other techniques. Be curious if that would help.

 

[boojum]

I wonder how many folks are in the business who can do repairs but are clueless about running a business. There was a wonderful stereo repair shop in PDX which was sold to the techs. I brought some honking big hafler 500's up for repair and got them back unfixed, twice. It seemed to me it would be a good idea to test the repairs. But what do I know?

I bought a pair of J8's to a camera repair. The second was came back from the CLA with an aperture ring which was binding just as it was when I brought it in. There are only two parts the user can move: focus and aperture. Am I expecting a lot when I think the repair tech will check that on the lens when it comes in and fix it as a part of a CLA? Apparently so.

And now about two weeks later no lens. I think these folks have put me at the end of the line after they screwed up the job. A normal shop which was selling service and repairs would fix their error and get it out the door ASAP to maintain their reputation. These guys are dragging their heels. They are maintaining their reputation. A bad one. I'll have to send it to some grown ups for a CLA when I get it back because the folks are just not good, not reliable and not service oriented. Oh, I forgot, they are slow, too.

Fortunately the shop I should have used is fast, accurate and good to do business with. I still cannot believe the first shop let the lens go out with a binding aperture ring.

 

[nikon_sam]

This Nikkor 135mm 2.8 was the first Nikon lens I ever bought, found it at a repair shop in San Jose, CA. Used it with a Nikon FE for years.
The Aperture Blades got sticky and finally quit working all together, I placed it on a shelf and it sat there about 15 years. Every once and a while I would pull it down and look at it with thoughts of getting it fixed but never did. Repair cost vs lens value wasn't in my favor but I couldn't trash it, give it away or sell it.
Once again, last week I pulled it off the shelf but this time I was determined to do more. After watching a few repair videos on YouTube I got the courage to give an honest attempt at fixing it...facing the fear of removing and cleaning the aperture blades would have to be dealt with. While apart I was also able to clean the inner glass which was needed.
All back together with clean glass and snappy blades...the repair cost me time plus a few q-tips...