Is your repair person this fast?

robklurfield

robklurfield

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Kudos to Krikor Maralian, owner of Krimar Photo Shop in Elmwood Park, NJ. I dropped my Rolleicord IV with him on Tuesday. Yesterday, he called to say it was ready and today it works like new. He did a CLA, adjusted the focus, fixed a balky film roller and un-stuck a stuck counter that was preventing the transport from... ah, well, from transporting. Also, did a little minor comestic work to overcome the beginning of some oxidation that was bubbling up the leatherette on the sides of the body. Works like butter now. All in under 48 hours. Fair price, too.

If anyone needs contact info, PM me. He's the guy for Rollei in this part of the world.

Here he is:
4174450389_c1f759f40d.jpg
 
Kudo #2 for today. It hasn't arrived yet, but Youxin did a CLA on my M2 in 24 hours, cleared up a foggy vf and, without me asking for it, gave me a new Aki skin (my vulcanite was crumbling and got worse when Youxin opened the shell). I'll update as soon as the camera arrives, but these are two fine gentlemen.
 
TWoK and i regularly go to the same repair guy here on Okinawa, he is fantastic. Full CLA and repair of my stupid KEH BGN Nikon F for $50 in just under a week. Yesterday i dropped off an F2 with sticking shutter and bad foam, and my 5.8cm NKJ that needs to be lubed up, he said ~week and $100.
 
As many said, Youxin is super quick. I just got my M2 back from him. Well I had to send twice, not really his fault at all, each time, the M2 was staying at his place only for a night. (1st time was a full CLA)

I've heard many good things about Mr. Maralian. If I'm lucky enough to own a Rolleiflex in the future, he is top of my list.
 
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robklurfield said:
Kudos to Krikor Maralian, owner of Krimar Photo Shop in Elmwood Park, NJ. I dropped my Rolleicord IV with him on Tuesday. Yesterday, he called to say it was ready and today it works like new. He did a CLA, adjusted the focus, fixed a balky film roller and un-stuck a stuck counter that was preventing the transport from... ah, well, from transporting. Also, did a little minor comestic work to overcome the beginning of some oxidation that was bubbling up the leatherette on the sides of the body. Works like butter now. All in under 48 hours. Fair price, too.

If anyone needs contact info, PM me. He's the guy for Rollei in this part of the world.

Here he is:
4174450389_c1f759f40d.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey, that's great to know! I'm considering gifting myself a Maxwell screen and had him in mind for the installing (non removable hood 3.5E). I wanted to keep it local (NYC-NJ). He sounded nice on the phone, wish I could drop it off in person.

Good to know he's fast, I'm not ready to separate myself from my Rolleiflex for extended periods of time just yet...And that's one of the thing that held me back from ordering the screen yet.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
Martin, I considered a Maxwell screen, but two things held me back. First, the screen costs mire what I paid to buy the camera and, second, this purchase repair blew my remaining camera budget for the rest of my married life or the end of 2009, whichever comes first. However, the good news is that Krikor told me he'd just got in shipment of Maxwell screens. He gave me a price of approx $180 for one. Tempting, but impossible for me right now.
morback said:
Hey, that's great to know! I'm considering gifting myself a Maxwell screen and had him in mind for the installing (non removable hood 3.5E). I wanted to keep it local (NYC-NJ). He sounded nice on the phone, wish I could drop it off in person.

Good to know he's fast, I'm not ready to separate myself from my Rolleiflex for extended periods of time just yet...And that's one of the thing that held me back from ordering the screen yet.

Thanks for the feedback.
Click to expand...
 
Is your repair person this fast?........I think my repair person went bust and died of starvation years ago! - as I've never sent him anything in forty years!. The only camera with a problem that I could not fix, was a OM2n with a stuck shutter, and that was stolen before I could have it repaired. I've used my gear a lot - both as a semi-pro and amateur over the years, I must have been lucky, or some people must be rough or careless, or downright unlucky with gear!......and as for CLA....what's that!, my car needs regular oil and grease - but not my cameras!, o.k. guys! - hit me with everything you've got! :D
Dave.
 
robklurfield said:
Martin, I considered a Maxwell screen, but two things held me back. First, the screen costs mire what I paid to buy the camera and, second, this purchase repair blew my remaining camera budget for the rest of my married life or the end of 2009, whichever comes first. However, the good news is that Krikor told me he'd just got in shipment of Maxwell screens. He gave me a price of approx $180 for one. Tempting, but impossible for me right now.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, one more point for Krikor if he has the screens! (even if they are slightly more expensive than from the source) Now I don't have to wait for the screen to come in before shipping it out with the camera...

I find that my 3.5E Xenotar is very bright, but the focusing is a little tricky. I wonder if the Maxwells are that much better at focusing? Price is not really an issue, I am worth it ;)
 
My M2 arrived back from Youxin on Saturday. It's like a new camera. CLA, brightened up the VF, fixed a balky shutter (wasn't firing at 1/500 or 1/1000) and, without me asking, he reskinned it with an AKI skin. Very nice. He's amazing and the camera is now perfect. It hadn't been touched by a repair person since it was new. Not only is Youxin really good at what he does, but he's also incredibly fast and very fairly priced.
 
3 men worth a mention,
Will van Manen and Cathy in the Nederlands, always fast and always a nice repair.
Peter Grisafi who serviced my M4 last year, great service and my latest experience with Mr Sover Wong for all things NIKON F2. Three gentlemen who seem to treat your cameras like they're their own. I only ever service what's broken and I've been very happy with all their work.
 
I've sent maybe 4 or 5 to Ye and I'm amazed, always about a week, including shipping.

Used to use DAG and Sherry, but got tired of waiting months or longer for a simple CLA.
 
I dropped off my Canon SLR on Tuesday for a CLA & fix for the dreaded shutter squeal the FD camera's are famous for. Thursday afternoon I get the call that it's done so Friday I walk in to pick my camera up and there is a lovely M3 on top of the counter. It's called cameraworks in Duram N.C. BTW the shutter never sounded so good on my Canon.
 
Beemermark said:
I've sent maybe 4 or 5 to Ye and I'm amazed, always about a week, including shipping.

Used to use DAG and Sherry, but got tired of waiting months or longer for a simple CLA.
Click to expand...

My only experience with Youxin Ye was with a purchase and a return, and was exemplary.

So many reports here, and my own experience (I've had two lenses at Sherry's since August but haven't even received an estimate, so I assume she hasn't looked at them yet) indicate commonplace months-long delays in servicing used equipment that this will be a critical factor in my future purchases. I don't want to buy something and then be unable to use it for months on end. So, for example, I'm less likely to buy an M2 or an M6 and more likely to buy a new Zeiss Ikon. Youxin looks like the go-to guy otherwise.

Btw, does anyone really know what accounts for the long delays by some technicians? Is it down to backlog, or are the slow ones performing some time-consuming tasks the others aren't?
 
Yeah, I also wonder why some technicians sound good and eager to repair your camera over the phone and then you have to wait months or years... I have sent my Fujica GS645 to Frank Marshman who was reported here and there as a wizard of fujicas... I did call him 5 or 6 times, every month once when it all was started and I hoped he can do it; now I am tired. Perhaps, we should start here another thread for repair technicians who is not fast by any means. If I knew Frank will work almost year on my camera with no apparent result as of today, I'd replace bellows myself.

Cheers,
Ed
 
Krikor repaired my 3.5 F in less than 8 days! It got a full shutter replacement, a new focusing screen, film take up and advancement mechanism -- He even adjusted the WLF hood so that it didn't feel as floppy! He's gotta be the best Rollei guy in the US.

If you have a Rollei TLR send it to this man!
 
I mailed a Yashica Mat to Mark Hama on December 8th and got it back today. That's eight days, including shipping! My hope was just to have it back before Christmas.
 
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