M3: advice on CLA

[wilt]

I am contemplating a CLA for my M3 DS and I would very much like some advice.

I bought it newly serviced some seven years ago, have used it much since then and it feels smooth and is in good working order but for two things:

1. it has jammed a couple of times the last year or so, maybe once every 10 or 15 rolls. The shutter and/or advance gets stuck but is un-jammed by rotating the shutter speed dial. No big problem, but still a bit unnerving.

2. on the last roll, I suspect that some - but definitely not all - pictures have a slightly darker portion in the left part of the frame. Having googled around, I think this could be due to one of the shutter curtains losing speed and being taken over by the other. Here's what it looks like. Repaired by adjusting the shutter brake or tension?

Otherwise, the camera is in good condition, but time for a CLA, I guess. So I got a price quote from the leading (i.e., only, more or less) Leica repair person, Alois Kosnar, here in Sweden, which turned out to be 600 $ for a complete overhaul including parts and the quite high Swedish VAT.

Is that a reasonable price? Would it be significantly cheaper to send it somewhere else, abroad?

What's your advice? Any input from you is much appreciated!

 

[sepiareverb]

I always consider turnaround time on any repair/CLA- not having the camera for months is a real drag, and sending out of country might add to that time.

 

[wilt]

Thanks, Robert! That's a good point; the quoted turnaround time for the Swedish alternative is ten days.

 

[Vics]

The price seems quite high to me. Youxin Ye did a CLA on my M3 recently for a lot less than that, and the turnaround time was about a week! He did my DR while he was at it, and fixed my dicey flash synch. But he's in the Boston area.

 

[Tom A]

It sounds like you are needing a service, rather than a full CLA. The shutter can be adjusted to compensate for the slow 2nd curtain (provided the shutter brake is fine - a bit of a weak spot on DS M3's). The jamming could be simply the curtain hanging up and the adjustment should cure that.
$600 sounds high for a CLA. That is about as much as a DS M3 is worth to start with. Check around for alternative service - re-tuning the shutter speeds is not a big deal and any competent technician should be able to do it. Check with the stores that sell Leica in Stockholm and see what they say.

 

[wilt]

Thanks for the answers, now helping me make an informed decision!

 

[mudride]

(In swedish)

Har du hört med Werner på Lp-foto? Han är ganska skicklig, även fast han inte är utbildad Leica-reparatör.

Priset för service av Leica-kameror är dock ganska högt i Sverige. Tyvärr!

 

[dshfoto]

Buy a second M3. That way repair delay is usually not a problem. I have 4 that I rotate for service. Usually have the curtains replaced, and the flash connection upgraded, and change the advance to single stroke. I even had one finder switched out to an MP finder.

 

[rogerzilla]

Send it to Peter Grisaffi in the UK (CRR Luton). No export/import issues as Britain is in the EU. Price is less than 200 GBP.

 

[errorlogin]

Price seems high for me.

I had my M3 at Leica in Solms two years ago. Wasn't serviced since it was born. Shutter was not properly working at all and they did a full CLA. I ordered the full service, except a new body shell.....

They really did a great job in my view. Did cost me 580 Euro. But I never regretted to spend the money.

 

[bfffer]

for 600 I would get an extra user M3/M2
or add a bit more cash for a mint-ish M3/m2

 

[Mister E]

Sherry would probably charge around that, maybe $100 less, but with shipping both ways, etc it would be $600 I'm sure.

Old Youxin Ye would not do a CLA. He might service the camera, might.

Looking at that picture is that a slow shutter or just the sky was slightly darker on one side?