Repairman's footsteps..

KM-25

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Aug 24, 2006
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While I love the idea of using my M3 and M6's until I am feeble, I do sometimes wonder who will maintain and repair them 20-30 years from now..

I have no idea how old Goldberg or Krauter are or if they have eager young technicians in the stalls. Ever think about who might replace these great people stateside?

I love the idea of one day being 70 and using my 81 year old M3..🙂
 
What I have discovered in another industry is that when the people needed to repair your tools no longer exist, if you love your tool enough, you learn to service it yourself and its really not a big deal. Learning to fix a camera would be super easy compared to some of the stuff people have had to teach themselves to fix in the last 5 or 6 years...
 
Just think, either learn to fix your camera, or learn politics.

which will make more of a difference to your personal happiness i wonder?
 
A couple weeks ago, a young guy named "Joe" fixed a stuck shutter on my M4p at Tempe Camera Repair. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, like he had seen it many times before. He couldn't have been over 30. Hopefully there are others like him, learning the camera repair trade. Fix it yourself is one thing if you know how to fix the particular problem, but if you haven't seen it, some one experienced will be worth the camera's life.
 
Don Goldberg and Sherry Krauter are both in their early 50's and work out of their homes (low overhead), so as long as they are healthy and they have enough work coming in to make it worthwhile I bet they will both be available for us for as long as we'll need. I've had more contact with Don because he's my repair guy, and he seems pro-active in terms of keeping his business going. A few years ago he took on the Minox, and lately he's been doing the Epson rangefinder adjustments. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get into the M8 at some point, because those only come with 2 year warranties. Don strikes me as a really sharp guy capable of whatever he puts his mind to.
 
People like Oleg Khalyavin and David Eve are not so many dollars away. The options will probably become fewer, of course; but there should be enough for as long as I am around.
 
Interesting stuff. I am glad Don and Sherry are at least that young..🙂.

I have to wonder though:

I just picked up a brand new in the box black MP 3 LHSA kit, there were only 500 of these bodies made...you have to wonder just how many parts are actually available if something were to go in a few years...
 
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