What just came back from repair?

[Abbazz]

Back from camerawiz. Shutter speed ring was very stiff. Frank fixed that, cleaned the optics and cleaned the shutter and shutter magnets. $160 which included return shipping.

Just sent him a GS645W to overhaul. Quoted price is $175.

The price seems quite right. What a beautiful Fujinon 100mm AE lens!

As for the repair pipeline, I am waiting for a complete overhaul of my Rolleiflex 2.8E by Mael (Optomeca in Limoges, France). He will also remove the non-functionning lightmeter and replace it with Rollei sourced parts to cover the frontplate and the distance knob.



Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[Miles.]

John Titterington just completed an overhaul on my OM-1. I provided a parts body as it needed a new prism, mirror, and motor drive cover.

This is a special one for me.

This OM-1 was the last film camera my grandfather bought new. He bought it from the drug store on main street in Velva, North Dakota, right before retiring from farming. In 1973 he took this camera on a two month trip around the Middle East. My grandfather was a devout christian, but had a lot of respect and curiosity for all abrahamic religions, and took the trip as an opportunity to deepen his knowledge. I still have hundreds of Kodachrome slides from his trip.

He lived a long life (103!) but unfortunately this camera has mostly sat in a desk drawer for 25 years, but now it's operating perfectly and ready for me to take it on the next big trip.

 

[shawn]

Just sent him a GS645W to overhaul. Quoted price is $175.

Just heard this from Frank:
Your camera is ready to be shipped. The shutter had been forced breaking a part in the speed governor geartrain. Also it had been reassembled incorrectly. The meter circuit also had been tampered with which is why it would not work.

Everything is working fine now.

Glad I sent it to him to check it over.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Just heard this from Frank:
Your camera is ready to be shipped. The shutter had been forced breaking a part in the speed governor geartrain. Also it had been reassembled incorrectly. The meter circuit also had been tampered with which is why it would not work.

Everything is working fine now.

Glad I sent it to him to check it over.

This is why I never loan my cameras to gorillas. 😉 $175 seems like a bargain price for all that work!

 

[shawn]

This is why I never loan my cameras to gorillas. 😉 $175 seems like a bargain price for all that work!

I hear you. I had just bought it so I don't know how many gorillas there were in its past. The camera was about $300, so even with Frank's repair it was still a good deal for what is now a fully serviced camera. Definitely agree about the bargain price for the work. About 2 week turnaround as well.

 

[maigo]

Very un-RF but...
Just got back a Nikon 300mm f4 PF AF-S ED VR from Nikon Canada.
The lens was a freebie to me but had a scratched front element, missing bayonet mount, and detached ribbon for the aperture/control buttons. Otherwise it was in great cosmetic condition. 😉
Turnaround time was 5 weeks.
$700CAD later they replaced the front element, bayonet mount, MR encoder unit, brush unit, and CLA.
Repair work was excellent.
Good deal for what is now a perfectly new lens for half the price of a EUC lens.
Took it out yesterday for first time for my first ever attempt at shooting birds but the long term use will be for kids playing sports (baseball, soccer).
Photos taken with Nikon 500 at the heron nesting colony at Deer Lake in Burnaby, BC.
Pacific Great Blue Heron by Maigo, on Flickr

Pacific Great Blue Heron by Maigo, on Flickr

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Back from repair? Just spent 3 hours doing a CLA on a 1951 J-8 Helical. No wonder the design was changed so quickly...

Was missing several internal screws, and was full of old grease. The helical- think twice before separating, and make lots of scribe marks before you do. The trick? After a an hour of trying to get it back together? The "outer helical" needs to be screwed past the starting point before putting the inner helical into place and putting its guide screw in. Then turn the lens to the scribe marks. This reminds me of "You can't get there from here" routine, drive past and then turn around. Ouch.

 

[neal3k]

I bought this Nikon 35 Ti last year from Japan. It worked perfectly for a while but into my third roll, the lens extension/retraction jammed. I had been using the camera for weeks, it had been working as advertised, so I decided that repair had become my responsibility.

I checked around the net and it appeared that the few who repaired these cameras charged about $400. I contacted Camera Repair in Atlanta and sent in in. $350 and one week later, I had it back. They said all it needed was a CLA. It has been working beautifully every since.

Nikon 35Ti by Neal Wellons, on Flickr

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Spent the weekend working on lenses. The J-8 and J-3 focus mounts from 1954 and 1958 respectively. The grease used, maybe the old myth about it being Yak Ear Wax is true. It does not come off easily, must be scraped off. Lots of cleaning required, and some rough surfaces polished down using 3M polishing sheets made for fiber optics. Now very, very smooth. The ZOMZ J-3 focus mount uses three set screws to hold the helical into the mount. Something I learned: if you put the screws in too tight, it compresses the metal and the focus binds. Too loose, and you back play in the movement. Trial and error, back off ever so slightly. The metal shims- as thin as 0.01mm. It makes a difference. Last step- re-index the F-Stop ring. Do this last, after the focus test.


The Sonnars- "perfect Pair", 5cm F2 and 5cm F1.5.

 

[hap]

Just heard this from Frank:
Your camera is ready to be shipped. The shutter had been forced breaking a part in the speed governor geartrain. Also it had been reassembled incorrectly. The meter circuit also had been tampered with which is why it would not work.

Everything is working fine now.

Glad I sent it to him to check it over.

I presume Frank-Frank Marshman?

 

[shawn]

I presume Frank-Frank Marshman?

Yes

 

[aw614]

I cleaned the contacts out on my shutter speed dial on my CLE, right now on aperture priority, it looks like the meter isn't jumpy anymore, which resulted in a few underexposed shots.

Managed to unalign the rangefinder on accident. Who knew some screws on the CLE could impact alignment. I lost one hot shoe screw, and the longer screw I used messed with the rf alignment. I will say, I rather align a barnack type rangefinder, but this wasn't too bad, just really tedious. And taking the top cover off wasn't too bad.

Still thinking of sending it off for a CLA, but its working consistently now. But one thing I don't recall was the framelines not moving until you are less than 5 ft or so. I wonder if I messed something up.

 

[p.giannakis]

I've received this one today but i am not allowed to have it - it is meant to be my birthday present for next week.

 

[Pioneer]

The only camera related equipment at my house that needs repair right now is my scanner.

However I have been enlarging and printing most of my stuff lately so I decided to hold off on spending the money on the scanner and instead spent the money to buy more paper.

Unfortunately once I get close to having the money saved up to fix the scanner I discover another deal on paper, or film, so the scanner gets put on the back burner again.

I'll get to it...just not yet. 😀

 

[Vince Lupo]

Picking up my Leica IIIa ‘Spécialités Tiranty’ this coming week and dropping off a recently-acquired Graflex Norita for service. The Leica received a CLA and had its beam splitter mirror replaced. I’ll probably run a roll or two through it before deciding whether I’m going to keep or sell it.

 

[KoNickon]

I cleaned the contacts out on my shutter speed dial on my CLE, right now on aperture priority, it looks like the meter isn't jumpy anymore, which resulted in a few underexposed shots.

Managed to unalign the rangefinder on accident. Who knew some screws on the CLE could impact alignment. I lost one hot shoe screw, and the longer screw I used messed with the rf alignment. I will say, I rather align a barnack type rangefinder, but this wasn't too bad, just really tedious. And taking the top cover off wasn't too bad.

Still thinking of sending it off for a CLA, but its working consistently now. But one thing I don't recall was the framelines not moving until you are less than 5 ft or so. I wonder if I messed something up.

I'd love to know just what you cleaned -- I tried cleaning the contacts on mine some time ago and it worked without the jumping LEDs for a time, but has since reverted. I've never gotten a clear answer on what exactly is to be cleaned. Thanks.

 

[aw614]

I'd love to know just what you cleaned -- I tried cleaning the contacts on mine some time ago and it worked without the jumping LEDs for a time, but has since reverted. I've never gotten a clear answer on what exactly is to be cleaned. Thanks.

I am guessing you cleaned yours based on this post?

Minolta CLE Metering Pattern

Hi all, I've been shooting with a CLE for the last few weeks and can't seem to understand the metering pattern. I have some shots that are perfectly exposed and some that are blown out highlights with no shadow detail. Does anyone know what the metering pattern is on the CLE? I've searched...

rangefinderforum.com

I couldn't get the shutter speed dial off, wasn't sure if the spanner part was left hand or normal thread so I didn't get that off.

I only ended up cleaning the lower part of the four contacts on the lower left of that photo of above. Mine had some buildup on that got on the swab I used. I don't know if it will do what yours did in the long-term though.

 

[Out to Lunch]

The Leica received a CLA

Where in Ontario did you have your Leica CLA'd?

 

[KoNickon]

I am guessing you cleaned yours based on this post?

Minolta CLE Metering Pattern

Hi all, I've been shooting with a CLE for the last few weeks and can't seem to understand the metering pattern. I have some shots that are perfectly exposed and some that are blown out highlights with no shadow detail. Does anyone know what the metering pattern is on the CLE? I've searched...

rangefinderforum.com

I couldn't get the shutter speed dial off, wasn't sure if the spanner part was left hand or normal thread so I didn't get that off.

I only ended up cleaning the lower part of the four contacts on the lower left of that photo of above. Mine had some buildup on that got on the swab I used. I don't know if it will do what yours did in the long-term though.

Thanks. And I confess I didn't go as far as in that other post, but I did remove the shutter speed dial and shutter release button -- pretty straightforward. But I didn't remove the top cover, so that's necessary I guess. I had thought only removing the shutter speed dial was needed.

 

[aw614]

Thanks. And I confess I didn't go as far as in that other post, but I did remove the shutter speed dial and shutter release button -- pretty straightforward. But I didn't remove the top cover, so that's necessary I guess. I had thought only removing the shutter speed dial was needed.

Did you remove the plastic piece under the shutter speed dial? I should have clarified, I removed the dial itself and shutter release button, but did not remove the part underneath it