who best to work on a cle?

[back alley]

like the title says, who is the one to send a cle to for all things electronic and a general cla?

joe

 

[sepiareverb]

Not ever having had one my bet would be Sherry- she knows the M5 inside out and I believe they share some of the same 'technology'. Been watching some of these on ebay lately, but probably won't bite.

 

[CameraQuest]

many CLE problems end up being the circuit board, and there seems to be no replacements available.

Stephen

 

[sepiareverb]

Will the shutter still work without the electronics?

 

[Revolucion Artistico]

Sherry told me herself that the CL is her speciality, I think she said she's one of 3 or 4 factory trained techs for it. I would go to her first and she if is as good with the CLE but Stephen is right most cases the board is fried and not fixable. Worth a shot with such a great little camera.

 

[back alley]

Will the shutter still work without the electronics?

i don't think so.

 

[Keith]

I remember reading on RFF or some other forum a year ago that there was someone in the US fixing CLE's by buying broken cameras and cannabilising what he could from them. He had a limited stock of curcuit boards and saw that problem as eventually causing the total demise of a fine camera .... sorry Joe I can't remember for the life of me who it was! 😕

 

[back alley]

no worries keith!

tomorrow i will email a few of the bigger names in repairdom and also ask locally.
i've heard differing thoughts on cle repairs, most talk about the circuit boards and others about how many of the parts being basic electronic bits that still can be purchased seperately.
time will tell if this one can be fixed.

joe

 

[Flinor]

Joe, this comes out of the recesses of an aged memory and I've never used them, but my rolodex has a note that says possible CLE repairs.

Camera Wiz
169B Pleasant Hill Rd.
Harrisonberg, VA 22801
800-471-8133

 

[back alley]

thanks gerry!

joe

 

[dreilly]

Somebody on rff mentioned somewhere recently (specific, eh?) having a CLE fixed in Germany by an ex-Minolta tech. The poster offered to give out this techi's info to the poster, who had a cle to fix. Check the archives?

I sent mine to Steve's Camera Service Center in Culver City, CA (www.stevecamera.com)
Steve is a great guy and is totally willing to work on CLEs. However, my problem was the circuit board and he didn't have any of them. Argh.

 

[back alley]

i sent an email to both bald mountain and essex camera repair, on monday, but no replies so far.

 

[amateriat]

On the off-chance that a few people don't know this:

One broght spot of news on the CLE repair front is in regard to the shutter: the CLE shares the shutter used in Minolta's XG-1 SLR. Since Minolta likely made one hell of lot more of the latter than the former, Heavy CLE users hopefully have availed themselves of at least one XG-1 "donor" body to salt away. (Yes, I know of someone who blew out a CLE shutter – twice – during the late 80s/early 90s). The circuit board, of course, remains a problem, bit I'd be curious to know the failure rate regarding those.

Will the shutter still work without the electronics?

I rather doubt it...


- Barrett

 

[photogdave]

Joe, did you try Gerry Smith at Kindermann?

 

[back alley]

Joe, did you try Gerry Smith at Kindermann?

not yet but i was thinking/wondering if he worked on minolta gear.

 

[back alley]

heard from essex and they do work on the cle.

joe

 

[Flinor]

Joe, I found another CLE repairer and this is labeled as such:

Terry's Camera Repair
9092 Talbert Ave. #2
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
7114-964-7633

I had a bad experience with Essex this summer even though I know everyone raves about them. After vassuring me on the phone that they could repair two cameras they kept a Voigtlander VF101 for six months and then sent it back with my check with no real explanation. And then they returned my Contax T with the rewind knob from a Nikon mounted on it. If you're at all familiar with the T you know how ludicrous that must have looked. They did return my money and replace the Contax parts but not repair the camera.

I think that they'll try anything once.

 

[back alley]

thanks gerry.

the cle is on it's way to me but i haven't done much else as far as research on the repairs. i still want to see what might be available locally and need to ask around the local pro shops as well as ask kinderman.

joe

 

[sepiareverb]

Joe, you might give Matt at call or email at 'Authorized Camera Repair' They are in PA/USA, but he worked on my F4's when they were in daily use. He may have some further suggestions if he doesn't work on CLE's or you need someone in Canada. (don't know how the customs works on repair stuff)

http://www.authorizedcamerarepair.com/services.html

 

[back alley]

thanks bob.
i have had gear repaired in the states before without any hassle but it would be nice to keep it in country.

joe