Repairs: Specialist or generalist?

[RalphLambrecht]

People aren't willing to pay what the work is worth (for Retina cameras). This is one major reason I have declined to add the Reflex models to my work list - this camera is so complex and time consuming to service (2 full days of labor) that nobody is interested in paying $400+ to service one. (I've had many inquiries, but when I quote the price, they all decline to get the work done)

If you're a Hasselblad technician, or a Rolleiflex specialist, then people will pay $300-$500 to get work done, but not "the lowly Retina".

I'm a Hasselbladowner. But $500 for a CLA would convince me to write the camera off. Even though that I see$500 reasonable for 2 days of work!

 

[Gregory_Nolan]

That is interesting! Could you tell us something about the workshops at Sover?

What do you learn there, what is the process like and whether you can also take part as a layperson who has never tried to repair a camera?

Additional question: To what extent is the electronics of the F2 treated? The photomic viewfinders are complex electromechanical works of art

Patrick, with whom I attended the workshop in September 2019, wrote a blog post about his experiences that summarizes his impressions very well: https://www.filmstillphotography.com/blog/archives/09-2019

In the workshop, an F2 is given a complete cleaning and lubrication, and the shutter speeds are adjusted. A complete replacement of the foams in the camera is also carried out. If the body has a problem with the battery compartment, this will also be repaired. The viewfinder will be cleaned and the foams will be replaced. Nothing is done to the electronics in the viewfinder.

I had no previous knowledge of camera repair, which is not necessary for the workshop. You just need good eyes and steady hands. ;-)

 

[Andreas Thaler]

@Gregory_Nolan

Thank you!

 

[retina_restoration]

I'm a Hasselbladowner. But $500 for a CLA would convince me to write the camera off. Even though that I see$500 reasonable for 2 days of work!

For us Hasselblad owners (I have a black 1984 500C/M), it's rare to send in a camera to do more than address one or two specific problems, so although we may spend $$$$ over the years to keep the camera running well, we rarely have to fork out a lot of money in one go, for the occasional repair or service.

If someone sends me a Retina IIIC (type 028) and specifies that they can only afford to service the shutter, I will do it, and that typically costs $70-80. But if they want the whole camera stripped right down to its components, and all of them cleaned, lubricated where needed, reassembled and calibrated, that is about 9 hours of work, for which I charge $200. If any of my clients have felt that they did not get good value for the money, they did not tell me so.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'm a Hasselbladowner. But $500 for a CLA would convince me to write the camera off. Even though that I see$500 reasonable for 2 days of work!

I amortize the cost over the owned life and consider it just part of the cost of the hobby. Buying another body would mean that I would have to have it checked out and needed service would need to be paid for unless I bought it from KEH.com or Samy's Camera. I do not need to buy someone else's problems.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

For us Hasselblad owners (I have a black 1984 500C/M), it's rare to send in a camera to do more than address one or two specific problems, so although we may spend $$$$ over the years to keep the camera running well, we rarely have to fork out a lot of money in one go, for the occasional repair or service.

If someone sends me a Retina IIIC (type 028) and specifies that they can only afford to service the shutter, I will do it, and that typically costs $70-80. But if they want the whole camera stripped right down to its components, and all of them cleaned, lubricated where needed, reassembled and calibrated, that is about 9 hours of work, for which I charge $200. If any of my clients have felt that they did not get good value for the money, they did not tell me so.

Good work should also be paid appropriately.

If I have the money to buy a high-quality camera, then I should have something left over for service.

A used camera that was not purchased as defective will probably require one initial major service, especially a mechanical one. The camera will then be fully operational again and will function properly for a long time.

You should be grateful that there are repairers who specialize in such work. You can hardly get rich as a one-man business, it takes hard work until you have the qualifications and as an entrepreneur there are of course costs that have to be covered.

 

[88E30M50]

YES! That happened to my 1981 BMW. The gears were installed dry because the nylon was supposed to be slick. You buy replacement gears from, of all names, OdometerGears.com. They also make replacement gears for the height adjustment device inside Xenon headlights (where the heat ruins inferior plastic).

Thanks. I think that's who we sourced our parts from also.

 

[88E30M50]

In an effort to follow the path of specialization, I have 2 more Canon A-1s to work on. The first arrived yesterday (#6) and is externally beautiful. It looks like it spent it's entire life in a display case somewhere. There is no sign of actual use to be found. The downside is that it has electrical issues. The display is garbled and flickers. I'm a little concerned about my ability to address that type of an issue, but I do have spare flex circuits and other parts, so maybe I'll be able to make that one work as good as it looks. The second A-1 (#7) is due today or tomorrow. That one is much more rough based on pics, so we'll see what it looks like when it gets here.

My intent is to fully document the process of repair for the first camera. The A-1 is complex but is not even close to what later cameras have going on. Fingers crossed on that one.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

My intent is to fully document the process of repair for the first camera. The A-1 is complex but is not even close to what later cameras have going on. Fingers crossed on that one.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[88E30M50]

GOOD LUCK!!

I have not even started and I'm already in a conundrum

The second A-1 that came in this week was supposed to just be a parts camera that was initially giving up a finger grip and drive hole plug. Once I let it warm up in the house for a couple of hours, I put a new battery in it and the thing works. It actually still has a roll of film in it from the last owner. Now, I don't know if I can bring myself to part out a working camera so that means I have two projects on the bench and still need that grip and plug again.

 

[ic-racer]

I've not encountered nylon parts in high wear areas yet. Most of my time is spent working on FTs and FTbs. No motor drives there. The FTb nylon gears are limited to the shutter speed/light meter linkage. That's a light use area and the gears seem to hold up well (so far). In a motor drive, especially a greased one, that might change. Dry nylon seems relatively stable. Having said that, I have seen odometer gears in old BMWs crumble after a couple of decades. I am trying to remember if BMW lubed those gears or if they ran them dry in the old cars.

OFF TOPIC: Mercedes r109 (SL) gears appeared lubricated, though the wet appearance may be due to the breakdown of the plastic. I think every R109 has this problem.

My gears were like jello. (photograph shows Mercedes SL560 odometer gears).

 

[88E30M50]

OFF TOPIC: Mercedes r109 (SL) gears appeared lubricated, though the wet appearance may be due to the breakdown of the plastic. I think every R109 has this problem.

My gears were like jello. (photograph shows Mercedes SL560 odometer gears).

View attachment 360449

It does look like that plastic is 'sweating' the oily stuff. It's also interesting that there are 3 gears, made of 3 different plastics with 3 different levels of longevity. The black gear seems fine compared to the tan, which does not look too bad. Then there's the small gear which just turned to mush with age.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

If you have more or less mastered a camera, you have a good chance of making good progress in repairing cameras from other brands. Because things repeat themselves, design principles are finite.

I think that's why the first camera is the most difficult.