Crown Graphic repair/adjustment near Los Angeles?

trondsi · Jul 9, 2016

Hi everyone!
I live in LA and I would like to fix my Crown Graphic (adjust range finder, adjust shutter speeds). Do you have any recommendations as to where to go? Fleenor only does Rolleiflex.

BrianShaw · Jul 9, 2016

Steve's Camera in Culver City. Google his web site and see a picture of him adjusting a rangefinder on a Graphic! Good people who RDO good work!

http://www.stevecamera.com/about.html

4.5 stars on YELP too...

trondsi · Jul 9, 2016

BrianShaw said:
Steve's Camera in Culver City. Google his web site and see a picture of him adjusting a rangefinder on a Graphic! Good people who RDO good work!

http://www.stevecamera.com/about.html

4.5 stars on YELP too...

Thanks for the suggestion! I will pay them a visit today.

Sirius Glass · Jul 9, 2016

I have been waiting over two months for Steve's to do some repairs on my Pacemaker Speed Graphic. When I brought it in, I was told that it would take three weeks. After a month I called and was told that more repairs and adjustments were needed on it. They admitted that they for got to call me about that. They promised that it would be finished in two weeks at most. Now we are at two months and I called last week, I was promised that they would get to it soon. If it is not finished next week, I will just to get it and ask for the money that I paid them to be returned for the work not done.

Kawaiithulhu · Jul 10, 2016

Must have been two years ago when I called them up on an Optar in shutter CLA they quoted over 6 weeks... Guess some things never change, they sounded very busy.

trondsi · Jul 10, 2016

Ouch I didn't see Sirius's post until I gave them my camera yesterday.

Well, I think I'll call them regularly to check on how the work is going.

BrianShaw · Jul 10, 2016

I've never had a bad experience like Steve describes. They've generally delivered before the estimated date. Once I called at the promised date only to find out it was finished a week prior, so it seems to be worth keeping in touch. Camera repairs are so different in so many ways it is often difficult to compare experiences. How long did the estimate it would take to complete for your rangefinder adjustment and shutter overhaul?

BrianShaw · Jul 10, 2016

P.S. Steve's never asked me for payment in advance. Did they ask that of you?

trondsi · Jul 10, 2016

Hi, no he did not ask for any advance payment, nor did he ask for money to diagnose the problems with the camera.

Sirius Glass · Jul 10, 2016

Bill at Steve's did not ask for money for the initial take in, but after a month, when he promised three weeks. I called him and he admitted that he had not called me. He had a long list of things to fix or adjust, so I paid over the telephone. At the time he said he would have it done in two weeks. When I called him last week after the time was up, he still had not started it. Then Wednesday he called to add some springs to the list, as he was telling me about the springs he realized that the springs were the first thing on the list that I paid for. Again he said that he was going to start on it soon.

Sirius Glass · Jul 14, 2016

I got my Speed Graphic back. The work was good but they had to make some adjustment. The camera is in much better shape now.

trondsi · Jul 14, 2016

Thanks for the update! Well, it took a while, but that sounds like a happy ending to me, Sirius.

I will call them again next week to see how it's going.

removed account4 · Jul 15, 2016

trondsi said:
Hi everyone!
I live in LA and I would like to fix my Crown Graphic (adjust range finder, adjust shutter speeds). Do you have any recommendations as to where to go? Fleenor only does Rolleiflex.

late to the party
if it can be OUTSIDE OF LA and on ther side of the country
contact zack's camera repair, he is a wizard with old-cameras
as their apug block ad says " we do the impossible "
nice guy too !

Sirius Glass · Jul 15, 2016

trondsi said:
Thanks for the update! Well, it took a while, but that sounds like a happy ending to me, Sirius.

I will call them again next week to see how it's going.

I think that that is the correct approach. My basic problem was that he never called me and after about a month I called him. Then when I checked later, he still had not started the work. In the end he was apologetic.

BrianShaw · Jul 15, 2016

Worse things have happened... much worse. That is a rather petty issue to be angry about. I get it, but...

Sirius Glass · Jul 15, 2016

If I wanted to be ignored then I would have stayed married.

I was not angry, just annoyed.

BrianShaw · Jul 31, 2016

So Trondsi, how did things work out for you?

trondsi · Jul 31, 2016

Hi folks! I called Steve's a couple of times to check on progress, and I think this helped, because they finished before the date they had told me. I took two test pictures, and the shutter speeds are now dead on as far as I can tell, with none of the overexposure I had previously. It feels like they also oiled the rails and mechanics a little. It works smoother now, and setting the shutter is also much smoother. I changed my mind about the rangefinder, so they didn't touch it (it would have doubled the price) but now I wish I had asked for a full overhaul. So, good service overall!

Crown Graphic repair/adjustment near Los Angeles?

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