Does this sound reasonable?

[reverend jay]

I emailed Mark Hama last night to get an estimate on a clean and calibrate for a Yashicat Mat 124 and a Rolleiflex MX-EVS. He emailed me this morning and the estimate for the yashicamat is $145 and the Rollei is $195. I can justify the Rollei but the Yashicamat seems a little high. I know he does incredible work so I am considering it. They are both in great shape, but the shutter speeds have become slow naturally over time and I just want them overhauled. What do you think?

 

[Q.G.]

A good price for the amount of time it will take. But too much for what the Yashica is worth, i think.

 

[Ian Grant]

It sounds a little high even by UK standard, and repairs are always more here. I had the same model Yashica and a later Rolleiflex done at the same time 2 years ago but my Rollei needed more work as it malfunctioned (lack of use for 36 years) and that was £95 (approx $155) but the CLA on the Yashicamat shutter was the £50 ($80) minimum charge.

You need to shop around, these are very routine CLA / repairs, they don't take a good repairman long at all and normally work out less than your quote

Ian

 

[Jerevan]

It depends on what the CLA really consists of. If he does more than just clean the shutter for that price, it may be justifiable. Even though as, Ian says, this may be a routine thing for a competent camera tech, I think one should be aware that cheap CLA can become more of a hassle in the end if the repair person is not up to the task.

I have a Rolleiflex Automat which I sent for a service of the shutter and the stiff shutterspeed/aperture wheels. I sent it to what I believed was a competent (and cheap) repair man. Well, the camera came back in even worse condition! Writing him off the list, I then had another guy look at it. Camera came back a second time, a bit better wheel function but shutter still sticking (!).

Exasperated, I put the camera on the shelf. In the end I couldn't sell it (being too honest to flog it as a Mint minus condition on ebay) and it just seemed to be non-repairable. Half a year later I got a tip in another forum about Jürgen Kuschnik, former Rollei tech. I packed the camera a third time, thinking "the h*ll with it, if it doesn't work when it comes back, I'll throw it out the window".

Jürgen stated clearly what was wrong and what it would cost and possible future issues to think about. I gave a go-ahead and yes. third time's the charm! Camera works as it should. It cost me some good money, but now the back is straight, shutter and self-timer works, focus is adjusted, film transport smooth and lenses clean and clear.

Yes, it is quite possible that I could have gotten the camera working by going back to repairman A or B but hearing a few others complaining, I had lost my trust.

I understand if $145 and $195 sounds a bit much. I think it is relative to the value of the equipment and to the value you yourself put into having a working camera - had you bought the Rollei for say, $2500 and depended on it for food on the table then the CLA would be "cheap". With the dminishing value (both actual and perceived) of the cameras the CLA prices will be less and less attractive, possibly giving way to "buy another for $5 instead".

 

[LyleB]

I had very good luck with Dean's of Idaho for my Yashica D. Quick turn-around (one week), good work, camera was fully tested prior to return, and MUCH cheaper. I would shoot him an email for an estimate.

http://www.deansphotographica.com/

Per Dean's website, his CLA includes completely disassembling the shutter, cleaning, re-lubing to manufacturer's specs, then adjusting speeds, again to manufacturer's specs. Also includes cleaning all non-factory-sealed lens surfaces, all viewing surfaces, replacement of light seals, and adjustment of film advance mechanism if needed (small extra charge). He also cleaned all inner and outer surfaces, replaced a couple of missing caps, and film tested the camera before returning it. Sounded pretty thorough. Well under $100, including shipping.

 

[Ian Grant]

There do seem to be CLA's and a good service of a shutter.

I spoke to the company who do my repairs (B on W in Bristol, UK) and they disassemble a shutter then rebuild it when they do a CLA, when you get them back they are accurate well within the original tolerances.

Other CLA's seem to be less vigorous with some companies sending the shutter back with a sheet listing the actual shutter speeds against the marked speeds, sometimes as much as a stop out.

Ian

 

[reverend jay]

I feel totally confident that Mark Hama will do a stellar job judging from the reviews of his service. I intend on keeping my cameras and intend on using them forever so I guess it could be justified. Other than the slow shutters there really isn't much wrong with them, but I heard Mark goes over and above the standard CLA, so I may pull the trigger on it even though the price is high.

 

[Jerevan]

There do seem to be CLA's and a good service of a shutter.

"Squirt some oil in there and off ye go..."

 

[Ian Grant]

I feel totally confident that Mark Hama will do a stellar job judging from the reviews of his service. I intend on keeping my cameras and intend on using them forever so I guess it could be justified. Other than the slow shutters there really isn't much wrong with them, but I heard Mark goes over and above the standard CLA, so I may pull the trigger on it even though the price is high.

That's a fair comment if he does a good once over of the complete camera, that's the Leitz attitude when their repair departments do even a simple job.

Actually B on W told me there was another issue with my Yashica which would be a large job, we concluded it wasn't economic as the camera was a user (not mint) and so I just had the shutter CLA done. It turned out the camera had been dropped by the previous owner and the focus mechanism slightly twisted. They also fitted a strap FOC

Ian

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I think those old cameras are worth fixing. I just sent in a Zeiss Super Ikonta IV and a Roleiflex Automat IV to Essex cameras for repairs. it's costing be $254 for both. Those old cameras are worth fixing as long as I could afford to keep them. They don't make cameras like that anymore.

 

[Jerevan]

Amen to that, Mainecoonmaniac! (do I sense a certain affinity towards cats, with that name?) That was the reasoning behind me not giving up on the Rollei.

 

[reverend jay]

This is the only way I can justify it really. These cameras will be taking great pictures long after I am dead and you just can't put a price on that. I was just saying to the wife the other day that I wish they still manufactured things like they did 70 years ago. I am tired of living in such a disposable society.

 

[LyleB]

This is the only way I can justify it really. These cameras will be taking great pictures long after I am dead and you just can't put a price on that. I was just saying to the wife the other day that I wish they still manufactured things like they did 70 years ago. I am tired of living in such a disposable society.

While I'm not all that old, I do expect the various old cameras that I'm accumulating and having serviced will probably out-last me. With that thought in mind I have set up a notebook with a snap of the camera, and it's history as I know it. I figure, if the family ever needs to dispose of these, it will help them, since they will be totally in the dark. I include copies of the invoices for the service, purchase date/price, brief explanation of what is special about the camera model, and suggestions for disposal - including listing on APUG.

Is this anal?

 

[benjiboy]

I think if they were my cameras, and Mike Hammer is as good a technician as he is reputed to be, and as you say you want to keep the cameras I would accept his quotation and ask him to go ahead because they could give you many years of further pleasure, I've had five of my cameras serviced in the last year which cost more than I could have bought them for on E bay, but I know where they've been for the last twenty odd years and that that haven't been tampered with by unskilled owners and I now look forward to many more years use of them because they now look and operate like new .

 

[Jeff Kubach]

It might seem high at this time, but in the long run worth it.

Jeff