Hey guys. I'm looking for advice and opinions. I purchased a GS645S on eBay about 6 months ago. I love the size and the quality but the shutter and rf are both a little sticky which has been getting worse.
I bought it for $400. Servicing will cost over half that. I am pretty poor (grad school student on stipend) so here are my options:
1.) I could bite the bullet and send it away to be professionally serviced. ~$250+? I would want the focus checked, RF aligned and shutter cleaned/inspected. I live in California's Bay Area, any recommended repair shops?
2.) Clean it myself. I found repair manuals for sale online. I have a bunch of tools and I've opened up a couple 80's 35mm slr's. I imagine this is much more complex than those though. Especially with the fixed lens. More to screw up. This would cost me $20 for the manual and I do not know how to align the RF or test the focus of the lens but I could clean up the internals pretty well. Risks: I could also brick my camera.
3.) Sell it on eBay for a loss. It looks in great shape. I'd list it for $350 obo and let the buyer know everything I said here. I figure an expert may pay $300 for it and turn it around for $400+. I would buy a camera from a reputable store with a warranty. I save the $250 for servicing and I can get a new-to-me camera which is always fun but I'll be spending much more in the long run for a good camera and accessories for it.
Extra question: Can a camera repairman make an old gs645s shoot like new or is stuff like this really out of their control and inevitable of old cameras. I have only had one camera sent to a shop, my rollei35 for sticky aperture blades. $100 for a cleaning and inspection. 4 months later the blades started sticking again. I don't care, I know my rollei and I know how to make it work but I do not want to go through that for my Fuji. If I spend the money on a repair, will the problems only return a few months later? I fear that once a part becomes finicky, it will always be finicky and I really want my main shooter to be reliable and consistent.
Sorry for all that text. Advice?
I bought it for $400. Servicing will cost over half that. I am pretty poor (grad school student on stipend) so here are my options:
1.) I could bite the bullet and send it away to be professionally serviced. ~$250+? I would want the focus checked, RF aligned and shutter cleaned/inspected. I live in California's Bay Area, any recommended repair shops?
2.) Clean it myself. I found repair manuals for sale online. I have a bunch of tools and I've opened up a couple 80's 35mm slr's. I imagine this is much more complex than those though. Especially with the fixed lens. More to screw up. This would cost me $20 for the manual and I do not know how to align the RF or test the focus of the lens but I could clean up the internals pretty well. Risks: I could also brick my camera.
3.) Sell it on eBay for a loss. It looks in great shape. I'd list it for $350 obo and let the buyer know everything I said here. I figure an expert may pay $300 for it and turn it around for $400+. I would buy a camera from a reputable store with a warranty. I save the $250 for servicing and I can get a new-to-me camera which is always fun but I'll be spending much more in the long run for a good camera and accessories for it.
Extra question: Can a camera repairman make an old gs645s shoot like new or is stuff like this really out of their control and inevitable of old cameras. I have only had one camera sent to a shop, my rollei35 for sticky aperture blades. $100 for a cleaning and inspection. 4 months later the blades started sticking again. I don't care, I know my rollei and I know how to make it work but I do not want to go through that for my Fuji. If I spend the money on a repair, will the problems only return a few months later? I fear that once a part becomes finicky, it will always be finicky and I really want my main shooter to be reliable and consistent.
Sorry for all that text. Advice?
