Have my F5 repaired or Recycled?

[ted_smith]

Hi

As some of you know asn as per my signature, I have a Hasselblad as of a few months ago and I also have a 35mm Nikon F5. The F5 roll-on winder broke and I sent it to Nikon Repair for a quote.

The repair bill comes to about £260! They say that as part of the repair process they have to do one or two other things (including adjustment of the metering etc) so this figures cannot be reduced, they tell me.

My question then is this: Do I pay for the repair on the grounds that the returned F5 will probably work like clockwork for a few years without any problems due to the additional work they are having to do with it. Or do I have it recycled (at no additional cost to me - remember it cost me £10 to post it!) by Nikon on the grounds that I won't be able to sell it in such a state as it is and instead buy another F5 from www.ffordes.co.uk who have a range of F5's from between £250-£300 in the hope that a camera from them will have a 6mth warranty and hopefully be OK?

Or shall I just not bother, stick with my Hasselblad and continue to invest in the medium format side of things and sell my remaining Nikon stuff (which is not extensive - a 50mm lens, lens hood, flash cable etc).

Ted

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I think the pertinent question for you is whether you will use the F5 enough. If you see it as your 'go-to' camera, and the Hassy is secondary, then get it fixed. If not, recycle it and put the money toward either another Hassy lens or an additional film back or just a whole lot more film.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

Fix it. It'll be good to go another 5-10 years

 

[vedmak]

On a rangefinder forum, there were a couple of interesting discussions regarding GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) one of the ways of getting cured would be sticking to the equipment you already have and maintaining it, that is what I decided to do, just my 2 cents.

 

[CGW]

If it's minor fixes, I'd swallow it and go for the repairs. Nikon service is usually first rate and generous when it comes to extra tune-ups/minor parts. That way, it's working and you're spared the headaches of hunting for a replacement. Any busted or ailing Nikon bodies I own get fixed(if reasonable)or pitched rather than replaced. I've got too many and don't think 35mm is worth the bother any longer.

 

[phirehouse]

I agree...the F5 is a great camera and you are lucky to own one. If it were mine, I would let Nikon service it.

 

[bdial]

If you decide you won't be using 35, you may be able to sell it in as-is condition for enough to recover your shipping costs.
Otherwise, the repair is probably a better choice than buying another in random condition, given the cost is about the same either way.
Presumably Nikon is providing some sort of warranty on the repair?

The Hasselblad does many things well, but not all things, and the Nikon can fill in those functionality gaps nicely.

 

[Jesper]

I hate having to scrap a camera, so I would repair it.
But that is just my opinion.

 

[flatulent1]

If you don't use it and/or have little to no interest in expanding your Nikon kit, don't bother. Maybe there's something else you'd rather shoot with?

If you let Nikon repair it, they'll do a top-notch job and it'll run great for years.
If you buy another, you're rolling the dice and potentially buying somebody else's problems.

If it was mine I'd have it fixed. I have no problem throwing my own money away on needless camera repair; that's likely why I'm poor.

 

[erikg]

Makes no sense to spend the same or more on a replacement, repair it and you'll get a camera that you know will work with a warranty on the repair to boot.

 

[dehk]

If you are throwing it away, throw it over here.

 

[Richard Mendales]

I'd repair it. I've had my F5 since Nikon introduced it, and it's been one of the toughest cameras that I've ever owned. It's taken all kinds of punishment and is still a pleasure to work with. My guess would be that your camera, if the repairs are done right, will give you years of good service. The other thing about repair v. replacement is that you know what issues your camera has, and can readily determine whether the repairs have done well. If you substitute a new camera, you won't know its history, and could wind up with unpleasant surprises. Good luck

 

[pentaxuser]

Presumably Nikon will do exactly as you tell them. If they have warned you of other problems and if you insist that it is only the winder you want repaired then that is all they will do.

If you are unsure of (a) whether the other things need repair and/or (b) you are being overcharged then speak to them and if still not convinced ask for an itemised repair estimate in writing then contact another repairer such as Newton and Ellis in Liverpool and see what it would quote for the same repairs.

If Newton and Ellis is much cheaper then it might be cheaper to have the camera sent back to you at your expense unrepaired and send to N&E.

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

How much would you use a repaired F5?
What would a replacement cost?

Depending on the answers to the above that will point you to one of several options:
1) Repair the F5
2) Replace the F5
3) Turn the F5 into a bookend or doorstop, and use the Hasselblad.

Now that I shoot single frame 35mm, 35mm, 120, and 4"x5" [ok, 5"x4" for you] for several years, I would go with option 3 but also use the 4"x5" [ok, 5"x4" for you] too.

Steve

 

[Fotonovo]

Hi there - I've used a company called Aztec Services in Christchurch, Dorset who seem to specialise in servicing film Nikons and I was very happy with their service / prices. Might be worth dropping them a note...

 

[ted_smith]

In the end I took the plunge and have asked for it to be repaired. I agree with what many have said and my original sentiment in that a fixed and serviced camera (especially an F5) is likely to be good for years. So I'll have it back into my flock to accmpany my Blad.

I love using my Blad but the areas that I need to add to it cost too darn much...even extra film backs are several hundred quid!! So I'll keep using my F5 for those few areas where it's cheaper to use it to fill the gap!

Cheers all