If motor oil drips from your camera then it's a good bet the tech is no good . . .If, like me, you are mechanically declined, how do you know they didn't just squirt some motor oil down in the camera? How do you know the shutter speeds are calibrated, if you have no means of checking it yourself?
Also test the flash. My first 35 mm SLR was a Nikkormat FTN. These have two PC terminals, one for X (electronic flash, fires the flash when the shutter is fully open), the other for M (M class flash bulbs, fires the flash before the shutter opens). I broke the X terminal, took the camera to a highly regarded local shop. The tech replaced the X terminal, rewired the terminals so that the X terminal gave M and the M terminal gave X. I didn't check, lost every flash shot I took on a field trip.Test with film. If they adjusted the shutter speeds, shoot a series at each speed, take notes, and see if the exposures seem to be spaced correctly.
I have a camera that I sent to a tech because the hot shoe didn't fire my flash. He sent it back and said the flash worked fine. I tried two different flashes, that both worked fine on other cameras, but neither fired. So I took it to a local(ish) shop, and the guy grabbed a flash he had, and put it on the camera, and it fired fine.Also test the flash. My first 35 mm SLR was a Nikkormat FTN. These have two PC terminals, one for X (electronic flash, fires the flash when the shutter is fully open), the other for M (M class flash bulbs, fires the flash before the shutter opens). I broke the X terminal, took the camera to a highly regarded local shop. The tech replaced the X terminal, rewired the terminals so that the X terminal gave M and the M terminal gave X. I didn't check, lost every flash shot I took on a field trip.
Some techs are living on former glory and no longer are capable or willing to do the quality of work that they became famous for. I have had experiences with two.
Perform a google search and see if there have been issues.
You must deal with the wrong people. I have never had an experience like that. When a repair did not correct the problem or caused another, the problems was professionally corrected promptly.
Y'know, sometimes that's too late. See post #9 above.
Also test the flash. My first 35 mm SLR was a Nikkormat FTN. These have two PC terminals, one for X (electronic flash, fires the flash when the shutter is fully open), the other for M (M class flash bulbs, fires the flash before the shutter opens). I broke the X terminal, took the camera to a highly regarded local shop. The tech replaced the X terminal, rewired the terminals so that the X terminal gave M and the M terminal gave X. I didn't check, lost every flash shot I took on a field trip.
Y'know, sometimes that's too late. See post #9 above.
Right, Shame on me. The moral is to trust no one.Clearly a good tech admits their mistake and do their best to make it right. Unfortunately nobody can recover an outing so it's best to test the camera before a trip or important shoot.
He made the terminal work. Incorrectly. The flash(es) flashed in the field, unfortunately while the shutter was closed. It is true that I should have checked -- trust no one -- but the tech should have checked too.All of the equipment should have been lined up before the repairman and the repairman should have shown how to make the flashes work.
Right, Shame on me. The moral is to trust no one.
Correct. If it is an important shoot, all the equipment including the back up gear should be film tested and verified. Any technician can (and will!) make a mistake, so the equipment must be tested by the user before the shoot.Right, Shame on me. The moral is to trust no one.
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