Is Sover Wong worth it?

[Ariston]

I am curious if anyone has had experience with him recently. I have only found one thread on Photrio by someone who had work done, and it is a glowing review. I am considering splurging for my F2... it’s expensive.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I thought he was worth it, even though it cost more than what I paid for the F2AS to start with. Had it done 3-4 years ago, and now I can’t even remember what it cost. Time heals all wounds.
It’s like a new camera, and he’s also good with time management as well. He’ll tell you when to send it in, and he works on it right when you send it in, and sends it back when he said it would come back. It’s not gone forever. None of that send it in and wait without much word for what seems like an eternity, never knowing if it’s being worked on or not kind of treatment you get from other well respected techs.
F2’s are great cameras. Worth being done right imo, but cost is always a personal decision.

 

[logan2z]

You might find this interesting...

 

[Nitroplait]

"Worth it" is difficult to answer. Definitely not if you plan to sell it, but for the joy of having a camera working to the best of its ability it may be.
Theres a discussion about the subject here: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/has-anyone-had-sover-wong-repair-your-nikon-f2-camera.5497730/

 

[Swordman]

Suppose he is as good as they say, then I'd say it's money well spent. However, if you find a good repair technician, they could probably do a similar job for a fair bit cheaper.

I took an Olympus Pen F to be repaired to a well respected camera technician and I was told it was unfixable without a donor camera. Later, I took it to a repair shop in Dubai and they fixed it for a very reasonable price. Different repair technicians have different levels of skill.

 

[Huss]

Sover repaired the light meter in my F2AS that local and well known experts couldn't.

If you are planning on keeping the camera for ever (!) then it is worth it. Also for peeps in the know, selling an F2 that has certifiable Sover service adds a serious premium.

 

[warden]

You might find this interesting...

Now I want an F2. Damn.

 

[BradS]

Sover overhauled one of my two remaining Nikon F2 some years ago. I'd like to have him go through the other one but will probably send it to someone else when the time comes. It's not the cost but the lead time. Last I checked, he was quoting 14 months. Sover's prices may seem high but he does not charge for many replacement parts that other shops either do not have and cannot get or charge extra for...so, Sover's price comes out to be the same or actually better (if he has a part that the other guys do not). Nikon stopped supplying repair parts to independent repair shops years ago...so, many shops that used to work on Nikon either outright refuse to work on Nikon or hack their way through. I've also found one of the local official Nikon authorized repair shops to have despicable business practices (hint: NEVER deal with a shop that charges for an estimate!)

 

[mrosenlof]

He overhauled an F2 for me a couple of years ago. The camera was working, but I had no idea of its history or internal condition. It came back working with documentation on its condition. I thought it was worth it. He's got a long lead time, but if you're not sitting on a non-working camera, he manages his queue pretty well and actual door to door turnaround is decent.

So I'm a happy customer, and am in the queue for another one. But! There were a ton of F2s made and many were professionally used, which means service. I expect any competent camera repair shop has somebody who is very familiar with this camera. I don't know what the parts situation is. I'm kind of guessing that Nikon is not furnishing *anybody* with F2 parts any more.

 

[Ariston]

Thanks everyone. I know it is not worth it from an economic sense, since I won't get that money back out of it. I was just wondering if people who wanted to keep their cameras felt they "got their money's worth" from the service. It sounds like most are happy. I'm on the waiting list now.

 

[Huss]

I'm kind of guessing that Nikon is not furnishing *anybody* with F2 parts any more.

I think the only film camera that Nikon provides parts for is the F6.

 

[BradS]

Thanks everyone. I know it is not worth it from an economic sense, since I won't get that money back out of it. I was just wondering if people who wanted to keep their cameras felt they "got their money's worth" from the service. It sounds like most are happy. I'm on the waiting list now.

There's much more to the economics than just resale value. There is significant value in knowing that your equipment works properly and will continue to work properly for some foreseeable future. If the camera is used regularly, the cost of the overhaul is very negligible in the long run - ten years after the overhaul, the camera will be working reliably and the money spent on the overhaul won't matter one bit. As an example, during a normal, non-pandemic, year, I spend more on film each year than the Sover Wong overhaul cost. So, after eight or ten years of use....well, you get the picture....and that's just film, there's also processing, prints, travel costs - fuel, drive time, airline tickets, hotels, etc...What's it worth to have a reliable camera when you've spent $2000 on airfare to get to your location?

 

[BradS]

...There were a ton of F2s made and many were professionally used, which means service. I expect any competent camera repair shop has somebody who is very familiar with this camera. I don't know what the parts situation is. I'm kind of guessing that Nikon is not furnishing *anybody* with F2 parts any more.

It's a very good point. The impression I got from one of the shops I used to use quite frequently was that when Nikon changed it's policy so did the shop owner. Nikon stopped selling parts to independent repair shops, he flat out refused to work on Nikons anymore....Something I've heard from a couple of independent but very good repair shops.

 

[choiliefan]

"One can never go Wong with Sover".

 

[George Mann]

So who in the US still offers a basic service for these?

 

[ChristopherCoy]

If he does everything he says he does, and can basically rebuild an F2 to nearly new status... I'd be tempted to send the one John sent me to him eventually. Knowing that it's a fully mechanical camera that could last another 100 years gives me a certain peace of mind that I dont get from the F5.

 

[DWThomas]

There's much more to the economics than just resale value. There is significant value in knowing that your equipment works properly and will continue to work properly for some foreseeable future. If the camera is used regularly, the cost of the overhaul is very negligible in the long run - ten years after the overhaul, the camera will be working reliably and the money spent on the overhaul won't matter one bit. As an example, during a normal, non-pandemic, year, I spend more on film each year than the Sover Wong overhaul cost. So, after eight or ten years of use....well, you get the picture....and that's just film, there's also processing, prints, travel costs - fuel, drive time, airline tickets, hotels, etc...What's it worth to have a reliable camera when you've spent $2000 on airfare to get to your location?

Well said! I admit to seldom even considering a CLA if the camera is working (and did my own on an Argus C-3). But a few years back when I noticed the shutter release on my TLR was a little sluggish popping back out, I sent it (a Yashica 124g) to Mark Hama. It's now like a new one, even the meter works. It accompanied me and Faire Spouse on a 5800 mile drive around the US and on a Rhine cruise in 2019. The total invested in the camera is comparable with tips!

 

[Scott Micciche]

Just like that video above. A Sover-ized F2 is better than new. It is also worth it to invest in some upgrades, like his resistor ring (DP-12), double foam insulation and some things that might interest you while he has it. If your F2 has the "ping" from the mirror box, chances are 99.42% the other foam in the unit has perished as well.

 

[Huss]

So who in the US still offers a basic service for these?

Site sponsor Zacks Camera Repair does fantastic work.

 

[benjiboy]

Although I'm not a Nikon user and I have no doubt Mr Wong is probably the best in the business and World renowned, I understand his waiting lists is around two years or more.

 

[Vincent Peri]

Although I'm not a Nikon user and I have no doubt Mr Wong is probably the best in the business and World renowned, I understand his waiting lists is around two years or more.

The current waiting time is 15 months, according to his web site:

"The current waiting time for F2 bodies and finders is 15 months, but I have booking system so that customers can be book their cameras in advance, and I would email them when they can send their cameras to me. However, there's no waiting time for lenses, MDs and DS units, as I can repair them between camera services. Also, there is no waiting time for maintenance service of F2 bodies and finders I've serviced before."

 

[Steve York]

I understand he has a special magic wand.

 

[jimjm]

I recently contacted him regarding repair of a DP-11 meter head, and he said the wait time would be about 14 mos, but it might be as soon as 12 mos when he will give me the go-ahead to send it in. The meter's unusable now anyway, so I don't mind the wait. I love shooting with F2's, so it's worth the cost to have it repaired correctly.
He's one of the few repairers that has a good supply of replacement parts, which is usually required for the ring resistor in the metered heads.

 

[pthornto]

I say he’s worth it for sure. I had an F2 done a few years back. Works like new. I have a second body in the queue since October to go in. No one will ever again build a machine at all similar to an F2. They are special even among quality film slrs. Sover has a real passion for these cameras and he brings out the best in them.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

While having no experience with him..........or an F2 for that matter having a reputation as he does carries a lot of weight with me. I had my FM2n restored by Gus Lazzari of TLC camera repair. I was warned of a long wait and that indeed was fact. However it was well wrth it. Camera was returned in as new condition. Price was very good for the quality and amount of work done. The long wait is because those guys are in high demand.