Rolleiflex CLA/Who to use.

jscott · Feb 14, 2012

I might add that Krikor wanted to charge me $60 shipping to return my three Automats, until I reminded him that they were shipped to him very safely packed in a $15 Priority flat rate box. To his credit he did return them to me in a $15 flat rate box.

darkprints · Feb 14, 2012

Has anyone sent their Rollei to Steve's Camera in Culver City?

http://www.stevecamera.com/index.html

cfclark · Feb 16, 2012

I used Steve's for a CLA of the shutter on my Speed Graphic and was pleased (though they wrote my phone number down incorrectly and thus couldn't find me to give me an estimate), but then I'm a sample of one opinion, and about a different camera. I would give them a shot again partially because I like having a resource I can drive to and where I can get to know the people working on my camera.

Dali · Feb 16, 2012

To be short: not so great experiences with Paul Ebel but excellent service from Mark Hansen's Classic Camera Repair. One was able to CLA a pre-war Rolleiflex Automat and a Rolleicord V, not the other.

peter_n · Feb 18, 2012

jscott said:
Krikor likes the F model Rollei, but he will turn up his nose at lesser or older models. I sent him three 1950's Automats in normal used shape (really not too bad, just needed CLA) and he phoned me to tell me they were "junk" and that he was returning them without working on them..... I would be careful what you send that particular gentleman, or you will just eat shipping two ways and get nothing for your money besides insults.

This is interesting and may explain something. A few weeks ago I sent Krikor Maralian a short email inquiring about his packing preferences for my E3. No reply and so maybe he doesn't like E3s either. I know he doesn't use email much but I did get an immediate bounce back from his email account saying he'd reply as soon as he could so I know it went to his inbox.

Long story short I waited for a while then instead of picking the phone up and calling him I sent the camera to Essex Camera Service. We'll see what it's like when it comes back...

Brandonium · Mar 13, 2012

peter_n said:
This is interesting and may explain something. A few weeks ago I sent Krikor Maralian a short email inquiring about his packing preferences for my E3. No reply and so maybe he doesn't like E3s either. I know he doesn't use email much but I did get an immediate bounce back from his email account saying he'd reply as soon as he could so I know it went to his inbox.

Long story short I waited for a while then instead of picking the phone up and calling him I sent the camera to Essex Camera Service. We'll see what it's like when it comes back...

Same here. I emailed Krikor 4 months ago about a CLA and screen upgrade for a 2.8C, received the bounce back but never a response. I am guessing the C series is garbage too. :confused:

Zewrak · Mar 13, 2012

Do we have a good recommended EU place?

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Jeff L · Mar 13, 2012

Zewrak said:
Do we have a good recommended EU place?

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I would use Jurgen Kuschnik (.com)
I used him to service an automat when he still lived in the States.

peter_n · Mar 21, 2012

Brandonium said:
Same here. I emailed Krikor 4 months ago about a CLA and screen upgrade for a 2.8C, received the bounce back but never a response. I am guessing the C series is garbage too. :confused:

Maybe so. Well I did get my pristine 3.5E3 back from Essex Camera (see post #31) and they did a great job. They read my comments and acted on them, responded to emails, and were polite and communicative on the phone. No insults or offensive literature with the return. I wasn't surprised at the quality as they've done work for me before, and they're not a revered name like a Fleenor or Maralian, but they are reliable and conscientious. Total cost including return shipping by UPS was $170, and the camera was gone for exactly 5 weeks. I'm pretty happy.

Richard S. (rich815) · Mar 21, 2012

peter_n said:
Maybe so. Well I did get my pristine 3.5E3 back from Essex Camera (see post #31) and they did a great job. They read my comments and acted on them, responded to emails, and were polite and communicative on the phone. No insults or offensive literature with the return. I wasn't surprised at the quality as they've done work for me before, and they're not a revered name like a Fleenor or Maralian, but they are reliable and conscientious. Total cost including return shipping by UPS was $170, and the camera was gone for exactly 5 weeks. I'm pretty happy.

Can you share with us exactly what was done for $170?

peter_n · Mar 22, 2012

I can fully share what was written on the service docket, yes: "Shutter/focus/film transport general check, adjust, clean and service to good working order." This is their standard verbiage that covers most issues that might arise in a CLA. There is a blue sticky on the docket that includes the words coupling plate and bayonet mount together with number strings that look like part numbers.

I had written a note to accompany the camera which pointed out that there were tiny dust particles in the taking lens and that the focusing knob was easier to turn at 6-7 ft than at other distances. Both of these issues were fixed. I'd also noticed that the four bottom pins were marginally off on a flat surface and wondered if the camera back was slightly out of alignment. There was a written note on the docket from the tech "4 bottom pin balance - tested good". The camera was tested using film.

I bought this camera late last year from Iceland and I'm not exaggerating but it looks like new. It's in incredible condition and I'm planning to use it pretty heavily so I wanted to get it checked up beforehand. I would have sent it to Krikor Maralian but I never heard back from him and I had used Essex before so I knew they were dependable. The breakdown of the repair cost was their standard Rolleiflex fee of $156 and $14.95 for shipping to MA from NJ. I have no connection with Essex other than being a satisfied customer. The next time one of my Leica bodies needs a CLA I think I'll send it there.

Paul Goutiere · Mar 22, 2012

I sent my Rollei Automat to Harry Fleenor on the advice of two friends.
The poor old camera is a bit of a mess but I think it has potential. Harry quoted me a fair price including a new Maxwell screen.

Harry is busy so I'll not see my camera again until the middle of May!

Argenticien · Mar 29, 2012

I have a Voigtlander Vitessa with Essex right now. It's the first time I've sent something to them. I was stunned to receive a snail-mailed estimate from them, requesting a physical signature and a check. Their web site says "You will receive an estimate within 10 days, and the repaired equipment will be returned within 2-4 weeks after your approval/payment is received" -- and I guess I assumed that those "received"s both meant electronically. Instead the estimate/invoice was an NCR-paper copy, printed on a dot-matrix printer. What is this, 1992? (That would be consistent with their web site, which quotes customer kudos from said year.) So they do introduce some delay by that process, when they could just get the approvals to proceed via email and the payment via PayPal or credit card. Like I said, it stunned me, but in the end the few days that it costs are minor compared to waiting months for Fleenor/similar. Besides, "how soon we forget!", right? All business was done like that for ages, until just a few years ago. I shoot film, write with fountain pens, and drive a stickshift car with crank windows, so I can't complain. And Essex were prompt with their email reply to "do you really still service Vitessas?!" before I sent the camera in. (Worth asking, I thought, as some repairmen run away from those.) If the Vitessa turns out well, a 2.8E that I've recently come into will probably go to them as well.
--Dave

peter_n · Mar 29, 2012

Yep, they're old-fashioned in the way they operate - they don't start work until the check clears. So sign the docket and send the check in! I called them to ask about shipping when I figured my Rolleiflex was ready and the bloke took my telephone number and called me back a few minutes later to tell me the body had shipped that morning. They don't use computers for internal tracking either, they have to go and check on the status of the box I think (there should be a box # on your service docket). That service docket hasn't changed in about 10 years, or the wording on it for that matter, or even the dot-matrix printing...

What counts is the work that they do, someone I know from another forum recently got a Leica body back from Essex that a well-known "name" Leica tech had completely messed up and was very happy that Essex had fixed it properly. Hopefully you'll have a good experience too.

Argenticien · Apr 5, 2012

By the way -- Peter and anyone else who has used Essex before -- how does their process usually work after one sends in a check and the signed approval to work? Do they contact you again in any way, or does a parcel containing the repaired camera just appear unannounced on your doorstep some weeks later? I notice that (according to my online banking) Essex have not cashed the check that I sent them about 10 days ago. It being a check and them being human, I would have expected they'd cash it as soon as possible after receipt, presumably about a week ago. I'm wondering if I should start getting paranoid that my payment was lost in the mail, but don't want to start being a pain in the arse to Essex by pestering them, if this is part of their iconoclastic modus operandi.
--Dave

JasonC · Apr 5, 2012

Dave, from my experience with Essex, after sending the checks, the cameras just showed up after few weeks.

Jason.

Argenticien · Apr 5, 2012

Thanks Jason. I guess it's a good job I'm not going on holiday any time soon such that the unexpected Vitessa would end up sitting undefended on my doorstep for days in my absence.

Posting the question this morning was just what I needed, in that by causing myself to wait for any comments to be posted (instead of me immediately firing off a "what are you doing?" question to Essex this morning), I delayed my stupid impulse just long enough. The check cleared sometime in the five hours between my last post and now! Remember when one used to see one's bank statements only monthly?!

--Dave

thuggins · Apr 5, 2012

I'll give another recommendation for Essex. They just fixed up a Retina for me, and I couldn't have been more impressed with their service. First, I sent an email describing the problems. They responded the next day with the exact cost, including S+H. I sent off the camera and the check with a copy of their email quote, and two weeks later a perfectly repaired, 100% good as new camera was back on my doorstep.

I've tried various services over the years, with mixed results. Essex beat them all for both quality and timelyness.

Argenticien · Apr 5, 2012

Wow, I did not know they were willing to do it that way (e-mail an exact quote and take payment based upon it, sight unseen) and thereby circumvent the step for the snail-mailed bill. I would think that works better for known garden-variety jobs on common cameras ("CLA this Nikon F2") than for open-ended fishing expeditions ("there are 5 things wrong with this Rolleiflex and I don't know the causes"). Presumably they're not silly enough to commit to a price on the latter (and my 2.8E is rather like that) without seeing the camera first. At least not without leaving themselves an out like saying "it'll be at least $x" rather than exactly $x. Still, cool!
--Dave

peter_n · Apr 5, 2012

Argenticien said:
By the way -- Peter and anyone else who has used Essex before -- how does their process usually work after one sends in a check and the signed approval to work? Do they contact you again in any way, or does a parcel containing the repaired camera just appear unannounced on your doorstep some weeks later?

No and yes. Unless of course you sent a dodgy check, but then I see later on in the thread you didn't. Mine took exactly 5 weeks door to door and I live in MA. You're in NC so about the same distance. But there's no communication, your job eventually gets done and they send it by UPS.

Argenticien · Apr 12, 2012

An update: The Vitessa is back from Essex. Sure enough, it just showed up on the doorstep with no prior warning. I will not be able to run a test roll through it until the week-end, but at least preliminarily, they seem to have done a superb job on it. I loaded a junk film and snapped all 36 frames, then rewound, then repeated the process, all with no problem. So it appears the formerly balky film advance is sorted, which is no small feat on the Vitessa with its idiosyncratic plunger winder. The shutter purrs, and the Ultron glass is very clean. I'm pretty convinced that if they could handle this wonky thing, they'll have an easy time with my 'flex when I've saved up for that CLA!

That's the last I'll mention of it here, since it's the wrong camera for this thread . I can't officially say Essex did perfectly, until I run a test roll through and write it up in another thread (here or on RFF). But so far, they're looking good.

--Dave

Rolleiflex CLA/Who to use.

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