Rolleiflex CLA/Who to use.

[Merg Ross]

I am in the market for an older Rolleiflex TLR and would like recommendations for a CLA. Who would you use? I recently used Jurgen Kuschnik who did a great job on two of my SL 66's but he is moving back to Germany this week. I am familiar with Harry Fleenor, however, was hoping for a shorter turn around time than is typical for Harry. I am on the West Coast. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Ross Yerkes in LA did a competent job on my 2.8E a few years ago. About $150

 

[celluloidpropaganda]

Ross Yerkes, according to numerous posts I've read from customers, has a habit of sending you some rather, uh, odd political and religious tracts with your order. A number of people were highly offended.

 

[Ranger Bob]

Juergen did a fine job on a 2.8F I had a few years ago. If Ross sends odd things, does it matter if he did a good job on the Rollei?

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I recommend Todd Belcher without reservation. Todd is near Vancouver -- he bought out F+H's Canadian repair division when it shut down so, in addition to knowing the cameras inside-out, he has all the parts to return your Rollei to as new condition. Todd works on Rolleiflexes in his spare time, and his availability depends on what's going in in the rest of his life. He's overhauled two Rolleiflexes for me, and I cannot say enough good things about his work. He is also a reliable source of Rolleiflex parts and accessories, and has a large inventory of Rolleiflexes available for purchase.

Email: Todd_Belcher@telus.net

Sanders McNew

 

[Shmoo]

You might try Klaus at Samy's in L.A. He used to work for Rollei, I believe.

 

[plummerl]

Having gone the Harry Fleenor route, I can definitely speak for him. My camera (2.8c) took some time, but for a 54 year old camera, it is like new.

larry

 

[dbseney]

Rolleiflex TLR

I have used Paul Ebel many times for various lenses and cameras including two Rolleiflex TLR's. He is great. Fast turn around and reasonable prices.

Give him a call, he'll let you know what he'll need to do and what the charges will be..

As well, he is a great guy.

phone (651) 335-8759

paulebel44@yahoo.com

Donald

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Ross Yerkes, according to numerous posts I've read from customers, has a habit of sending you some rather, uh, odd political and religious tracts with your order. A number of people were highly offended.

I threw the little political paper in the trash. I didn't pay it much attention to be honest. All I can say is its been more than three years and the camera is still working perfectly. (I fix them myself now) I paid half of Fleenor's extortionate rate and got my camera back inside of two weeks.

 

[jonathanbennett120]

Hey. I thought this was funny. In the New York Times Magaizine this past Sunday the "Ethicist" covers an issue mentioned here in this thread. here is a link. If you can't read it online, I'll copy in the text (thought that might be the sort of thing that "the ethicist" would tell me not to do!)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/magazine/26wwln_ethicist.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

-------

The Ethicist
Yarmulke Ruse

By RANDY COHEN
Published: November 26, 2006

I stopped patronizing a mail-order company when it began including editorial content about Jesus in its catalog, finding that inappropriate. I now plan to visit a camera store owned and staffed by Orthodox Jews. Although I am an observant Jew, I do not regularly wear a yarmulke, but I’m considering doing so in the hope of preferential treatment, maybe even a discount. Hypocritical? Ethical? --R.K., New York

Response:
What’s most lamentable about your scheme is not its hypocrisy — although there is that — but its deceit: you would present yourself to be what you are not, someone who regularly wears a yarmulke, an object of religious significance. What’s more, in ethics, intent counts, and yours is simply to cadge a discount, to be what genuine yarmulke-wearers might describe as, if not a ganef, certainly a shnorrer.

As far as tactics go, I’m skeptical that a discount for the Orthodox is on offer. And that’s as it should be. To give a price break to co-religionists is no different from imposing a price hike on nonbelievers. Ads boasting “Baptists Pay 10 Percent More” would not be appealing marketing or, for that matter, legal.

You might argue that what you propose is no more deceptive than acting courteously when you really feel antisocial. Dr. Johnson called politeness “fictitious benevolence” and was all for it: “It supplies the place of it amongst those who see each other only in publick, or but little. Depend on it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.” But politeness merely withholds the expression of your feelings, a matter of style; it does not falsely proclaim your beliefs, a matter of substance.

I myself would never wear a cat costume to a pet shop hoping to entice the animal-loving staff into offering me a discount on a squeaky toy. I might wear it socially, but that’s between me and my therapist.

UPDATE: R. K. went to the store bareheaded.


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[ineffablething]

Ross always did a great job on my Norita cameras. Always got them back when promised,too. It always kind of made me laugh to see the look on the UPS driver's faces when they would deliver his boxes with his crazy broadsides taped to the sides. I stopped using him the day I called him to check on a camera and he said "Say, do you know that black people account for 3/4 of all violent crime in the US?" I said "Why no, Ross, I didn't realize that" all the while looking down at my daughter (who is half black). I didn't really find it all that funny after that.

 

[naturephoto1]

Krikor Maralian has kept my Rolleiflex 3.5F 12/24 Planar in great working order over the years. That has included removal of fungus just starting in the lens, C&L, meter replacement, shutter spring replacement, shutter and meter adjustments, etc.

Krikor can be reached at:

Krimar Photo Shop
105B Broadway (Rt 4)
Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
(201) 796-0544

Rich

 

[photobum]

I know it's 3,000 miles away but I had Krimar do a complete overhaul on my 3.5f a few months ago. The turnaround time was two days, of course I was able to drive there.

Funny thing, when I picked up my camera the UPS guy was just leaving. He had dropped off a box with about 9 Rollei TLR's in it. So what "expert camera tech" is sending Krimar cameras? Is this why some guys have a long turnaround time? Man I wish I had seen the return label.

 

[Confusion Circle]

I recommend Todd Belcher without reservation. Todd is near Vancouver -- he bought out F+H's Canadian repair division when it shut down so, in addition to knowing the cameras inside-out, he has all the parts to return your Rollei to as new condition. Todd works on Rolleiflexes in his spare time, and his availability depends on what's going in in the rest of his life. He's overhauled two Rolleiflexes for me, and I cannot say enough good things about his work. He is also a reliable source of Rolleiflex parts and accessories, and has a large inventory of Rolleiflexes available for purchase.

Email: Todd_Belcher@telus.net

Sanders McNew

Where is Mr. Belcher located? Does he have a shop in/near Vancouver? If so, that would be great, as I live in Vancouver.

 

[Robert Budding]

I had one camera serviced by Yerkes. yes, he did a good job. But I don't want racist "literature" with every camera CLA. So I'll never use his services again. That was my choice - other people may decide differently.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Todd is a regular on the RUG. Seems like a great guy that helped me out in my early, formative, Rollei repair years

 

[DN1]

Ross Yerkes - Horrible Experience

Sent my camera to Ross Yerkes for a CLA. The man is totally. The camera was returned with an absolutely filthy screen and mirror. There also appear to be scratches on the screen. Have no idea if he performed any work on the camera at all, but have never gotten or heard of a camera returned from a CLA looking like this. I can only assume that this has something to do with my being of Jewish descent. About 5-6 pages of Anti-Semitic materials were enclosed with notes and annotations in red ink that matched the handwriting on the receipt (so it must be his). I cannot describe how offended, disgusted, and depressed I felt receiving this.

 

[Jeff L]

Did anyone use or get ahold of Todd Belcher in Vancouver?

edit- I sent an email to Todd Belcher. He responded and no longer repairs cameras and sold all his parts to Harry Fleenor.

 

[elekm]

There was another repair guy who went off the farm and used to enclose religious material in the package. He passed away about six or seven years ago, maybe more.

 

[KarnyDoc]

DM1, not to hijack the thread, what you describe *could* be considered, at minimum, a civil rights violation, so if you wish, you could report him.

 

[jscott]

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. He even wanted to rub it in by asking me how much I had paid for my junk (I chose not to share the amounts, but it was hundreds for each).

Having said that he did a nice job on my 2.8C for $160 plus shipping.

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.

 

[mgb74]

I spoke to someone a couple of days ago who had Ross Yerkes do a CLA. While the work itself was good the material included, based on his description, was extremely offensive. Personally, I wouldn't support anyone with such offensive views - no matter how good the work nor how cheap the price.

 

[summicron1]

krimar did good basic service on a Vb, very quick turnaround: http://www.krimarphoto.com/About_us.htm

but i also had Fleenor do my 2.8 E and it, of course, came back like new.

And Essex Camera Repair in NJ is always dependable -- they did a Leica IIIf for me that two other repair people had failed to fix right, and a Rollei 35 S model.

 

[Ben 4]

Krikor

Krikor has worked on my Automat without making any disparaging comments. But it's been a few years—perhaps he's pickier now? Absolutely first-rate (and frighteningly fast) service. I'm only one state away from him, and door to door, with ordinary shipping, the camera was only gone a week.

--Ben

 

[removed account4]

i had my rolleicord worked on by zack's camera repair here in ri.
he did an amazing job ( its a 1a type 3 from the 30s )
AND he's an apug advertiser ...