Where to get an F2 Cla'd?

waynecrider · Jul 25, 2022

Just picked up an F2 and am looking for a good shop to CLA it and the Photomic head that doesn’t work/stuck battery cap. Prefer east coast for shipping.
Thinking of just going with a plain prism too and loosing a little weight. I have multiple meters if I need them.

MultiFormat Shooter · Jul 25, 2022

waynecrider said:
Prefer east coast for shipping.

You could try Camera Service Co. in Atlanta, GA.

BradS · Jul 25, 2022

Pretty much any competent repair shop that's been serving the professional market for more than 25 years **should** be able to overhaul the body and at least clean the viewfinder. In their time, these cameras were, of course, very commonly used by professional photographers and tended to be serviced very regularly - and, as a result, pretty much any worthwile shop would have serviced many Nikon F2 in their day. However, many shops today will tell you they cannot be serviced any longer due to the non-availability of parts. Like any old camera, the non-existence of replacement parts is a potential problem.

Bearman · Jul 25, 2022

And then there's the master of all F2 repair ninjas, Sover Wong.
Even if you don't need his level of overhaul, his site is worth a visit. https://soverf2repair.webs.com/

BradS · Jul 25, 2022

Bearman said:
And then there's the master of all F2 repair ninjas, Sover Wong.
Even if you don't need his level of overhaul, his site is worth a visit. https://soverf2repair.webs.com/

Yes, He is one of the few, maybe the only, repair tech that has replacement parts for the Nikon F2.

He overhauled one of my F2 bodies and its DP-1 finder years ago. It came back like new and working perfectly. He does amazingly good work but is EXPENSIVE and his backlog queue is now over a year. Many local shops can do the basic clean and adjust but have no replacement parts...so, if the camera just needs basic service / routine maintenance it can be done domestically, at half the cost and in much less time. But yeah, if, for example, the camera needs a winding mechanism, as mine did or the finder needs new CdS cells, Sover is probably the best bet.

mrosenlof · Jul 25, 2022

I liked his system of managing his queue, but recognize it might have taken more work to manage...

From Sover Wong's website:

From June 2022, I will not be taking new bookings as I need to clear my 2 year backlog.
However, I will still accept items I've previously serviced, without any booking.
From June 2024, I will take new bookings, on a reduced first-come first-serve basis.

Sirius Glass · Jul 25, 2022

In your state KEH.com 1-800-342-5534

Rayt · Jul 25, 2022

I don’t take my gear to the “masters” unless I need a mod, complicated repair or sitting on a pile of cash and don’t need that piece of gear for many months. A lot of people out there can do a CLA. I once owned an Opel GT and it was tough getting parts and expertise but an equivalent of a Honda Civic wouldn‘t be a problem.

BradS · Jul 25, 2022

waynecrider said:
Thinking of just going with a plain prism too and loosing a little weight. I have multiple meters if I need them.

Although currently in fashion (and therefore, shockingly expensive), The DE-1 meterless finder has a huge disadvantage compared to say, a DP-1 or DP-11 - even one with an inaccurate or non-functional meter. The esthetics, ergonomics and profile are certainly different but the DE-1 has NO aperture/shutter speed information in the viewfinder. For this reason, I strongly prefer even a non-functional DP-1 over a DE-1. The metered finders have full exposure info in the view finder. The DE-1 has no info. I also slightly prefer the ergonomics of the camera with the DP-1 or DP-11 metered finder even though many other people say they prefer the ergonomics of the body with the DE-1....but ergonomics, like esthetics, is of course, highly subjective.

waynecrider · Jul 25, 2022

I think there was a guy up in the northeast that did a lot of Nikon work but can’t remember the outfit?
There’s also a guy in Charlotte that can machine parts, but that might be taking it too far. He did some glass work for me.

I got the camera from KEH last week. If they wanted to I think they could have fixed it and tripled their money. Apparently they thought otherwise. I ran it thru speeds and everything seems ok except 1/2 which to my ear is 1 sec.
I think I’ll get a standard finder and get it Cla’d. Things seem a little tight but not bad so with the cla it might work out ok.

juan · Jul 25, 2022

Wings Camera is still on Briarcliff Road in Atanta. You might check to see if they still do that kind of work.

Where to get an F2 Cla'd?

From June 2022, I will not be taking new bookings as I need to clear my 2 year backlog. However, I will still accept items I've previously serviced, without any booking. From June 2024, I will take new bookings, on a reduced first-come first-serve basis. ​

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency

From June 2022, I will not be taking new bookings as I need to clear my 2 year backlog.
However, I will still accept items I've previously serviced, without any booking.
From June 2024, I will take new bookings, on a reduced first-come first-serve basis.