There are various motivations for picking up a screwdriver.
Which are yours?
Which are yours?
Why we repair camera equipment
-
A
- Thread starter Andreas Thaler
- Start date
Recent Classifieds
-
For Sale Huge filter collection for sale!
- Started by Early Riser
-
For Sale FS: Yamasaki Tele-Congo 240mm f/6.3 Lens
- Started by B.S.Kumar
-
For Sale E6 and Color Chemicals, Stainless Steel Tanks Reels and film storage sleeves.
- Started by orbitaldebris
-
For Sale SILVESTRI RING N 1
- Started by Philippe-Georges
-
For Sale LINHOF AERO TECHNIKA 45 LENS COVER
- Started by Philippe-Georges
Forum statistics
Only with time I learnt that an object tells you its story, if you listen to it. At least in parts. A Paillard-Bolex H-16 of late that a gentlemen sent me because nothing would budge. After removal of the mechanism from the shell I discovered the spring clutch fork pinched between the rewind shaft and its control shaft. Both attaching screws were present but not in the mounting block. They were simply not turned in. So I concluded that the camera had been sold that way 60 years ago.
With a Paillard-Bolex D 8 L I am having on my bench right now I found a very badly made rewind plate (the large aluminium part with a square central opening). Its rim thickness is 0,9 mm on one side and 0,4 mm on the opposite. Had the quality control been as thorough as Paillard wanted to make everyone believe that part would have gone into the bucket, at least I as a turner would have had to pay for it. Half a millimeter cannot wear down asymmetrically on this part. The wire coil spring around it was correctly seated.
Such things attract me. Projectors offer plenty of history, too.
With a Paillard-Bolex D 8 L I am having on my bench right now I found a very badly made rewind plate (the large aluminium part with a square central opening). Its rim thickness is 0,9 mm on one side and 0,4 mm on the opposite. Had the quality control been as thorough as Paillard wanted to make everyone believe that part would have gone into the bucket, at least I as a turner would have had to pay for it. Half a millimeter cannot wear down asymmetrically on this part. The wire coil spring around it was correctly seated.
Such things attract me. Projectors offer plenty of history, too.
Because I enjoy:
- Dry shooting a camera.
- Field shooting a camera.
When it comes to cameras, I'm particularly interested in the electronics. And in the cameras of the early 1980s, the connection between mechanical and electronic components to form electromechanics.
Other than the reasons I have picked, I repair it because I believe it was once important to someone.
There was a time I followed the address inside the old case, went to Japan, successfully found the original owner (He was 89, just living a steers next to the old address). He was so excited to see his camera has (Konica Pearl ii ) returned. He told me that camera was lost on train and showed me the original box, receipt, old Konica warranty card and even the lost claim memo from police. The old man insisted his camera would return someday, since that has recorded many important photos of his family, especially his loved one.
There was a time I followed the address inside the old case, went to Japan, successfully found the original owner (He was 89, just living a steers next to the old address). He was so excited to see his camera has (Konica Pearl ii ) returned. He told me that camera was lost on train and showed me the original box, receipt, old Konica warranty card and even the lost claim memo from police. The old man insisted his camera would return someday, since that has recorded many important photos of his family, especially his loved one.
May I ask you a question? If you were to repair camera for money, how much would you charge for CLA a Nikon F3 assuming no parts were needed. Basically you would have to disassemble the camera, clean it, lube it and adjust it to specs?
I think you would have to charge more than the camera is worth and because of that if I have a malfunction F3 I would either try to fix it, sell it, or do nothing about it.
I would pay someone who can do that!
It certainly depends on how well you are familiar with the F3 and how much time you need for a CLA. But a refurbished F3 is worth the investment as it is a high quality camera.
Last edited:
I would pay someone who can do that!
It certainly depends on how well you are familiar with the F3 and how much time you need for a CLA. But a refurbished F3 is worth the investment as it is a high quality camera.
Since you're good at disassemble cameras so I ask you. In my opinion unless a no part CLA is more than $300 whoever did it really can't do a good job and make a living doing it.
The question is also whether you have to disassemble the camera completely or only to the extent necessary. In any case, you have to be trained on the respective model or you are a talented all-rounder. I wonder how the camera will be adjusted again afterwards. The service manuals contain instructions for mechanics and electronics, for which certain devices are required, some of which are no longer available.
Sover Wong offers full service for the Nikon F2 and is fully booked with orders for the long term. Prices see on his site:
There could also be a market for the F3, but I don't know of anyone who offers special services here.
I do my projects purely privately. To calculate prices for a commercial service, you would have to find out your own costs and know the prices of your competitors.
I haven't dealt with that yet.
I haven't dealt with that yet.
For me it’s really none of the above because I don’t work on cameras, however, I do work on other photographic stuff. I’ve disassembled an enlarging lens to clean out the fungus and that worked out great. I’ve torn apart an enlarger and, of course, built my very nice darkroom myself including jackhammering the concrete basement floor to attach to a drain line. I’ve built a variety of pinhole cameras, contact printing frames, and on and on. I think I avoid cameras themselves due to the size, my lack of knowledge and tools, and concern that I’d end up with a bag of parts instead of a working camera.
As has been said, when I do work/repair something part of the motivation is that I enjoy figuring out how things work and have since as far back as I can remember. My mother tells me that the first thing I always did with a new toys was to void its warranty.
I hold my own working on cars/motorcycles that are pre-1985 and can handle most mechanical, and some electrical, issues on vintage hi-fi equipment (tape machines, turntables, etc), and have repaired almost all of our home appliances at one time or another. And, of course, these days we have YouTube and the Web for assistance.
As has been said, when I do work/repair something part of the motivation is that I enjoy figuring out how things work and have since as far back as I can remember. My mother tells me that the first thing I always did with a new toys was to void its warranty.
I hold my own working on cars/motorcycles that are pre-1985 and can handle most mechanical, and some electrical, issues on vintage hi-fi equipment (tape machines, turntables, etc), and have repaired almost all of our home appliances at one time or another. And, of course, these days we have YouTube and the Web for assistance.
I don't know if switching from private to commercial is good for motivation, unless you have to do it to make money.
You then work with customers' things, have to be responsible for mistakes, determine and bill costs, meet deadlines, pay taxes, invest in equipment and training (where, with whom?), deal with competition and difficult customers/partners, etc.
That wouldn't make me happy.
The survey so far shows me that enthusiasm is the main motivation for DIY 
Most repair/service technicians charge $200-$300 to fully service a mechanical camera (my price is typically $200 plus parts, if required). Some who work on things like Rolleiflexes or Hasselblads may charge $400 or more. I’d like to say that I make a living wage doing this, but I don’t: this pays slightly more than $15 an hour. Only those who charge significantly more than I do are “making a living” doing it.
A small percentage (less than 5%) of my clients decide that it’s “not worth it” to get their camera serviced/repaired, and that’s entirely a personal choice. If a client has a personal connection to the camera (many do), then cost isn’t as much of an issue, since they plan on keeping and using the camera. But some people pick up a camera for $25 at a thrift store on a whim and they have far less interest in spending $200 or more to get it back into good condition. I don’t blame them for feeling that way - they’re not particularly invested in the device. Maybe they figured they would get it serviced and then flip it to make some money, but realize the odds of recouping the money is slim once they’ve paid to service it. I can understand not wanting to go that route either.
It will almost always be true that the cost of properly, completely servicing a camera will be close to, or greater than the value of the camera. But the vast majority of people who invest in servicing a camera are not doing it with reselling it for profit in mind.
No. I’ve worked by way through 2+ careers to a financially independent retirement that I started a few days after I turned sixty 11 years ago. The idea of doing something, commercially, for others holds little attraction. And, no, I wasn’t in the repair business when I was working. I did design and construct in the industrial piping field before spending my last 21 years as a high school teacher.
I described to someone yesterday that I feel like a custodian of the older film cameras so when I get one I either fix it myself if I can or if it is something special I will send it out for repair/service. I like to know that they will continue to bring joy.
As I said in the poll, I enjoy trying to fix them and I only occasionally throw one in the bin if it is not anything special and seems beyond repair. I used to send them to a young lad who was learning repair but he has created a business of it now and doesn't need to be inundated with damaged cheap 80/90's film cameras.
As I said in the poll, I enjoy trying to fix them and I only occasionally throw one in the bin if it is not anything special and seems beyond repair. I used to send them to a young lad who was learning repair but he has created a business of it now and doesn't need to be inundated with damaged cheap 80/90's film cameras.
Where did he learn?
I repair cameras for the challenge and satisfaction of potentially restoring function to a bit of history. I don't always succeed, but it is interesting to see manufacturing methods and sometimes marvel at either the amazing complexity or the abject crudeness of construction.
Either way, it's always very satisfying if the camera springs back to life and functions smoothly.
Sometimes, I swear I can hear the camera exhale and relax; happy to be back from the dead...
Either way, it's always very satisfying if the camera springs back to life and functions smoothly.
Sometimes, I swear I can hear the camera exhale and relax; happy to be back from the dead...
There's a young repair guy who moved from London and set up a business in Birmingham about a year ago. He learnt camera repair because he couldn't afford equipment, so by picking up and repairing broken camera he had fun and ended up with working cameras. He was looking to get training with an experience repair shop when I spoke to him.
Ian
That's him, Ian. Pierro I think. He was on The Repair Shop on TV.
I think he started aged about 10 or 11.A lucky man!
As far as I know, training to become a camera technician no longer exists, only training courses from manufacturers for current devices.
| Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here. |
PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:  |