[TwoUptons]

I have been "listening" to this discussion, as I do whenever pricing for repairs, in particular, cla's, come up.

So Eric,
The gentleman your sending your camera to that lives in Oregon. Is that in the Portland area, and does he also work at one of the shops that are local? I am asking because I live in Newport, have heard members recommend a certain shop in Portland quite a few times, and is relatively close by (135 miles)

Reason I'm asking is that I have seen posted, prices for cla's( I believe his name is also Eric,) that everyone sends their Pentax to, have cost. There have been other shops recommended as well, and what they charged. One of which breaks down what all their cla entails. Long story, shorter. I called the shop in Portland that was recommended and asked how much a cla would cost on my wife's ME super. It was still in good working condition, just had not been used in 20 years. I was quoted $250, which is much much higher than the others.

I honestly believe that these repairmen dont really want to take on the job, and quote an exorbitant price just for that reason. I have worked with different businesses in the past that have done that same thing. When someone does pay the price, I have heard them say "I need to raise my price again". They really just don't want to do the work.

I don't know if the guy I'm using in Oregon does work for local shops, but he's in Corvallis, not Portland.
And that's for a Kodak Retina. That's his thing... only Retinas and a few similar old 50s antiques.
He was recommended by Chris Sherlock in his "I'm retiring, stop sending me cameras" post.
I just got an email today that said it's coming home... I'll let you know how it goes

There is a camera shop in Portland I've used for film and used gear before (though their prices tend toward the high side). It's not that one...
I tend to drool over their used gear selection and then weep over the prices but they have 120 with the ends of the spools ground off to fit 620 cameras.

I have used Eric Hendrickson in Tennessee for my Pentax gear. His prices are reasonable, and he will tell you if he doesn't want to work on a particularly challenging problem rather than string you along with a high price. While I'd prefer he was able to fix anything without issue, I'm glad he's straight about it.
I'll note not everyone here has had flawless experiences with him, but I currently have no complaints.

I've also used a shop in Atlanta that specializes in Nikon gear for a couple of Nikons I've had (My F still looks like it fell out of a plane, but it works great, and a pristine F is just wrong), and they fixed my H1a when Eric said he couldn't get parts (and they charged me about twice what his CLA costs). They were cheaper than KEH's going rate, though.

-Eric

[martin42mm]

I don't know if the guy I'm using in Oregon does work for local shops, but he's in Corvallis, not Portland.
And that's for a Kodak Retina. That's his thing... only Retinas and a few similar old 50s antiques.
He was recommended by Chris Sherlock in his "I'm retiring, stop sending me cameras" post.
I just got an email today that said it's coming home... I'll let you know how it goes

There is a camera shop in Portland I've used for film and used gear before (though their prices tend toward the high side). It's not that one...
I tend to drool over their used gear selection and then weep over the prices but they have 120 with the ends of the spools ground off to fit 620 cameras.

I have used Eric Hendrickson in Tennessee for my Pentax gear. His prices are reasonable, and he will tell you if he doesn't want to work on a particularly challenging problem rather than string you along with a high price. While I'd prefer he was able to fix anything without issue, I'm glad he's straight about it.
I'll note not everyone here has had flawless experiences with him, but I currently have no complaints.

I've also used a shop in Atlanta that specializes in Nikon gear for a couple of Nikons I've had (My F still looks like it fell out of a plane, but it works great, and a pristine F is just wrong), and they fixed my H1a when Eric said he couldn't get parts (and they charged me about twice what his CLA costs). They were cheaper than KEH's going rate, though.

-Eric

Retina Reflexes can be a complete pain to repair, just like most other leaf-shutter SLRS! Don't even mention the Voigtlander Ultramatic......if you do find a repairer to do one, and I try to turn them down if I can, they will be expensive to repair, always assuming it can be repaired.

[ChrisPlatt]

If I were in the market for a 120 TLR I'd look for a Minolta Autocord.
Karl Bryan in Beaverton OR specializes in servicing them.

In the past I sent him 35mm and 127 cameras when he serviced other brands/models.
He does good work and is very reasonable.

Chris

[martin42mm]

If I were in the market for a 120 TLR I'd look for a Minolta Autocord.
Karl Bryan in Beaverton OR specializes in servicing them.

In the past I sent him 35mm and 127 cameras when he serviced other brands/models.
He does good work and is very reasonable.

Chris

For decent quality TLRs I'd recommend the Yashica models. The Yashinon lenses are good too. We do seem to be wandering from the LX/MX debate here...!

[ChrisPlatt]

For decent quality TLRs I'd recommend the Yashica models. The Yashinon lenses are good too. We do seem to be wandering from the LX/MX debate here...!

Mark Hama repairs Yashica TLRs. His service gets mixed reviews.

I would opt for the Minolta Autocord because Karl Bryan repairs them,
just as I use Pentax 35mm SLRs because Eric Hendrickson repairs them.

Chris

[martin42mm]

Mark Hama repairs Yashica TLRs. His service gets mixed reviews.

I would opt for the Minolta Autocord because Karl Bryan repairs them,
just as I use Pentax 35mm SLRs because Eric Hendrickson repairs them.

Chris

Yes, sadly, it depends where you live as to what service you can get , and how much it costs. But don't blame the camera if someone can't do a decent service on it. Just like with car repairs, some repairers are better than others!

Problem is the majority of mechanical cameras, and I include the MX and the partly-mechanical LX, is that most replacement parts will be second-hand if used to effect a repair, culled from cameras that are no longer capable of being repaired through general wear or economics. Which means all the mechanical cameras we use today are gradually wearing out to a degree, and it is only down to the skill of what repairers remain, plus the original quality of the camera itself, that will determine how many are still going in 50+ years time. Most post-war cameras are constructed of hundreds of (usually) unique interconnected parts, and if even one of these fails, it can mean the failure of the camera-sometimes permanently if a replacement cannot be sourced. There are some repairers prepared to fabricate a replacement part, but since this is usually done by hand, the cost is often just not economic. Having done so for a few cameras where there was no alternative it sometimes calls for ingenuity in taking a part from a different camera and modifying that to fit the 'patient', but of course, you are also robbing out another finite part from another camera!

[Jonathan Mac]

The beauty of mechanical cameras, excluding the metering of course. is that they do not rely on electronics or batteries to work. If I were to pack a backup PK mount film camera, it would be either the MX for preference given the size and brightness of the v/f, or a K1000 if an S/T is not important to me. An alternative would be a KX since that again is a mechanical camera. I would NOT rely on a P30,or an ME Super, since they are not the most robust either mechanically or electronically, as evidenced by the number of dead bodies in my spares boxes that have come from unrepairable P30s and MEs! The LX is of course a hybrid mechanical/electronic camera, so will work on a restricted range of speeds should the battery die or the electronics develop an issue.

I've found the P series bodies to be very reliable. They're not as solid as an MX but also not as old or as likely to have been heavily used by a pro. They don't have the early electronics of the first generation of camera with auto exposure so they're not that prone to failure. They are also of low value on the market so I don't mind putting them in checked-in luggage.

The big disadvantage of the fully mechanical cameras (and the LX, ME, etc.) is that they will not work properly with lenses that lack an aperture ring.
So they don't work awesomely as backup bodies for modern lenses... I think that's where the old program bodies work best, even if they are reliant on electronics.

If I'm backing up modern stuff, I prefer something like a PZ1, but even a P30 or SuperProgram would work for that. And P30s are cheap enough you could buy several and have spares.

But if I'm shooting film to shoot film, with older lenses, I prefer the MX/KX approach. The LX is a wonderful machine, but I can't justify one the way I would use it.

-Eric

Any lens without an aperture ring is an AF lens and is therefore not very enjoyable to use on a fully mechanical camera anyway.

[arnold]

I honestly think he is leading you up a very long and expensive garden path. I have NEVER done a service or repair on any camera, or lens, in my life that has reached anywhere near $300, and that includes parts! These have included Contax R/Fs, Leicas ( R/F & SLR), and Hasselblads, so not exactly low-end cameras.
They stopped manufacturing MX bodies decades agao, and I doubt if there are any original new parts in Pentax repairers' stores. The only way of replacing anything in an MX is usually to rob out a scrap body, and I have never had to scrap a single one over 40+ years. In fact I've never 'scrapped' a single mechanical Pentax camera body of any description, just those that sadly suffer ( usually) from mechanical weaknesses such as the ME/MESuper/MV electro-mechanical cameras that have an achilles heel in the wind-on mechanism that is not economically repairable. And that is where the vast majority of any repairer's spares come from, the cameras that have died. I never throw anything away, something can always be re-used at sometime on another repair. Some external parts of those Pentaxes for example will also fit the MX, but the remainder of that camera is unique.

I can only suggest you ask your repairer what switch he is talking about, and why any such part would need to go from Moldova via China! As for the $300-as I'm sure you realise - it will buy you a 'low mileage', fully serviced MX for less than half that sum., From what you said about the tales this repairer is spinning you I honestly think you are being taken to a very expensive cleaners! If you doubt my word, drop Rick Oleson in the US a brief line and ask for his opinion, it could save you a lot of money and grief .Rick repaired cameras for decades, and his 'Tech Notes' that he has published online are useful pointers and tips for anyone who wants to lift the lid on their camera and service/repair it. Rick no longer repairs cameras for a number of reasons, but he is always willing to give friendly advice based on his experience, which is considerable.

And one additional point regarding the puzzle as to why a part would need to go via China from Moldova. I live in the UK, and apart from the Russian enclave travel to and from Moldova is not restricted from the UK, so I would assume that applies to the postal system as well.

An update on the MX repair:
I wrote to repairer after receiving camera back:
" MX arrived this morning thank you. The first thing I did was to check all the functions. All seemed good until I found that the counter doesn't reset when the door is opened. Checked that the little reset lever was free to move and it was. Then wound on to #36 to see if something inside would reset, but no luck, it is unserviceable. A final check list might have caught this.

As far as I know, there is no printed circuit board in the MX so I am at a loss understanding your reference to it in your quote and invoice. No mention of the actual parts replaced.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to send this back after waiting three months and spending quite a sum on it."

He wrote back after again repairing it:

"Your MX is on its way back,
[ref] The no printed circuit board as you describe….with the camera is a photo of it under the top cover. All MX models have printed circuit assembly as they are digital metering system as with most of the cameras of this vintage. The reason for digital circuitry is the meter does not have the magnet dislodge nor does it attract iron dust & fragments to it. The metering works in very low lighting conditions & also in very bright conditions with superior accuracy & view ability."

So it seems there is a circuit board then. He said he ran a film through it to check it all. He has given me the wrong tracking number this time.

[martin42mm]

An update on the MX repair:
I wrote to repairer after receiving camera back:
" MX arrived this morning thank you. The first thing I did was to check all the functions. All seemed good until I found that the counter doesn't reset when the door is opened. Checked that the little reset lever was free to move and it was. Then wound on to #36 to see if something inside would reset, but no luck, it is unserviceable. A final check list might have caught this.

As far as I know, there is no printed circuit board in the MX so I am at a loss understanding your reference to it in your quote and invoice. No mention of the actual parts replaced.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to send this back after waiting three months and spending quite a sum on it."

He wrote back after again repairing it:

"Your MX is on its way back,
[ref] The no printed circuit board as you describe….with the camera is a photo of it under the top cover. All MX models have printed circuit assembly as they are digital metering system as with most of the cameras of this vintage. The reason for digital circuitry is the meter does not have the magnet dislodge nor does it attract iron dust & fragments to it. The metering works in very low lighting conditions & also in very bright conditions with superior accuracy & view ability."

So it seems there is a circuit board then. He said he ran a film through it to check it all. He has given me the wrong tracking number this time.

Your repairer clearly doesn't know a thing about how the MX actually works, or is being somewhat economical with what he is trying to convey to you. Yes, there is a printed circuit on top of the prism under the top-plate, but it has zero effect on the actually working of the camera. It is solely for the metering system, and nothing else. Your camera had a shutter with a speed problem, and replacing the pcb would have had no effect on the shutter whatsoever. And the repairer still has not explained what this mysterious switch is! As far as I can see he has repaired a light meter that was working fine before it was dispatched, and then managed to foul up the frame-counter into the bargain. And then charged you for it all! Not exactly an expert repair from where I'm sitting...

[martin42mm]

Your repairer clearly doesn't know a thing about how the MX actually works, or is being somewhat economical with what he is trying to convey to you. Yes, there is a printed circuit on top of the prism under the top-plate, but it has zero effect on the actually working of the camera. It is solely for the metering system, and nothing else. Your camera had a shutter with a speed problem, and replacing the pcb would have had no effect on the shutter whatsoever. And the repairer still has not explained what this mysterious switch is! As far as I can see he has repaired a light meter that was working fine before it was dispatched, and then managed to foul up the frame-counter into the bargain. And then charged you for it all! Not exactly an expert repair from where I'm sitting...

And if you have a small claims court in the US as we have in the UK, I would ask for your money back. The ONLY thing wrong with your camera when you sent it was regarding the 100% mechanical shuuter speeds. To adjust those, the only plate that needs removing is the baseplate. The adjustment should take no more than 30 minutes tops, and the cost no more than £20. There was zero reason for removing the top-plate, which means your repairer would not have caused the issue with the frame-counter, and since the metering was fine beforehand ( I assume) , absolutely no reason to even touch the meter PCB, let alone replace it -and then charge you for it!
It sounds like the guy has made a right royal c--k-up of this repair, and you have had to foot the excessive bill for his incompetence. If he doesn't offer to refund at lt least a large proportion of your monies for uneccessary work done then I would at least name and shame him to protect others from entrusting their cameras to him for repair.