Pentax repair by Eric Hendrickson

pickles · 03-07-2012, 01:20 AM

Originally posted by p. rex

Just thought I'd chime in to say that I sent Eric my ESII to have the meter repaired and a CLA performed, and he did a fantastic job -- and, unlike past repair attempts by lesser techs, this time it's stayed fixed. He is the best, and well worth the trouble of sending a camera.

My immaculate ES11 has been sent to Eric for a similar problem....at a VERY reasonable price.....I'm at the moment waiting for the camera's return, upon which I hope to be as happy as you are.
Cheers, Pickles.

GarryA · 03-07-2012, 02:08 PM

Eric has fixed two super programs for me

average-guy · 03-10-2012, 08:26 PM

I just got my Spotmatic back from Eric, he fixed the shutter (curtain bounce) and CLA'd it. He did an awesome job of cleaning it up, it hasn't looked that pretty and polished in years. Can't wait to start shooting it again.

barryroad · 03-10-2012, 09:08 PM

Eric has reconditioned 3 cameras for me so far: 2 Pentax ZX-5s, and a Pentax MZ-5n. The pop-up flashes on this series of cameras was a particular weak spot, and Eric has brought them back to new. He also repaired a problem with a lens some time back.

Overall though, the thing is that you don't get just a basic repair + CLA with this guy. Amazingly, the camera comes back better than you sent it. Tighter all the way around. It is as if he did what you asked...plus a little more.

Just an amazing service.

**ChrisPlatt** · 03-11-2012, 02:29 AM

Originally posted by barryroad

Overall though, the thing is that you don't get just a basic repair + CLA with this guy. Amazingly, the camera comes back better than you sent it. Tighter all the way around. It is as if he did what you asked...plus a little more.

This is the level of service Eric calls a standard repair.
Clearly Eric has very high standards.

Chris

**dadipentak** · 03-11-2012, 06:24 AM

Geez, I've lost track but two that stick in my mind are the A*300/4 I dropped and the FA 77/1.8 that stopped focusing.
Eric is really invaluable for a community that treasures legacy lenses!

séamuis · 03-11-2012, 06:57 AM

he's working on a spotmatic for me right now, for my upcoming trip. didn't even charge me extra for a rush service. highly satisfied as usual.

hellfire88 · 03-12-2012, 03:41 AM

glad to see so many rave reviews for Eric services. my MZ-S is still with him for about 3 months now but it's due to the shutter replacement parts being on backorder so i have to wait till the parts become available.

Pioneer · 03-12-2012, 04:12 PM

I do tend to have better repair luck with the older, manual, mechanical beasts. I have owned one MZ-S and one PZ-1p that have hiccuped and died in the past year. The MZ-S was down for the count with a bad circuit board. The PZ-1p was recoverable, but it died a short time later with a bad circuit board as well. I may have had better luck if Eric would have been the repair person but I will never know. So far my two LX units continue to soldier on with no visible complaints but I am a bit nervous about their electronic innards as well.

As for the K1000 and KM I suspect they have very long, and very productive lives still ahead of them. My rangefinders and folders are even older but all of these cameras just seem to keep ticking along with only an occasional cleaning required. While the electronics are working well those cameras are marvels, but when things start to die you may have to start collecting parts cameras so you can keep them running.

Enjoy them while you can.

pickles · 03-13-2012, 12:31 AM

Eric has repaired my ES11, I've paid the bill, & I'm awaiting its return.
Funny really, I had the camera for several months, put the first roll through...beautiful, then a few months later put another film in.....got to no. 12 exposure......and no more meter....just stopped just like that....a real shame, because I've sinse had those 12 exposures developed, & I'd done some low light interior stuff, just to check everything out, and all the images were perfectly exposed......then it just went dead!
So, I'm really looking forward to getting it back, because it's appears to be a really nice bit of kit.
Cheers, Pickles.

**TomB_tx** · 03-13-2012, 07:17 AM

Originally posted by Pioneer

I do tend to have better repair luck with the older, manual, mechanical beasts.

Very true. I have Leicas from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that work like new, and Pentax Asahiflex and SV series that Eric restored to perfect condition. With Spotmatics and later it is the electronics that cause problems.

**TomB_tx** · 03-14-2012, 06:00 AM

Some time back Eric sent me this photo of my H1a when he was doing a "real" CLA. You can tell he does a much more complete job than those who just pull the covers and drop in some oil!
Name: H1a CLA Eric.jpg
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Name: H1a CLA Eric.jpg
Views: 8450
Size: 89.2 KB

Blue · 03-14-2012, 06:02 AM

Eric is the cat's meow when it comes to Pentax film bodies.

mtansley · 03-14-2012, 06:08 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by TomB_tx

Some time back Eric sent me this photo of my H1a when he was doing a "real" CLA. You can tell he does a much more complete job than those who just pull the covers and drop in some oil!

That is impressive.

I could accomplish the first part of the CLA, disassembly, but that's all the customer would be getting back in many small bags!!

séamuis · 03-14-2012, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by mtansley

That is impressive.

I could accomplish the first part of the CLA, disassembly, but that's all the customer would be getting back in many small bags!!

what I find impressive is that Eric knows these cameras so intimately that he can essentially disassemble them into a messy pile of parts on a work bench and still know exactly where all those little parts go back in the camera. I would look at that mess and never be able to get it back together even with a diagram. even with them all neatly organized and stored in containers, that are labeled instead of just strewn about, id have a hard time. my dad was the same way though. he worked as a technician and aircraft mechanic. he could dissemble and entire helicopter into a a gigantic pile of parts and wires on the ground and still put it back together again. he did it under fire in vietnam, so I imagine it would be easy when nobody is shooting at you.

that picture tells more than we realize about just how good Eric is. we should all be thankful for his knowledge, skill and expertise.

03-10-2012, 09:08 PM	#49
barryroad Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Westchester County, New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 29	After business and first class there is....Eric class Eric has reconditioned 3 cameras for me so far: 2 Pentax ZX-5s, and a Pentax MZ-5n. The pop-up flashes on this series of cameras was a particular weak spot, and Eric has brought them back to new. He also repaired a problem with a lens some time back. Overall though, the thing is that you don't get just a basic repair + CLA with this guy. Amazingly, the camera comes back better than you sent it. Tighter all the way around. It is as if he did what you asked...plus a little more. Just an amazing service.

03-12-2012, 04:12 PM	#54
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411	Enjoy Them While You Can I do tend to have better repair luck with the older, manual, mechanical beasts. I have owned one MZ-S and one PZ-1p that have hiccuped and died in the past year. The MZ-S was down for the count with a bad circuit board. The PZ-1p was recoverable, but it died a short time later with a bad circuit board as well. I may have had better luck if Eric would have been the repair person but I will never know. So far my two LX units continue to soldier on with no visible complaints but I am a bit nervous about their electronic innards as well. As for the K1000 and KM I suspect they have very long, and very productive lives still ahead of them. My rangefinders and folders are even older but all of these cameras just seem to keep ticking along with only an occasional cleaning required. While the electronics are working well those cameras are marvels, but when things start to die you may have to start collecting parts cameras so you can keep them running. Enjoy them while you can.

03-14-2012, 06:00 AM	#57
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	A true CLA by Eric Some time back Eric sent me this photo of my H1a when he was doing a "real" CLA. You can tell he does a much more complete job than those who just pull the covers and drop in some oil!

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03-07-2012, 01:20 AM	#46
pickles Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: melbourne Posts: 937	Originally posted by p. rex Just thought I'd chime in to say that I sent Eric my ESII to have the meter repaired and a CLA performed, and he did a fantastic job -- and, unlike past repair attempts by lesser techs, this time it's stayed fixed. He is the best, and well worth the trouble of sending a camera. My immaculate ES11 has been sent to Eric for a similar problem....at a VERY reasonable price.....I'm at the moment waiting for the camera's return, upon which I hope to be as happy as you are. Cheers, Pickles.

03-07-2012, 02:08 PM	#47
GarryA New Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 7	Eric has fixed two super programs for me

03-10-2012, 08:26 PM	#48
average-guy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Idaho Posts: 102	I just got my Spotmatic back from Eric, he fixed the shutter (curtain bounce) and CLA'd it. He did an awesome job of cleaning it up, it hasn't looked that pretty and polished in years. Can't wait to start shooting it again.

03-11-2012, 02:29 AM	#50
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692 Original Poster	Originally posted by barryroad Overall though, the thing is that you don't get just a basic repair + CLA with this guy. Amazingly, the camera comes back better than you sent it. Tighter all the way around. It is as if he did what you asked...plus a little more. This is the level of service Eric calls a standard repair. Clearly Eric has very high standards. Chris

03-11-2012, 06:24 AM	#51
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Geez, I've lost track but two that stick in my mind are the A*300/4 I dropped and the FA 77/1.8 that stopped focusing. Eric is really invaluable for a community that treasures legacy lenses!

03-11-2012, 06:57 AM	#52
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	he's working on a spotmatic for me right now, for my upcoming trip. didn't even charge me extra for a rush service. highly satisfied as usual.

03-12-2012, 03:41 AM	#53
hellfire88 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 27	glad to see so many rave reviews for Eric services. my MZ-S is still with him for about 3 months now but it's due to the shutter replacement parts being on backorder so i have to wait till the parts become available.

03-13-2012, 12:31 AM	#55
pickles Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: melbourne Posts: 937	Eric has repaired my ES11, I've paid the bill, & I'm awaiting its return. Funny really, I had the camera for several months, put the first roll through...beautiful, then a few months later put another film in.....got to no. 12 exposure......and no more meter....just stopped just like that....a real shame, because I've sinse had those 12 exposures developed, & I'd done some low light interior stuff, just to check everything out, and all the images were perfectly exposed......then it just went dead! So, I'm really looking forward to getting it back, because it's appears to be a really nice bit of kit. Cheers, Pickles.

03-13-2012, 07:17 AM	#56
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	Originally posted by Pioneer I do tend to have better repair luck with the older, manual, mechanical beasts. Very true. I have Leicas from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that work like new, and Pentax Asahiflex and SV series that Eric restored to perfect condition. With Spotmatics and later it is the electronics that cause problems.

03-14-2012, 06:02 AM	#58
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Eric is the cat's meow when it comes to Pentax film bodies.

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03-14-2012, 06:08 AM - 1 Like	#59
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	Originally posted by TomB_tx Some time back Eric sent me this photo of my H1a when he was doing a "real" CLA. You can tell he does a much more complete job than those who just pull the covers and drop in some oil! That is impressive. I could accomplish the first part of the CLA, disassembly, but that's all the customer would be getting back in many small bags!!

03-14-2012, 08:14 AM	#60
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	Originally posted by mtansley That is impressive. I could accomplish the first part of the CLA, disassembly, but that's all the customer would be getting back in many small bags!! what I find impressive is that Eric knows these cameras so intimately that he can essentially disassemble them into a messy pile of parts on a work bench and still know exactly where all those little parts go back in the camera. I would look at that mess and never be able to get it back together even with a diagram. even with them all neatly organized and stored in containers, that are labeled instead of just strewn about, id have a hard time. my dad was the same way though. he worked as a technician and aircraft mechanic. he could dissemble and entire helicopter into a a gigantic pile of parts and wires on the ground and still put it back together again. he did it under fire in vietnam, so I imagine it would be easy when nobody is shooting at you. that picture tells more than we realize about just how good Eric is. we should all be thankful for his knowledge, skill and expertise.