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Camera Repairs
IMPORTANT: I am on VACATION until August 9th! ALL US orders placed thru the CameraQuest site by August 8th totaling over $200 (not including sales tax) will get free shipping within the US by USPS priority mail. ALL International orders placed thru this site by August 8th totaling over $500 will get FREE USPS Express Mail international shipping. I plan to ship all the vacation back orders by August 11th. I will check emails once a day from the beach. The FAQ page explains how to place your order. MANY THANKS!
How I got into the Repair Business: People kept on asking me where to get their camera repaired. The problem is that some repairmen are better than others, especially on classic cameras. Often you don't know your repairman can't handle it properly until they have screwed it up.
I eventually got the picture (what a great pun). I decided to offer repairs, using my own expert repairmen. My classic camera tech worked in the Zeiss factory as a young man and for decades operated his own authorized Leica and Nikon repair shop.
Turnaround AFTER receipt averages 3 to 4 weeks. Four month warranty on labor.
International Repairs are accepted only at the owner's risk for possible loss or damage in transit.
We Specialize in:
General Classic Rangefinder overhaul and cleaning for: Leica M, Leica Screw Mount Shutter overhaul (and most Leica copies, Nikon Rangefinders, Canon Rangefinders, Voigtlander Bessa T, R, R2, R2S, R2C, R2A, R3A, R4A, R2M, R3M, R4M and most interchangeable lens rangefinders: $195 labor plus parts if needed. Please note Leica no longer repairs screw mount bodies. Parts are not always available from the manufacturer. A CLA is and adjustment and cleaning -- and does not include repairs of broken or worn out parts. Due to wear accurate adjustments of shutter speeds or rangefinders is not always possible. Likewise viewfinders / rangefinders do not always clean up as well due to damage/decay. Exactly how well will YOUR camera adjust in a CLA? Most of classic cameras are 40 years or older and generally without factory support at this point in time (the notable exception being Leica M's). Nevertheless the large majority of classic mechanical cameras will adjust out fine with a CLA, but inevitably some can not be adjusted well due to wear and deterioration.
Set of Leica Shutter Curtains for M or Screw Mount $175 additional to $195 CLA cost
Nikon Rangefinders: CLA general cleaning, lubrication and adjustment of shutter, rangefinder $195 Add $175 to replace SP/S3/S4 shutter curtains with Nikon F Titanium curtains. SP Motor repairs: Minimum fee $500 if fixable, $200 fee even if unfixable -- they are a you know what to work on and they eat up hours of the best repairmen.
Nikon SP Selenium Meter Repairs: Almost everyone will tell you these can't be repaired, so we have just started repairing them. We can repair most, but not all SP meters, it depends upon what is needed. $150 + $20 return shipping back to you (within the US), another $100 if you also want the booster done. We replace the selenium meter cells and adjust the mechanism for accuracy.
Zeiss Contax IIa & IIIa: CLA general cleaning, lubrication and adjustment of shutter, rangefinder $195, we are not able to repair IIIa meters due to lack of parts. We do not repair the earlier pre-war Contax. Please note the Contax IIa/IIIa were designed by the Zeiss factory NOT to have a vertical rangefinder image adjustment. Therefore no vertical RF image adjustment for the IIa/IIIa is offered.
Nikon F or F2 Shutter overhaul $195 labor (plus parts), battery compartment $150, lever advance meter switch $125
Nikon F and F2 Photomic Meter Repairs : Repair, overhaul, re-calibration for all F and F2 Photomic DP-1, F2A Meters $125; F2S, F2SB, F2AS overhauls $150, plus parts if any. Almost everyone will tell you these can't be repaired, so we have just started repairing them. For More Info
Other than Cosina - Voigtlander lenses, we no longer do lens repairs unless we are also repairing the camera body. Why? Too time consuming, and not enough good repair people.
International repairs: I will NOT take responsibility for lost or damaged cameras in transit.
ESTIMATES: The above price estimate schedule works in most instances, but email to make sure it applies to your camera / lens, unless your equipment is specifically listed above. Estimates are just that. Often we can't be sure of the necessary repairs until it has been disassembled. IF more problems are encountered, you will be contacted for your approval to go ahead. Click here for email estimate.
TURNAROUND TIME from receipt to return shipment is an average three to four weeks. If it takes longer, you will be informed via email. "Rush" repair service is not available.
WARRANTY is 4 months labor, not counting parts or shipping.
SHIPMENT: Ship camera/lens/whatever to me INSURED. I am NOT responsible for something which does not arrive, or is damaged before it arrives. You will be charged a minimum $35 return insured USPS Express Mail shipping within the US. Fed Ex is available at additional cost. You will be emailed the tracking number. Outside the US, I will ship by whatever method you prefer and pay for, but I will NOT be responsible if the shipper loses or damages the camera!
PAYMENT for amount of the email estimate and return shipping must accompany item in the form of either money order or cashier's check, or a personal check drawn on an American bank account, made out to Stephen Gandy.
MAILING ADDRESS:
Stephen Gandy
1336 Moorpark Rd, Box 184
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-5224 USA
Revised: July 28, 2010 . Copyright © 2009 Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved. This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.