Large Format Lens CLA

<p>I searched the Large Format forum and did not find any posting on who currently does CLAs on large format lenses. I have a Fujinon lens that has haze on it and would like to have it professionally cleaned. Any recommendations on who currently can be relied on to perform this service? Thank you.</p>

Any camera repairman can clean and adjust a leaf shutter. Just take if to the closest one.

<p>It would help to know where you are located. </p>

Carol Miller at Flutot's Camera

Repair. Excellent work at fair

prices but she may have a waiting

list.

<p>+1 for Flutot's.</p>

<p>Dave, I emailed Carol this afternoon and she replied that she does not work on Fujinon lenses. I am in the NY metro area but can send the lens anywhere in the US.</p>

<p>This month marks the one year anniversary that three of my 35mm lenses have been with a highly regarded camera technician, and there is no indication that they will be ready anytime soon. In my next life I want to come back as a camera repair tech because there clearly is plenty of work and money to be made, certainly more than as a photographer.</p>

<p> ^It would be helpful to others here to know who this might be . <br>

Peter</p>

<p>Being you are in the NY area I would check with Adorama and/or B&H for a local recommendation.<br>

Then there is KEH https://www.keh.com/shop/repair<br>

I do my own repairs and have not needed to take/send anything to a repair shop in over 25 years.</p>

Nippon Photo in Manhattan. Or go to Foto Care.

<p><em>In my next life I want to come back as a camera repair tech because there clearly is plenty of work and money to be made, certainly more than as a photographer.</em><br /> Funny you should say that :-). On one level, camera techs seem to be strangers to any concept of business efficiency, even if this effectively reduces their earnings level, secondly they seem utterly unable to understand photogs who say "I need my camera back to earn money, can you tell me reasonably accurately when this will be?"<br /> Secondly, and more understandably, camera techs don't like dismantling lens groups, because this may involve the application of heat to loosen cement, and too much can quite easily crack lens glass. This is probably the explanation for Carol Miller saying she doesn't do Fujinon - if you have seen this done a couple of times and know how much heat to apply and where, OK, if not you can easily screw up.<br /> In other fields, surprises can be of a more pleasant nature - I have a brass instrument tech who took a cornet from battered and evil to shiny and fully playable for £25! I couldn't bear to pay this - I gave him £10 more and still felt guilty. Back with cameras, the craziest tech I ever knew was one of the few in GB who would re-coat lenses. This involved a sputter chamber, which the tech would slowly fill with dismantled lens elements - he would however only run the process when the chamber was full, NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS TOOK (not infrequently years). This made perfect sense to him but of course not to customers, he went bankrupt many moons ago.</p>

<p>For the past 20 years, all my LF lenses/shutters are serviced by Professional Camera Re[pair in Houston.</p>

<p>http://professionalcamerarepair.com/</p>

<p>DRop by there ~9:30 AM the second Saturday of the month for coffee and talk photography with the Texas Photographic collectors Association. All are welcome. Bring something interesting to "show-and-tell".</p>

<p>Peter, I don't want to get on his bad side because I have used him before and he really does good work, just that it takes him so long. Since I am not a photo pro, just a serious hobbyist, I don't need the lenses to earn money from them<br>

<br />Charles, Thanks for the suggestions, will explore them further.</p>

<p>David, They have to be earning a nice living from camera repair otherwise there is no point doing this. I know for a fact that the person that is working on my lenses right now has a huge backlog of work. I suspect that any tech that has a good reputation in the photo community for doing excellent work, will have more business than they can handle. Its surprising how many people are still using film, and is also encouraging to know that its certainly not going away.<br>

<br />Drew, Thanks for the suggestion. I saw the website where they mention they work on LF lenses. Will contact them and see what they say, perhaps their prices might be more reasonable than they would be here in the NY area.</p>

<p><em>They have to be earning a nice living from camera repair otherwise there is no point doing this. </em><br>

Luis, you'd be surprised. As I said, I was shocked by how little my brass-instrument tech was charging, my guitar tech charges me market prices but confesses that he takes too much work from friends at "mates' rates". I've been a freelance of one kind or another for 40 years, it is very surprising how few self-employed people grasp the principle of the "1,000 billable hours", this being the number of hours which a creative can work each year without burning out, and apply this to individual billing. Many can also not do accurate costing, with allowance for paid holiday, sickness insurance, replacement of worn-out equipment, rent for business premises, etc. and as a result cannot tell you whether they are actually making a profit or not.</p>

<p>Louis,</p>

<p>Professional Camera Repair is a family business near Houston's Galleria shopping mega-mall . its a small store front and they sell used gear as well as fix it up. </p>

<p>Every Saturday morning a few of us regulars meet there informally ~9AM for coffee, carbs and camera talk. On the second Sat of each month we have a more formal meeting in the back room (really—its in the back) with some show-and-tell, and sometimes a more formal program. All are welcome to bring an interesting piece or a recient image, drink coffee and share their knowledge.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Drew,<br>

Would love to join the group, however, there is a small problem. I live in New York state and not independently wealthy to fly in every Saturday morning.</p>

<p>Ok . . .so EVERY Saturday is out . . .but any time you are in town.</p>

<p>Cheers</p>

<p>How about S. K. Grimes. I sent a 240mm Symmar-S lens for a aperture repair, and at that time, they outsourced them. But, i was satisfied with the repair. Consider giving them a call.</p>