Has Anyone Had Sover Wong Repair Your Nikon F2 camera?

I have a problem with one of my Nikon F2 cameras, and I got put on Sover Wong's repair waiting list.

 

It got me thinking - has anyone here used his services?

 

For those who don't know who Sover Wong is, see

 

Nikon F2 Repair/Overhaul Service

 

Thanks for any replies.

I had two F2 Photomics from the early 1970s to mid-2000, when I decided to go all digital (especially because I had become very adept with my Macintosh handling photos). They were great cameras, literally built like tanks, nothing ever went wrong with mine other the wafer battery needing replacement. That being said, I love my two D300s bodies. I've only used the Nikon service facility here in Los Angeles, which is now three minutes from my home. {Sorry to sidetrack your thread.)

Yes, I have used Sover Wong's service recently. I must say his service and repair work is excellent. My F2AS came back in top notch condition. I highly recommended his service if you have an F2 need fixing. He serviced my jammed F2 and DP12. I understand that he is getting very busy now and expected wait time is 7 or more weeks. Check his website for the long list of satisfied customers.

Yes, the wait list is lo-o-o-o-ong. I reserved a repair slot with a 20 week wait period. He'll email me when it's time to send the camera in.

 

And I have 5 more F2's I want him to check... Hope I live that long LOL.

I have not owned a Nikon F2 but I would send my camera to him if I owned one. The wait time would not make any difference to me.

Sorry to post a year after your question but yes, I have used Sover Wong and have to say he is fantastic. He send a CD of photos of my camera in various stages of repair, didn't charge too much and -most importantly- did a brilliant job.

I keep meaning to email him-I'd like to-at a minimum-have my F2SB, F2AS, and at least one F2A serviced.

Sover Wong overhauled and re-geared an MD3 motor drive for me some years ago: superb work, the drive still runs like a Swiss watch (i.e., smoother than any Nikon F2 motor drives ever ran even new from the factory). Despite this very positive experience, I have long held off sending him any of my F2 bodies, for two reasons: his fees have (understandably) gone up as the exchange rate shifted, and shipping costs from North America to UK have skyrocketed beyond all reason. Also, one needs to weigh the pros and cons of spending 2x-3x what a "perfect" F2 is actually worth on the open market to get it overhauled (albeit flawlessly by an inspired tech).

 

There is really no point in having Sover Wong do his "just the basics" service on your F2 unless you live in UK where postage costs are negligible. His baseline service is fairly routine and can be approximated by several well-regarded repair techs in North America, without having to burn $80+ on round trip postage. The expense and risk of international shipping is only worthwhile if you opt for Sover's more thorough "Standard Service", which involves a near-complete teardown and rebuild of your F2. For this, it could be argued he is perhaps unmatched by any other tech still working on the F2 today.

 

BUT: most F2 bodies don't need anywhere near this level of a rebuild, and this is where the cost vs your ego vs benefit headache must be considered. The Nikon F2 is not a Leica M3: it was never all that smooth in operation to begin with, investing a fortune in a specialized rebuild is not usually required to use it reliably/enjoyably, and the vast majority of F2s are not steadily-appreciating collectibles so you get zero-nada-no return whatsoever on any overhaul investment should you ever need to resell. An F2 body (sans prism) in anything less than pristine mint condition seldom changes hands for more than $150 today: a certification of Sover rebuild might add another $50 tops but it would be a tough sell even to a Sover-savvy buyer. In recent months, I've seen several coveted DP3 (SB) and DP12 (AS) meter prisms with documentation of Sover rebuild sell for equal or less than his service fee. The usual clapback that "cameras aren't investments, I plan to use my F2 until I die" is all well and good, just be aware there is an absolute ceiling in F2 resale prices beyond which you cannot possibly recoup whatever you might spend on a rebuild.

 

Perversely, the issues Sover Wong attends to during a rebuild either don't materially impact the average photographer, or only make sense if the F2 is so far gone that you'd probably be better off disposing of it anyway. Would it increase your pride of ownership to lose the extremely irritating mirror ringing noise most F2s have developed? Sure! Would you derive tactile pleasure from your F2 wind lever moving with the buttery smoothness of the F3 film advance? You bet! Are those subtle, non-essential improvements worth several hundred dollars to you? Yes if you can easily afford it, but worth a ponder otherwise.

 

Tens of thousands of F2s have been clicking away happily for the past 40 years without a lick of service or maintenance. They are refinements of the original F in some ways but less smooth in others: their tank-like durability and 1/2000 top shutter speed came at a sacrifice. Their film advance feel was always a bit rougher than other Nikons, their shutter noise was always less elegant: Improving these things today falls in the "want" category but aren't required for the camera to function exactly as Nikon designed. A dead electrical system or other catastrophic failure is another story: these might require a total teardown, and that is where cost-benefit analysis comes in. Depending on your budget and how often you shoot your F2, spending upwards of $300 to have Sover (or anyone else) repair a deeply-buried issue like rotted meter power wiring may not make sense when fully-functional F2 Photomics in the sensible 1974-1978 serial number range routinely sell for $160 or less on eBay.

 

A Sover servicing will net you a flawless, perfected Nikon F2: if that is what you want, and are prepared to pay/wait for it, the expense could be considered a bargain. But if you just shoot film occasionally as a nostalgia trip (and are not as mesmerized by the F2 as some of us who grew up dreaming about owning one), chucking a bad F2 and replacing altogether with another "good user" F2 may be more practical. If your F2 is working normally with no hiccups today, it will likely continue doing so for another twenty years: rebuilding it just for the sake of it isn't strictly necessary. Of the two dozen F2s and dozen Fs that have passed thru my hands since 1990, only one F2 actually required service (dead power circuit) and one F (slow shutter speeds dragged). In both cases I sold the bodies as-is and promptly forgot about them (the others all still work fine, tho several found new owners).

 

We're hitting this question of repair viability now with anything that isn't Rolleiflex TLR or Leica rangefinder related. Even vintage Hasselblad is getting kicked in the pants. The old silver or black all-metal C lenses were beautifully crafted, but given the repair cost (in most cases) exceeds the current value of the lenses, it makes more sense to simply replace a faulty lens altogether.

Edited May 14, 2018 by orsetto

I got in touch today, he responded in a matter of a couple hours! It's a 12 month wait but for equipment this age and as good as it is, I'm fine with it. Got two going and two more to follow I hope.

 

Rick H.

We're hitting this question of repair viability now with anything that isn't Rolleiflex TLR or Leica rangefinder related. Even vintage Hasselblad is getting kicked in the pants. The old silver or black all-metal C lenses were beautifully crafted, but given the repair cost (in most cases) exceeds the current value of the lenses, it makes more sense to simply replace a faulty lens altogether.

 

I agree in general, but with that said there is still some pride for me in having things repaired in a disposable society. I have a well worn pair of pretty unremarkable Bass Weejuns that I keep stubbornly having resoled at $40 a pop for the same reason...which reminds me that they're due again. This will be 4th sole they've had on them(third time resoling). I've had people ask me why I bother with it on an $80 pair of shoes, but like I said it's partially out of stubborness and also because they fit me better than any others I've ever had(that's not to mention that I got barely 6 months out of my last new pair wearing them probably on average once a week or a bit more-they're going also). Saying the phrase "I have to run some shoes down to the cobbler" also surprises a lot of folks that such a thing still even exists :)

 

I have enough F2s that I'd go broke having them all serviced, but my 80-series SN F2AS does have an occasional hiccup where the stop-down lever doesn't return promptly and I think it's almost an ideal body to have him service(along with the MD-3 attached to it).

 

Several years ago, I had Ken Oikawa service one of my New F-1s. He's probably not as widely known as Sover Wong, but is THE go-to guy for Canon F-1 repair and is actually retired as the Canon USA west-coast service facility manager. I want to send him my F-1n and other New F-1 before he either decides to give it up completely or dies(although I have no idea how old he is). The one he service in 2007 still works like a dream, and other folks who have used it have commented that it's the smoothest New F-1 they've ever used(unlike the butter smooth F-1/F-1n, Canon toughened up but also roughened up the film advance on the New F-1 rather than putting it on ball bearings like Nikon did with the F3 that came out around the same time).

 

While I'm at it, I've been using the snot out of my Hasselblad 500C since I got it in January, but I need to-at a minimum-send my 80mm to David Odess while he still has parts for chrome C lenses. The slow speeds are completely dead on my 80mm. I'd like to have all four of my lenses and the body serviced. I do view Hasselblads as being a bit different in terms of service, though. Unlike an F2, which will seemingly run forever as long as you keep it dry and limit its time being used as a football, all Hasselblads will eventually need service. On the other side of the coin, though, even David Odess charges less to service a CF lens than he does a C. I know cameras are tools, and Hasselblads are the same way, but I also love the aesthetics of chrome lenses on early bodies.

I I know cameras are tools, and Hasselblads are the same way, but I also love the aesthetics of chrome lenses on early bodies.

 

I felt the same way, until my C lenses started crapping out one after the other, some excessively (my beloved unusual T* silver 50mm Distagon needed shutter service three times over three years). One of the unpleasant Hasselblad factors is the sheer awfulness of the Compur shutter design in the old lenses: it wasn't great to begin with and is aging very badly. I've had some "beater" C lenses go a decade without a hiccup, but some minty examples go AWOL on me repeatedly. About two years ago I got so disgusted with the repair bills that the aesthetics of the "pretty silver lenses on silver bodies" lost all appeal for me: I sold off my Cs and now limit myself to CFs and CBs only. The newer lenses aren't as pretty or iconic, but the shutters are stronger and they handle better.

 

Potential Hasselblad owners really need to consider this shutter nonsense carefully before plunging too deeply into the system: the repair costs are astronomical, and repairs don't always last very long. The newer lenses with Prontor shutter are more reliable than the old Compur, but the Prontor is no bargain either. The Compurs tend to break down more often and more gracefully, the Prontors hold up better on average but can go completely off the rails: you can live with no slow speeds or a sticky f/32 setting in a Compur, but when a Prontor craps the bed you get lovely symptoms like severe underexposure at random shutter speeds and/or self-destructing aperture controllers. Getting billed $425 to repair a lens you bought for $300 the year before is quite a shock.

I felt the same way,

Got a card from a buddy the other day that might help you - "People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable."

Having tried to hoist the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art for the first time recently, the weight makes me think that this glass is at least half full... (The 28-80 f/3.3-5.6G, on the other hand, is very much more than half empty.)

Got a card from a buddy the other day that might help you - "People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable."

 

;) Oh, my glass is mostly half-full, I promise you: way too much glass in too many systems actually! :D

 

I'm the poster child for the phenomenon I noted earlier: when prices tanked on all sorts of formerly-unattainable MF gear ten to fifteen years ago, I bought up everything I ever dreamed about to supplement my primary Nikon F2AS system. Some I loved and kept (Mamiya TLR), some I reluctantly passed onto others because they didn't suit me as well as I'd hoped (Mamiya RB67, Kowa 66, Contax 645). My Hasselblad V kit falls somewhere in the middle: I love the system, love the glass, loathe the unpredictable/expensive maintenance. We had a few "golden years" awhile back, when this didn't matter much: if a Hasselblad piece went south, you could dump it and easily replace it with another at little or no $ loss. Today, prices have crept back up and supply of good condition pieces is more constricted, making the repair/replace decision harder.

 

Hasselblad is a glorious system, and I think every photographer owes it to themselves to try it at least briefly. But newbies need to remember it was originally a hideously expensive pro system intentionally designed to be serviced regularly. When you used it professionally and could write everything off, paying $3000 for a new Distagon and $300 or so per year servicing it wasn't an issue. Film back glitches were insignificant because everybody had multiples. Today, those who might be stretching their budget to acquire a basic 500cm/A12/80mm Planar outfit may not realize that initial $800 outlay isn't always the only pound of flesh the Hasselblad gods demand: all I'm saying is save some pennies toward a future unexpected servicing. Just as happened with suddenly-affordable pro-level video hardware during the same time period: cheap to buy now, yes, but the gear doesn't know you're a civilian on a budget- it still expects regular servicing from a dwindling number of experienced technicians.

I would agree with anyone above who has stated that Sover Wong's services are absolutely top quality. I have had him service about three or four DP finders and at least two F2 bodies for me. He was so professional as to tell me that, for a couple of F2 bodies I had sent to him, that it would not be economically wise to invest in his services for them as they had problems that could only be "patched', or temporarily "fixed", but that would no doubt return. To me, that is the sign of a true professional - someone who cares more about the work, and your satisfaction, than about making more money off of you. I will send more to him in a heartbeat. I think I am 14 months down in his waiting list, ha ha. When it comes to be my turn again I plan on sending him at least 4 more F2s! He also has created a modification or two for the DP finders that give you much more accurate spot metering and he's created a way to illuminate the finders which can come in very handy. He's a very active member of the Nikon F2 group on facebook and frequently shares tips and advice there. Sover Wong is the ONLY person to which I will send my Nikon F2 cameras! Now if I could only find just such a person for maintenance of my F models...

 

One bit of info that has not been mentioned in this thread is the fact that Sover had the foresight to buy up ALL of Nikon's "spare parts" for the F2 years ago soon after they discontinued the model. Hence, he is the only person on the planet that has the factory fresh replacement parts for whatever your F2 might need. Others provide service on the F2, Sover is the only one who can replace CDS cells, or resistor rings or whatever might be needed that match the originals.

Edited July 15, 2018 by michael_owens|4

I got in touch with him to add two other F2's to his waiting list and he told me to simply send all four at once. I'd like him to take a look at one or maybe two of my MD-2's if he is doing that sort of work. One of them has his replacement gears already but needs more care. It's worth it to me as all but one of mine F2 bodies are in good shape with meter problems and I'd like to get that repaired and have him check everything out. TheF2 remains my favorite camera ever and I'd like to keep using them until I just have to give up photography.

 

Rick H.

I got in touch with him to add two other F2's to his waiting list and he told me to simply send all four at once....

 

Hi Rick,

 

How long is Sover's waiting list now?

Not sure, I'm waiting to hear from him. A few months off yet I guess. At least.

I just emailed a little while ago and while there is no firm shipping date he will email me when it is time to ship. He also said to just add the MD-2's in the same package but not the battery packs. One of the MD 2's is completely dead but has his brass gear set installed in it so I'd like to get it going.

I have a problem with one of my Nikon F2 cameras, and I got put on Sover Wong's repair waiting list.

 

It got me thinking - has anyone here used his services?

 

For those who don't know who Sover Wong is, see

 

Nikon F2 Repair/Overhaul Service

 

Thanks for any replies.

I have had 2 F2’s overhauled by Sover, some years ago. Outstanding service, and his repair work is fully explained to you so you understand exactly what was needed. Highly recommended!

I just got back my F2s from Sover about a month ago, and the entire experience has been fabulous, and I am very, very happy with the results. If you don’t mind the long wait time, he is definitely the go-to person for F2 repairs.

 

Sover does an excellent job keeping you in the loop – with detailed explanations and photos of what he is doing, and gets your buy-in before he proceeds. Talk about excellent customer service!

You never mentioned the type and cost of service for the F2s. Would be nice if you would.

You never mentioned the type and cost of service for the F2s. Would be nice if you would.

He is very transparent about his pricing on his home page.

Just be glad that you're not trying to get Henry Scherer to overhaul a Contax IIa. He has about 500 cameras on his wait list, and he seems to only move through about 40 per year. I don't know his age, but he did work in a camera store in the early 1960's.

Just be glad that you're not trying to get Henry Scherer to overhaul a Contax IIa. He has about 500 cameras on his wait list, and he seems to only move through about 40 per year. I don't know his age, but he did work in a camera store in the early 1960's.

So in another word you're afraid that he won't finish all of them in his life time?