Service on Original Canonflex

<p>Any suggestions who might service an original Canonflex and lenses?</p>

Stephen, I too am a big fan of these quirky old Canon SLRs, and my last job was with Essex Camera in New Jersey just

days before their shop was catastrophically flooded and everything destroyed! Finding qualified repair help today is a little

tougher, so call around and let us know who's doing it (Gus Lazzari services them and his work is top quality, but his

backlog is long).

 

Last week I found a beautifully clean and operational black Canonflex RM with the matching black breechlock ringed R 50

1.8, it was a very long search to find one.

<p>Stephen, Kurt's Camera Repair in San Diego has a good reputation for Canon overhauls. I had a problematic type II Canon F-1 (with missing parts, an eBay buy "AS IS") restored there and the work, attitude, costs and turn-around time was overall a pleasant experience. Gus is also not currently taking any more repairs until June, and even then you will have a long wait. In fact he is so highly requested that he often deflects work to other entities. There is also Steve Swerington in Sparks, Nevada at Camera Clinic, who is also great for Canon repairs. He may be a little faster than Kurt's, but not by much. Steve repaired and re-calibrated a newer F-1N for me. His turn around time, costs and attitude was also great. I recommend either place. Contact both and ask for a generalized quote on your specific needs.</p>

On servicing Canonflexes, I found the majority of "name" Canon repairmen not wanting to work on them. That was three

or four years ago, maybe they'd accept the jobs now? But the newest Canonflexes are fully 50 years old and spare parts

must be non-existent. You might also get the "it's not worth the money to service" pitch, but that's my decision thank you

very much.

 

It might also be worthwhile googling "Captain Jack Canonflex" and asking who he recommends. Jack is a Canonflex enthusiast of the first order!

<p>You might try Stephen Gandy’s repair tech at Cameraquest. He serviced my original Canonflex several year’s back.</p>

<p>As far as the Canon R (Canomatic) lenses are concerned, I managed to do some servicing on them myself. I repaired and cleaned a stuck aperture, fixed a bent aperture arm, removed some haze from inner lens elements and lubed a very stiff focusing ring. This on my so called Super-canomatic lenses 50/1.8, 35/2.5 and 135/2.5.<br>

To my experience, these lenses are very easy to open and, more important, to put back together again.<br>

On the other hand, I also have a Canonflex R2000 that needs servicing because the shutter times are way off. But doing that myself is way too complex for me.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the replies.</p>

<p>I ended up returning the system for a refund, because it had 'cellophane in the prism problem.' Half of me wishes I kept it, because it is a really nice camera system, minimally used, with a beefy quality reminiscent of the Leicaflex SL I've been using for the last decade or so. Nicer, in my opinion, then a Nikon F, and that makes you wonder ….</p>

<p>Both Kurt's Camera Repair and Clarence Gass indicated they would service the system.</p>

<p>Precision Camera Works, Steve Grady, Guss, Lazzari and Steve's Camera Service Center indicated they do not device this model. In fact, Guss indicated that henceforth he will only be working on "German cameras." </p>

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