Sherry Krauter

Hello All.

 

Just wanted to share a quick story about Sherry. She CLA'ed a few lenses for me 7 or 8 years ago when I first got into Leica. I haven't

had to use her since then. Two weeks ago, while vacationing on Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks, I took my MP out for the first time

in a few years(!). Excited to shoot film after way too much time away, the meter was not working. It was 10pm on a rainy Sunday

evening. I ran over to the local store to get the last two batteries. Came home, they didn't work. I wrote Sherry an email as I wanted to

give her a heads up that I was going to send my MP in to her ASAP, as I was soon going cross country and definitely wanted it in working

order. As I searched her site I decided to leave a message on her machine to ask her to check her email, as she might be away on

vacation or what have you. Instead she picked up, was unbelievable cordial. She stated that she was almost certain that nothing way

wrong with the camera, suggested cleaning the contacts with a white eraser, trying another set of fresh batteries, and making sure that

the batteries were in the correct orientation. She was, of course, correct. She saved me a ton of money and hassle. She seemed like

she would have chatted forever, never hurried me, and seemed perfectly thrilled that she fixed my camera over the phone. She spoke at

length about the humidity on the East Coast and what it was doing to electronics etc.

 

Anyway, just a quick shout out to Sherry Krauter, who seems to be a very old school businesswoman, and whose service is %100. You

just don't find people like this anymore in the business world. By the way, when she did clean and adjust my lenses years ago, they

came back like new. Pease do not hesitate to give her the business she deserves.

 

Best,

Jeff

<p>I'll second that....it has been 3-4 years since she did some work for me, but she was quick, did a great job, and charged a reasonable fee. Let's keep our friends Sherry & DAG in business!</p>

<p>Sherry is simply a skilled & wonderful person. I visited her twice at "Purgatory" several years ago -- I owe her a good lunch: "Not MacDonalds, Paul, she told me." She's the best!</p>

 

<p>Sherry is simply a skilled & wonderful person. I visited her twice at "Purgatory" several years ago -- I owe her a good lunch: "Not MacDonalds, Paul, she told me." She's the best!</p>

 

<p>I have never had work done by Ms. Krauter, but she was polite and helpful on the two occasions on which I wrote to her. This is not something one sees too often nowadays.</p>

I agree with everyone about Sherry. I spent a couple hours talking to her on the phone, initially about cameras, but mostly

about life/family. My aunt Gloria lives 15 minutes from Sherry and it was great hear that familiar accent and upstate

manner. I tell ya, I am enormously impressed with her character. If you have spent time listening to her then you know

what I mean!

<p>Sherry is absolutely aces in my book.</p>

<p>Yes! Sherry is a great professional.</p>

<p>Sherry is a delight to talk to and a delight to have a tech. She and DAG are great. Highly recommend Sherry like the rest of you.</p>

<p>Sherry has saved me money also, when she could have charged me for a repair just as easily.</p>

<p>Totally "old school"--wonderful!</p>

<p> John Pender<br>

A few years back I acquired my very first Leica, a IIIC. Never even saw a Leica up close and personal before that. <br>

I didn't know the first thing about a camera of this vintage and this quality. I was having a problem with it and found Sherry's address and phone on PN and gave her a call. <br>

I can't remember what the problem was but Sherry walked me through it over the phone. I know that she said "humor me and try this", and low and behold whatever the problem was, was fixed. <br>

I no longer have the old Leica but I would highly recommend Sherry for any repairs or CLS's on your Leica. <br>

Thanks Sherry. Your the best!!! </p>

<p>In the fall of 2008 I was heading out west for a photo-vacation. My beloved M4's shutter starting acting funny about 2 weeks before the trip. I sent it off to SK for help. She got the camera on a Tuesday, the following Monday the big brown truck pulled in my driveway returning it. She replaced the curtains and some other parts, and lubed and adjusted the entire camera. It always operated smoothly, she made it smoother. She also cleaned and adjusted the rangefinder/viewfinder.</p>

<p> Amazing service and a great tech!</p>

<p>Sherry rebuilt my M3 and I've enjoyed it for the years since. She is the expert on Leica CL's and not only does a great CLA, but updates the internals to the latest CL version. She also has used equipment. I bought a first version 35 Elmarit R from her and it is perfect. I dread the day Sherry retires, she's just the best and passionate about keeping Leicas out there taking pictures. So long as SK can keep my Leicas going, I'll be using them, nothing else.</p>

<p>Sherry CLA'd my two M2s and my M3 (I bought the M3 used and sent it directly to Sherry!), they are all now just like new. Highly recommended for any Leica work.</p>

Sherry likes to talk cameras, film, and photography, and it was fun talking to her for about an hour on the phone one time when I almost

bought a Leica/Minolta CL from her. She also CLA'd a lens a few years ago for me and did a nice job.

<p>Yep, Sherry rocks (or is it "rules")! She has always done great work for me!</p>

<p>Sherry is without equal as a Leica repair specialist. She has worked on my M cameras 3-4 times over the last ten years and has always done an outstanding job for a reasonable price in a reasonable amount of time.<br>

She did a CLA and an MP viewfinder upgrade on my M4-P. When I got it back, it was like a new camera: Smooth as silk!<br>

I cannot recommend Sherry highly enough.</p>

Sherry hasn't replied my several letters sent over several months. I wonder why. She repaired my 35/2 Cron a year ago.

Can someone let me have her email address, just in case I had got it wrong. Thanks.

<p>Francis, give her a call in the afternoon. Sherry isn't a web person.</p>

Jim, thanks, but I'm in Malaysia. I communicated with Sherry by email for my Cron repair a year ago.

<p>I see. Have you emailed her again recently? I emailed her once and didn't hear back in a week (I am impatient) so I decided to call her. That's when I found out just how much she eschews the web. For instance, she probably has no idea that this thread about her is on the web.</p>

<p>If you resend you email to her and haven't heard back from her, let me know via PM and I will contact her on your behalf.</p>

@jim

 

 

You are probably right about her feelings for the web, but she is actually a photo.net member,

although it is very long time ago she last contributed.

 

 

@francis

 

 

I have sucessfully communicated with her through email in relation to several repairs she did for

me during the past 3 years while I lived in Japan. Don't expect other than short factual answers

to questions about waiting time and cost etc. It is my impression that her longer explanatory

mails are largely based on templates.

If your mail request can't be answered in one of the two formats above, I'd imagine you are

better off giving her a call.

Jim, thanks, I will call her. I share all the sentiments expressed here about Sherry. My first and only experience with her

was nothing short of total satisfaction.

When I sold my CL and 40mm Summicron (separately) online a few months ago (after 38 years!) they were pretty beat up

on the exterior. Ugly, really. But I'd always taken good care of them and had given them quality service. I advertised them

as having been CLA'd by Sherry a few years prior to the sale, and I believe that is why, despite their appearance, they

sold for amazingly high prices.

 

And yeah, i've talked to Sherry on the phone. She's a trip. Passionate about the quality of her work and about the CL and

Leicaflexes of the era. we are lucky to have her in our little universe.