steve_friedman Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Hello- I recently bought a IIIF red dial serial number 639136 and collapsing lens 1020569. There are some problems. When I wind the camera up, and try to shoot@1/1000, the shutter jams. I think the slow speeds are off big time and the rangefinder is very dim. Can anything be done to fix this? Is it worth it to repair, or should I just get a Bessa-R and use the lens on the Leica? I really want to get into photography, but I can;t afford the present M-series. I am looking to spend 500-600 dollars. Would anyone have a contact to have this camera fixed in Central or Northern New Jersey? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajabbi Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Steve, Try these people. Sherry and Leica U.S.A. don't repair LTMs any more. Essex Camera Services, Inc. 100 Amor Avenue Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072 Phone: (201)-933-7272 Fax: (201)-933-7647 email: info@essexcamera.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_scheuern Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 He's not local to you but I can highly recommend Don Goldberg. He did a beautiful job of replacing my IIIf BD shutter and definitely knows his way around Leicas. His fee was very reasonable, especially considering the quality of his work. Hard to say what yours will cost but I'm sure he can give you an estimate. http://www.dagcamera.com/ I also have a Bessa R. It works well and has a very nice, bright viewfinder. Loading it is a bit less fussy, though the IIIf loading isn't at all bad once you get used to it. You might also want to consider the R2, which is better constructed and takes M-series lenses as well as LTM lenses with an adaptor. You should also know that some collapsible lenses shouldn't be used on the Bessa because there can be interference when collapsed. You'll want to confirm that yours will work okay before you buy the Bessa. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 That sounds like very routine maintenance for a IIIf. Steve Gandy (Cameraquest) charges $75 for RF beam-splitter replacement, other folks should charge in the same ballpark. Around another $150 for the clean, lube, and adjust and all the speeds should be just dandy. (Only thing that would further increase the cost would be if the shutter curtains need replacing.) You will be set for 10 years after that CLA. No, you will never get a bright and large a rangefinder in the IIIf as the Bessa-R would have. But if you like the feel of the IIIf in your hands, go for having it repaired. The Bessa-R is larger, on a par with a compact SLR. (Which is what it is based on.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aoresteen Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Ditto on Don at DAG. He repaired 5 Leica screw mount bodies for me. Get it fixed; it will last another 50 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom5 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I'll repeat my answer to a previous post - John Maddox is absolutely first rate - only works on screwmounts and prices repairs quite reasonably. I've also had good luck with Don Goldberg (DAG). Send the camera away to Maddox or DAG. FedEx will cost you only $25 or so and get the camera to the repair person in two days. Personally, I'd stay away from other repair services. Maddox and DAG are real experts on Leicas and will give excellent service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Don Goldberg is a fine repairman to be sure. However he services M Leicas primarily, which are more costly cameras than screwmounts, and so his rates are legitimately (from his perspective as a businessman in determining what his time is worth)high. Steve Gandy is not a repairman, he just acts as a middleman...farms it all out and takes a cut for himself. The man you want to have service your IIIf is John Maddox, L&J Leica Repair. He will overhaul your camera and make it sparkle inside and out. He can replace the parts that are dimming the rangefinder and it will be better than when it came from the factory. He also makes shutter curtains if needed. And his rates are reasonable enough that they don't make it uneconomical to get everything done that's needed. His contact info: 109 Royal Oak Road Greenville, SC 29607 Tel: (864) 297-6931 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom5 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Well put, Jay. John Maddox is certainly the person to work on screwmounts. DAG does excellent work and I didn't want to suggest that his work is less than first rate. But, Maddox will do a great job at a very reasonable price. He has worked on my IIIa, If, and IIIf and now has my Tower (Nicca) Leica clone for a CLA. He also cleaned and repaired an old Zeiss finder. John repainted the anti-reflective black inside the finder, remounted and cleaned the lens elements, fixed the eyepiece that was coming unscrewed and even knocked out a dent in the outer shell, all for a small fraction of what a replacement finder would have cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_friedman Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 Thanks for the contacts. I will see what they can do. I just hope it can be fixed. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I`m sure the others are fine, but DAG gets all my work. He repairs what others say is not repairable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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