LF camera and Lens repair in Europe

[light-zone]

I'm in search of something that probably does not exist, butI'll ask

anyways.

 

I'm looking for the German or European equivelent of Steve Grimes.

What I need is a place to send my LF lenses for quality repair and

matainence.

 

Any help or ideas?

 

Thanks

[huib_smeets]

William,

 

You could try with http://www.arluewa.de/ in Cologne, Germany.

[light-zone]

Thanks Huib!

 

the website doesn't appear to have anything more than a little Flash introduction, then it stops and nothing els appears. But that's what the telefonauskunft is for.

[colin carron]

William,

 

It is a bit difficult for us Europeans to answer this as few of us will have personal knowledge of Steve Grimes level of service. What sort of repair and maintenance are you looking for over and above what you would expect to get from a good professional LF repair service?

[light-zone]

Hi Colin,

 

Although I have never personally used Steve Grimes services, he has earned a very special reputation. With Mr. Grimes, you can send him an item, be it a barrel lens to be mounted or a shutter to be repaired, and you KNOW it will be done right, the first time. In short, he can be trusted.

You all know that for a LF photographer, that "special" lens is treasured like a member of the family. I'm just looking for a lens doctor to whom I can trust my beloved Schneider 210 angulon.

 

The lens is fine but it is mounted in a compound shutter, which too is fine, except for the fact that the nippel where the cable release gets screwed in is missing. I need it replaced. I've been shooting with this lens in this condition for over a year now, but it's time to have it repaired and a CLA.

I know there are trustworthy shops here in Germany that can do such work, but I have no idea where they are.

 

Any help? As a last resort I can always send the lens to Rhode Island to Mr. Grimes...

[light-zone]

Hey Colin,

 

want tohear about Steve Grimes? Check out this thread:

<p>

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003EiB

[colin carron]

William, If it is a matter of entrusting a treasure to someone (ie this is about how you feel about it) I would think there is no substitute for getting the best insured, tracked, mail service and packing the lens carefully and sending it to SKG.

[martin_pistor]

Hi William,

if you don`t trust S(chneider)K(reuznach)G(ermany) to handle your i.e. nikkors right, you might additionaly get a hint of people who do a lot of rent business:

try out asking: www.pps-online.de

www.pslphotosysteme.de

or of course the guys at

www.sinar.ch

might help.

Good luck

Martin

[light-zone]

Of course my first thought was to contact Scneider directly, after all, it is a Scneider lens....but the lens is fine, it's the shutter that needs to be worked on.

I also hesitated calling Schneider out of personal experience with them last year. I had a Rolleiflex 2.8C and the Xenotar taking lens had some pretty bad polish marks on it (Ebay....where else....live and learn). I contacted the service department at Schneider and wanted to send the camera to themn for analysis. They immediatly rejected the contract and referred me to an out of house repair service. He in turn gave me a long song and dance about how difficult and if he only had time, yada yada yada.

That's why I'm looking for a good reccomendation, but it looks like Steve Grimes will be getting my busness as well. Maybe he offers a special service for customers more than 5000 km away. :-)

[gerard_rhinn]

hello,

You may contact Teamwork in GB (41/42 Foley Street, London, W1P 7LD Tel: 020 7323 6455 Fax: 020 7436 5212

Email: sales@teamworkphoto.com http://www.teamworkphoto.com/used.htm ) , I have no personal experience but they offer repair services on medium and large format lenses and shutters.

[light-zone]

Thanks Gerard, I just sent Teamwork an email.

 

I got some information from Steve Grimes this morning via email.

He (or a co-worker) estimates the repair to my shutter,

along with a CLA to run $150 + Shipping.

[light-zone]

I just got a response from Schneider Kreuznach about where I could have my lens (Shutter) repaired. Here is the answer. It's in German so for those of you who can't speak the language, a translation will follow...

 

Sehr geehrter Herr Levitt,

 

vielen Dank für die Anfrage zu Schneider Produkten

zu der wir wie folgt anworten können:

 

Das Objektiv wurde bei Schneider 1949 hergestellt.

 

Der alte Verschluss ist nicht mehr reparierbar.

Der Anschluss ist aus dem Verschlusskörper herausgerissen.

Verschlussreparaturen sind nur für die heutige Generation möglich.

 

Die einzige Möglichkeit zu helfen wäre einen neuen Verschluss

Copal 3 zu montieren.

Um das zu überprüfen, muss Ihr Objektiv auf jeden Fall zu Schneider.

Nur so können auch Kosten ermittelt werden.

 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

 

Werner Bayer

Kundendienst

 

Tel. 0671-601-298

Fax: 0671-601-185

Http://bayerw@SchneiderKreuznach.com

Http://service@SchneiderKreuznach.com

 

So interesting to learn that the lens was made in 1949. But they go on to say that the Shutter can not be repaired, and the only thing to do would be to replace it with a new Copal. We all know what that would run. They suggested I send the lens to them so that they could make an estimate.

 

Now let's not forget, Mr. Grimes said he would repair the lens and perform a CLA for $150, but Schneider says it can't be done. Both people were provided with the same information, including a .jpg of the "damage". it's just like I said above when asked why I had not contacted Schneider directly....yada, yada, yada. But they sure would like to sell me a new Copal 3 Shutter, which, BTW, is NOT aperfect match, and certain modifications would have to be made as well....$$$$<div></div>

[bob.]

The main difference between SKG and Schneider (and I suspect, the vast majority of camera repairers) is that most will happily fit a factory replacement part and do a CLA, but SKG has the toolmaker's skills and equipment to *make* an obsolete part if he needs to - plus a wide understanding of shutters and lenses etc. People with SKGs combination of skills and knowledge are going to be thin on the ground. Good hunting...

[arne_croell]

William, I just had a look at the picture. Essentially, you need the little connector socket with its female thread to be able to screw in the cable release. I assume SKG's estimate includes remaking the little ball-shaped socket. I don't know how urgent it is, but a possible alternative could be to go to the photo shows here in Germany and look for another compound shutter (not necessarily the same size) where the lens or the shutter mechanism are damaged beyond reapair so you could get it for little money (I would include old folding cameras in really bad condition in such a search) but where it still has that socket. A lot of dealers have such stuff in "Grabbelkisten" for a few �. Then Steve could try to mount that socket. Alternatively, if it is easy to remove the socket from the other shutter, you could try to glue in the socket with a strong epoxy (UHU plus endfest 300 here in Germany), of course with the shutter case removed from the shutter so you won't get glue in the shutter before its cured.

[light-zone]

Good idea Arne!

 

I live in Fürth and ther are always a Fotobörse somewhere in the area, and 2 or 3 times a year in der Stadthalle. The repair itsself is not absolutly necessary, in fact, I tried screwing a cable release into the hole where the socket use to be, and it worked! But the foto fairs is definatly the right way to go.