Hasselblad A12 Back Repair

[jermaine_scott]

<p>Ok, here is the question. I dropped off my A12 back at a local shop for repair because it has uneven spacing of frames. I called back after a few days and I'm told it will cost $166 to repair it. Hasselblad USA says on its site that they will do that for $99 and you can send in another back for $15 more at the same time. Anyone tried this Check to Spec that Hassy is offering? What's the turnaround time? Thanks.</p>

[hasselblad technician]

<p>Jermaine,<br>

It seems that you are under the impression that Hasselblad will repair your film magazine for $99.00. I'm afraid that this isn't the case. The following is a quote from their website: "Includes check and alignment of one V-System body, lens, film magazine and viewfinder. Add extra lenses or magazines for only an additional $15.00 each."<br>

On their website, it states that, "For the film magazines, this fee includes checking of the film flatness, checking of frame spacing and inspection and cleaning of interior and exterior services."<br>

Their website also goes on to say, "If during the course of the Check-to-Spec service, a problem is identified with one of the system components that is beyond the scope of this service, a separate estimate will be provided for your review and approval."<br>

In other words, the fee of $99.00 DOES NOT include the repair of the film magazine.</p>

 

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>As David said, that is an inspection program: CHECK to spec, not a repair program. If it were a repair program it would be called "Restore To Spec... and would be one heck of a good deal!</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>p.s. If not mistaken, Hassy will credit the inspection fee toward the repair cost. But I can't remember where I heard that.</p>

[jermaine_scott]

<p>Hmmm, I think I will just pay the $166 and be done with it. Seems fair enough but I'm just being a cheap skate.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Jermaine, If you have your magazine repaired by a competent technician like David Odess, you can rely on the magazine working like new for many years to come. I know repair work is painful, but over the years I've come to a place where I can get past the cost, and enjoy good, used equipment working without failure or wonder whether a component with break on you. </p>

<p>I liken it to buying a good used car, and spending the money you saved from buying a new one, and spending much less to simply keep it running well.</p>

[jermaine_scott]

<p>It's a local shop here in Washington DC called Pro Photo. They have been around for years. They repaired my Pentax for me when I was in high school about 20 years ago. It still works. I think they will stand behind their work. The Hassy offer is starting to look a little open ended as to cost.</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

Open ended, perhaps. But it will not (or should not) become too expensive a job.<br>Adjusting frame spacing is a simple job. Early repair manuals mention that most often all is needed is to tighten screws. If that doesn't do the job (as those old manuals say it will most of the time), it's either an adjustment (i.e. still no parts needed) of a gear, or (worst case) replacing a nylon part that takes a 'pounding' each time you wind on, and the apply named return gear returns.<br>It's not much work, nor difficult. And the nylon part (if needed) shouldn't be too expensive.<br><br>But then again: it's Hasselblad... ;-)

[Rob F.]

<p>Well, as far as the $99 check goes for a back, I can, and do, check it for a lot cheaper. I run a roll of expired black & white through it and soup it. It's either spaced OK or not. If not, it goes to David.</p>

[hasselblad technician]

<p>Q.G.,</p>

<p>Over the years, I have come to appreciate your vast knowledge of everything Hasselblad. Your posts are almost always right on the mark. However, in this case, it is with a great deal of respect that I need to say that your post is far from being accurate.</p>

<p>As a factory trained Hasselblad technician with 36 years experience servicing the Hasselblad system exclusively, including 5 years with Hasselblad USA, I feel that I am qualified to address some of your comments.</p>

<p>I have the original Hasselblad factory service manuals dating back to 1957, and nowhere in the manuals does it state that all you need to do to correct film spacing issues is to tighten some screws. In fact, film spacing issues are almost always caused by worn parts, such as a worn drive gear, a worn metering gear or a worn metering arm. In these cases, the worn part(s) must be replaced.</p>

<p>The one exception to this is when only the position of the first frame is off by a small margin. This is usually corrected by the adjustment of the number wheel, which is the part that has the frame numbers painted on it. This is the only adjustment that can be made for spacing issues. And, as I wrote, this adjustment only addresses the starting position of the first frame. No other adjustments are possible to correct issues with film spacing.</p>

<p>As you know, the nylon stop determines the position of the gear that mates with the gear in the camera body, and this part should be replaced when it becomes worn. However, the nylon stop in no way has any effect on the film spacing.</p>

<p>To change the subject, I would like to thank you again for your very generous donation to support my fund raising efforts for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States.</p>

<p>Respectfully,<br>

David Odess</p>

 

[q.g._de_bakker]

David,<br><br>We could now bicker over whether the thing i have here is real or not, but the important bit is that correcting frame spacing issues is easy (and yes, i have fixed a few such problems by no more than changing the dented nylon stop.)<br>You're of course right that worn parts will lead to problems and then those can only be corrected by replacing these worn parts.<br>But i'm sure you do know that a readjust does miracles in the majority of cases. You just do not want to let people know how easy it is. ;-)

[hasselblad technician]

<p>Q.G.,</p>

<p>It is not my intention to bicker with you; only to state the facts. Still, I must take exception to three statements that you made.</p>

<p>The first is that you claim to have corrected a spacing problem by simply replacing the nylon stop. As you should know, the only purpose of the nylon stop is to determine the position of the gear in the film magazine that engages with the gear in the camera body. That's all it does. I can assure you that the nylon stop has nothing to do with film spacing, and that simply replacing a worn nylon stop will have absolutely no effect on the film spacing. I guarantee it.</p>

<p>You also wrote, "But i'm sure you do know that a readjust does miracles in the majority of cases." My question to you is, "Readjust of what?" As I wrote in my original post, the only adjustment that is possible with the film magazines is the adjustment of the number wheel, and this only adjusts the position of the first frame. Period. There are no other adjustments that can be made.</p>

<p>You also wrote, "You just do not want to let people know how easy it is." I am not claiming that repairing a spacing problem in a film magazine is difficult or complicated. I am simply stating the facts.</p>

<p> </p>

[paul_loveteck]

<p>Q.G.<br>

One more time, I am asking you to stop misleading readers on this forum.<br>

You say: "Adjusting frame spacing is a simple job", that simply is NOT TRUE. It might be for an Hasselblad technician, not for anybody else.<br>

Then you say "often all is needed is to tighten screws". This statement is not only not true but absurd.<br>

Then ". . .replacing a nylon part that takes a 'pounding' each time you wind on". Another absurd statement. I suppose you are talking about the nylon stop. This part has nothing to do with spacing.<br>

Another thing you say: "...it's either an adjustment" is not true most of the time as the only adjustment possible is rarely the culprit and, when it is, adjusting the dial wheel to the correct position is not easy.<br>

In addition, simply finding where the problem really comes from can be very difficult and most technicians will prefer to simply change all involved parts as this will not require wasting the time to find the exact problem. The parts involved are few and well known by knowledgeable people (the one not trying again and again to mislead on this forum).</p>