Bad repairs

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I have any number of old cameras that I use regulary, and over the years have had problems getting decent repairs. My current sanafu has me so mad I could spit. I will not go into details, but if you are going to get any repair work done in or around Fayetteville AR, be very careful. If you email me I will tell you who to avoid. Was having film advance problems, frames were overlapping. $20 to get an estimate, was given bid of $128 to CLA. Repairman said that was all it needed. Told me two weeks to get done.Two weeks ended on a thursday, no camera. I was told it would be ready friday. I made arangements to pick it up the following monday. Monday rolls around, camera not ready. Will be ready tuesday morning, 1030. Come by at 1100, not done. So I finally pick it up late tuesday afternoon, get it home, and the film take up spool is missing, rendering the camera useless. Back to the shop I go. Did I mention its a 25 mile drive? Anyway, at the shop the repair guy gets about half pissed about the spool. Says he needs 45 min. to look for it. So I kill 45 minutes, and he has the spool. Found it under his desk where he dropped it. The following morning I put a run a roll through the camera, process it, and guess what? The frames are still over lapping. So back I go, film in hand. He says the,advance clutch must need adjusting, not just cleaning. He will have the camera ready that afternoon, or next morning. As you can guess, it is now 430 pm no camera in site. He has now had the camera three weeks, as oppossed to two, I have had to bring it back twice, and still no luck. Unfortunatley I payed him in cash the first time I picked the camera up. Is it unreasonable on my part to expect my camera to be at the top of his priority list? Its already been paid for, was late to begin with, and has been returned to him twice. At 6p I am picking the camera up done or not, along with my $128. So where does one find a good repair service that knows how to work on older mechanical equipment? I have had three other expiriences very similar to this, until I found an old retired guy who worked out of his home. Unfortunatley he is now dead. Any repair shop recomendations?

Thanks in advance

-- Bruce Appel (appelgate@aol.com), February 22, 2001

Answers

You must have very nice and expensive old cameras. If my old Canon AE1P ever has a problem it probably isn't worth repairing. It probably costs less to just buy another used one.

-- Howard Z (greenspun@howardz.com), February 22, 2001.

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