Sinar Norma CLA in Europe

[loman]

Hi Does anybody know of a reputable person who does CLA's of Sinar normas in Europe?
I have a 4x5/5x7 norma that really needs to be overhauled.
I know about the do it yourself cla on the internet, but I don't have the skills nor the tools to do that. I'd rather have somebody really knowledgable do it. At the moment I'm thinking of sending it to Glennview as he seems to know what he's doing but he's very far away from me (I live in Denmark). I was thinking of sending it sinar themselves but they are too expensive.
Hope any of you guys know of any alternatives to glennview.

Kind Regards

Mads

[uhner]

If you can’t find a European expert on Normas you might consider this. Make a print of the online guide and ask one of your local repair guys to consult it while servicing your camera.

If the standards on your camera are aligned, most seem to be even after decades of use, tell them not to disassemble the standard arms. They usually don’t require any cleaning and they are somewhat tricky to align.

[loman]

The standards aren't properly aligned either I'm afraid.
Kind Regards
Mads

[uhner]

That’s too bad.

Just out of curiosity – how much is a bona fide Sinar CLA?

[Steven Tribe]

Sending it across the pond is full of problems. Shipping costs and duty payable in both directions. Yes, there is a system of getting around this in theory - but in practice you can get stuck with fees/taxes which would take months/years to be refunded, if ever.

[Steven Tribe]

Perhaps Glennview could do a swap? You send him yours and you get one that he has "fixed" or has checked as OK? He later sells yours at a price you couldn't get on the market.

[Jimi]

When I asked Sinar here in Europe about a CLA on a Norma, they referred me to www.molanders.se (the swedish agent for Sinar). I never got around to actually asking Molanders but you might check with them yourself.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

To continue on the Molanders in Sweden route, they don't repair or overhaul the camera themselves, but they should know of some good workshops where they can send the camera, apart from sending it to Switzerland (so much easier to spell in english. :) ). Personally I wouldn't send the camera to the US (or is it Canada), but rather try to find a good repairman in either Denmark, Germany or Sweden. It could be a good idea to check for workshops/repairmen who works with Hasselblad/Rolleiflex/Leica, as these cameras are fully mechanic too and in the same professional range as the Norma. If they don't want to take on the job themselves, they may know of some collegue who is familiar with the Sinar cameras.

//Björn

[loman]

Hey Björn that's a good idea. I'll ask Jürgen Kuschnick who has worked on my rolleiflex (and did an outstanding job). I'll also ask molanders. Maybe there might even be someone in denmark. But I would like to send it to someone who had parts and such, and had done it before. That's why glennview seemed like a good idea.
I'll report back when I've found somebody.
Regards
Mads

[CarstenW]

You could ask who they use at Photographica. I am sure they have the contacts.

[loman]

I've contacted the sinar importer in Denmark (hother) and they have a repair person who should be able to do the job. I'm just waiting to see how expensive it is compared to what mr Kuschnik would charge.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

A little personal observation about Glennview: Without knowing what he charges for a camera CLA, my guess is that it's rather expensive. This because some of the items he wants to sell are "somewhat highly priced" (putting it differently: "ridiculously expensive").

//Björn

[loman]

Hi Björn I've noticed that. I've written him an email a couple of days ago asking for an estimate but I still have'nt heard from him.