Ebony service? Not too impressed

[TZE]

I have a problem with the focus slipping on the front standard of my Ebony. All it needs is a replacement cog for the rack an pinion (it has rusted slightly and lost the thread for the grub screws). If I had the part I'm sure I could fix it in minutes. However Ebony will only service it at a cost of 25,000 yen. I simply dont have the funds for this and they refuse to sell me a simple spare part.

Looks like I'll have to improvise a solution but was wondering if anyone knows of anywhere else I could get a compatible part? Anyone had a similar probelm with thier Ebony?

Many thanks

[RichardRitter]

I was repairing an Ebony and needed two knobs after 6 months of back and forth emails and being told I did not know what I was talking about I made the parts.

Is the gear teeth stripped off or slipping on the shaft? If it is slipping it can be repaired.

[Brian Ellis]

I also had a problem with Ebony service when the bag bellows I bought for my 45Te didn't fit the camera. Fortunately Jim at MidWest Photo Exchange intervened and I eventually received a replacement bellows. But I was less than impressed both with the bag bellows that didn't fit the camera and with their lack of interest in doing anything about it.

[George Hart]

I feel inclined to chip in and say that I have had very good service from Ebony! Soon after I got my SV57E I set out to swap the gg for a Maxwell screen, and in so doing I stripped the head of one of the small screws that hold the spring clip behind the gg. Ian Wilson of Ebony told me to return the gg holder direct to Hiromi in Japan, which I did by courier (not cheap). I got it back in no time, fixed of course, and when I worked out the timing from the shipping information I concluded that the item must have been in the Ebony workshop for 4 hours or less, before it was posted back to me. I was impressed!

[TZE]

It's just slipping on the shaft. The grubscrews no longer tighten in the gear so the gear wont hold the shaft. It should be a simple repair, I think getting a local machinist to look at it is probably the way to go. To be fair Ebony did send some new grub screws which held it for a few months. I'm sure a replacement gear wouldnt' be too hard to install if they were willing to sell one. It has to be easily fixable at low cost without the need to send it half way around the world.

[Michael Alpert]

It's just slipping on the shaft. . . . To be fair Ebony did send some new grub screws which held it for a few months. I'm sure a replacement gear wouldnt' be too hard to install if they were willing to sell one. It has to be easily fixable at low cost without the need to send it half way around the world.

TZE,

I certainly can sympathize with your situation, but I also can understand why Ebony does not want incorrectly repaired cameras floating around. I imagine that they also do not want to supply parts for the less-well-made cameras from Ebony's imitators. Did you buy your camera new? If so, have you contacted your camera dealer? I've used Ebony cameras in all kinds of weather conditions for almost a decade without any rust developing anywhere on the camera and without any worn-out parts.