New camera repair service and custom machining in France

[Mael]

Hello. I am proud to announce the workshop opened today, and has already cameras to repair.

If you look for some nice cameras, you can have a look at some that are available for sale here :

https://www.optomeca.fr/achat-vente/

Thanks for your interest !

[John Layton]

Thank you so much...for helping to keep some of the truly great classic cameras alive and clicking! I wish you the very best!

[PatrickMarq]

Mine is already there :-)

[Ulophot]

All the best. I've sent your site URL to camerarescue in Finland.

[Mael]

Thank you !

[PatrickMarq]

Here is some feedback,
Mael has repaired my Kalloflex made a new machine part.
Fixed the leatherette
Cleaned it
And also did some shutter test, probably forgot some more thing (Sorry Mael)

But the camera looks as brand new, can’t wait to go out with it. It’s raining here for weeks almost every day/

So I strongly recommend Mael !

[MartyNL]

That's great to hear! The camera looks sweet. I really need to send a few items off...

I often think it's actually far better and cheaper in the long run to get things fixed rather than to try and replace them with 'who knows what!'.

[PatrickMarq]

That's great to hear! The camera looks sweet. I really need to send a few items off...

I often think it's actually far better and cheaper in the long run to get things fixed rather than to try and replace them with 'who knows what!'.

Indeed, the last few months I have send my Bronica off for some CLA, now the Kalloflex. And my Polaroid SX-70 will be next.
Not sure what to do with the Fuji GW645Zi to mutch electronics, but it’s a perfect Holliday camera.
At the end you know your camera’s and their little quirks, and love them.

[Mael]

Hello Patrick.

Advance mechanism has been repaired too, viewing mirror has been custom cut, and most significant optical alignment was re-set.

About 9 upon 10 TLR cameras I receive have defective optical alignment, which I try to set within 0,02mm maximum deviation if possible.

I am lucky to own a factory Rolleiflex Autocollimator to do this.

It is the most critical thing if you want to have the best resolution from your lens, and usually it is not done by most of workshops.

Using a tool that is a reproduction of Rollei factory tool that I made on my lathe, I screw it in place of the front lens block.



then using a marble and a micrometer I measure the lens deviation on the four corners of the image frame



Using micro washer shims I then correct the front lens mount in order to have the results I need.

After that it's time to check with more accuracy on the Rolleiflex autocollimator, with lens removed. In B setting, full aperture, you must align a moving reticle to a static reticle in order to set the film plane. Then, you put an optical mirror on the shutter, and if the moving reticle is superposing to the static one, the optical alignment is perfect.






With this tool I can check the lens deviation, but also set the infinity on both lenses. After putting back the lens, I must find the point where the luminescent reticle is the sharpest. To minimize light diffraction, a green filter is put between the camera and the collimator in order to have an average light wavelength, it reduces reading errors.



on the first and last image you can see on the left a custom made collimator I machined using a XIXth century telescope from a theodolith, that is in the 600mm focal length range, very useful for checking infinity of wide angles, and on the right a Leitz collimator, originally designed for movie cameras, that I converted for both autocollimator and collimator. I can very quickly observe optical alignment and infinity setting on most small format cameras in a few minutes.

[Mael]

Please feel free to enter my small work shop, for a virtual tour.

On the left, the washing, rinsing and ultrasonic cleaning place. There is a also fire proof and ventilated closet for inflammable products storage.

On the entrance door this is an adjustable tool I made for checking rangefinders using the measured base. I can set both vertical and horizontal alignment. Very accurate.



Then there is my desk and some customer cameras waiting for quote or shipping to their owners. All cameras are usually stored outside in a special cabinet when the darkroom is in use.



Here is the place where the cameras are repaired and checked.



And then the machining table, with my lathe and milling machine.



It took me nearly one year and a consequent amount of personal earnings to create this workshop.

Thanks for your interest.