LF repair options - Washington DC

[Tim S.]

I have a S-K Xenar 150mm f/4.5 lens (mounted on a Linhof Technika III Type 5) that needs a CLA. I live in the Washington, DC area and was initially looking to get it serviced around here. However, since it is just the lens and lensboard that would need to get shipped it would not be expensive to do so.

So, recommendations of repair shops are welcome. I've found two in the DC area, and would love to hear info about those if possible (or others). Conversely if you think I should just send it out that is fine too, just let me know of some places.

The two shops are: Pro Photo (http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF-8&q=pro+photo+dc&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=15652203037753077631&dtab=2&oi=md_reviews&sa=X&ei=_u0zSqC1NomCNMTi_MsI), of whom I've heard very good things , although some have found them a bit pricey. The other is Strauss Photo-Technical Service (http://www.iglobal.com/SPTS/) , whose reviews have been generally positive but a bit more mixed (especially lately, new ownership and reduced photographic focus).

Thanks in advance.
Tim

[AJ Edmondson]

Camera Wiz Camera Repair 1-800-471-8133
169B Pleasant Hill Rd
Harrisonburg, VA 22801-5715
Frank does great work, fair prices and quick turnaround. He saved my 250mm Wide Field Ektar and I couldn't be happier with his work!

[Tim S.]

thanks a bunch. much appreciated

[William McEwen]

Ditto on Frank.

He fixed a shutter for me five years ago and it performs beautifully now.

Michael Smith, Paula Chamlee, and Sally Mann use him, too.

I recommend you look no further...

[ian kraus]

I tried the number for frank and its out of service.
I need a couple of shutters CLA'ed.
I'm in New York but anywhere in the US is good.
Ian

[RPNugent]

Did you use the 800# or the one you can get off Google?

Camera Wiz Camera Repair 540-434-8133

169 Pleasant Hill Rd
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

[SW Rick]

You might also consider Pro Camera in Charlottesville.

[wfwhitaker]

I had a very bad experience this past summer with Frank and Camera Wiz. I won't deal with them again. Period.

I had a Compound shutter which would not seat fully in its mounting flange. Suspecting a fouled thread, I called Frank Marshman and asked him if he could repair it. He told me that it would be an easy repair and that he would be able to fit it in between other jobs. So I sent it to him and patiently waited. For two months I patiently waited for him to make this "easy repair". I did call a couple of times in the interim; once to see if they'd received the shutter and again after three or four weeks to see when it might be ready. I was informed that they had not gotten to it yet, but would do so shortly. After two months I called a third time to see when I could expect the shutter to be returned. I was informed again that they had not gotten to it. So I requested that the shutter be returned to me without repair. The woman with whom I spoke asked what should be done in case Frank could get to it right away. I told her that in that case he should call me.

A week later, I still had no lens. Mind you, Camera Wiz is four hours up the road from me in Virginia; it's not like they're across the country. But even if they were, I should have had the shutter back by now. So I tried calling them again. Their 800 number was not working and was apparently disconnected. So I looked up a local number and used that. Same woman as before answered the phone. I asked her about my shutter and after some research she returned to the phone to tell me that they still had it. They were still holding my shutter in spite of my very clear request to return it immediately.

When I pressed her about the status of the shutter, she told me that it couldn't be fixed and that they would return it. I asked what was wrong with it. I was placed on hold while she found out. When she returned I was told that the original flange had a taper and that this one didn't. In other words, it was the wrong flange for the lens. It took nine weeks just to tell me that the shutter had the wrong flange!!!

After hanging up from this phone call, I realized that I had not specifically requested that the shutter be insured during its return shipment. After what I had already experienced, there was no way that I was going to let this one slip by. So I called back. This time Frank answered the telephone. I asked him to please make sure to insure the shutter for $300. (This is the nicest running Compound I've ever had and that seemed a reasonable amount.) He assured me that he would insure it.

The Compound arrived a few days later at the post office. No insurance. I confirmed it with the postal clerk. In spite of my specific request to insure the shutter, it was not insured at all. Not only that, but the shutter was shipped with the blades closed and nothing but a plastic bag covering the apertures. (I always try to ship shutters with both shutter and iris blades open, if at all possible, because they are less vulnerable to damage that way.

This whole experience was completely inexcusable. In fact, nothing but excuses were made all along the way. I was misled, lied to and completely blown off regarding my concerns about my shutter which I had entrusted to Frank Marshman and Camera Wiz. I know others have spoken well of them in this thread and other places on the internet. In fact, I had decided to try them because of the entry on Michael & Paula's web site. But my experience was completely the opposite. This was just another sob story about poor service, shoddy business ethics, lies and devil-may-care attitude that's become so common in LF photography. We don't need any more businesses like that. I suggest you look elsewhere.