Changed my mind about CLA after a Rolleiflex job in Seattle last month

I used to be in the camp that said every old camera needs a full CLA the minute it hits your bench. But I had a customer bring in a Rolleiflex 2.8C last month that was working fine except for a sticky focus knob. I told him it needed the full treatment, he said no just fix the knob. I cleaned the helicoid and adjusted the gears, charged him $60, and he left happy. Two weeks later he came back and said it was the smoothest it had ever been. I guess my point is that sometimes we jump to the full overhaul because it's what we know and it covers our butt, but maybe we should listen more to what the customer actually needs. Has anyone else had a job where doing less actually made things better?

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.abby1mo ago

That Rolleiflex story is exactly what happened to me with a Mamiya 7 last spring. I told a guy his shutter speeds were off by a stop and he said just leave it, so I tweaked the aperture coupling instead and it came out dead perfect. I think we get scared of being blamed later if something else breaks, but charging for only what moves usually builds more trust in the long run.

charles9191mo ago

Car mechanics do the same thing, fix the real problem not the symptom.

michael_bennett111mo ago

Nodding along to this so hard. It's that weird mix of being honest but also covering your own back that makes this stuff tricky sometimes.