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Just got back from a camera show in Portland and everyone was wrong about CLA pricing
Went to the Portland Camera Show last Saturday and walked around talking to a bunch of guys about shutter cleaning prices. Most folks there were saying a basic CLA on a Nikon FM should run you around $150-$200 easy. But I found one older guy who does them for $80 flat and his work was clean as anything I've seen. He showed me a Mamiya RB67 he just finished and the mirror box was spotless. Am I crazy for thinking the bigger shops are just padding their rates or has anyone else found someone who charges way less for the same quality?
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grace_perry4416d ago
Yo totally! I had the exact same thing happen at a show in Seattle a couple years back. Found this guy who does Leica CLAs for like $120 and he showed me his before/after photos on his phone and it was night and day. Meanwhile I'd paid $300 to a "reputable" shop and they sent my camera back with the shutter curtain slightly wrinkled. These older repair guys at shows are legit, they don't have the overhead of a storefront or website so they can charge way less. Plus they actually care about the work instead of just rushing through orders like the big places. I honestly think the industry has gotten so comfortable charging whatever they want because people assume it's normal. But once you find one of those booth guys it's hard to go back.
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hugos6716d ago
I paid $200 for a CLA on my FM2n once and it came back with a speck of dust right in the middle of the viewfinder... $80 and spotless work sounds like a steal honestly. I'd definitely stick with that old timer, those camera show guys are sometimes the best kept secrets in photography.
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rosebennett16d ago
Man that's wild, $200 for a CLA and they left dust inside? Sounds like they didn't even bother to check before shipping it back. Did you ever take it back to them or just eat the cost?
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