Leica M3 Repair

[Mark B]

I bought a Leica M3 double stroke about a dozen years ago, and shot a few rolls of film with it, and was very happy with the quality of the pics. About 7 or 8 years ago I was loading a roll of film and it got jammed. I stopped trying to un-jam it at the point that I was afraid that I might break something, and put the camera away in a closet.

Last week I decided to get the camera repaired, and took it into a local camera shop that repairs Hasselblads & Leicas. They just called with an estimate for $260.00. Before giving them an OK to proceed with the repair, I would like to know if that's a fair price. Your opinions are welcome.

The serial number is 751965.

[Nat]

An M3 is worth a lot more than that, and if they know what they are doing (which, if they specialize in Leica and Hasselblad, they should), its probably not a bad price. But you might try checking with Essex Camera Repair in Carlstadt New Jersey -- they are well known for cheap capable repairs, so much so it is said that other repair facilities send them stuff rather than doing it themselves.
The M3 is probably the best made consumer camera ever produced. It came at a point where the technology of cameras was highly advanced, but labor costs were still relatively low, so it could have a level of complexity and care in construction that is impossible now (even with the many thousands of dollars that Leicas cost now). The M3 is also about as good ergonomically as a camera can get.
If you like it, there are a lot worse ways of spending $260.

[Mr. Snoid]

Mark,

Nat just gave you some very solid advise top to bottom...depending on condition that M3 (body only) is worth anywhere from $500 to $900 and these great vintage film cameras depreciate at a much slower rate than other film cameras...You will get your money back if you decide to sell or use either way.

Andrew

[Mark B]

Thanks for the input and the info on Essex Camera Repair. I'm primarily concerned about not being overcharged on the repair. How long should it take them to un-jam a roll of film? It seems to me they're charging for an inordinate amount of time.

I'll call Essex tomorrow.

[zincman]

Keep in mind these cameras are very complicated mechanical things. A jam can be very simple to very complicated. I would say that if the body is in good cosmetic condition and you like the camera a little time and a few hundred bucks is well worth it.

[danj]

I would say that $260 is a fair price for repairing a stuck shutter, which is what your problems sounds like to me. The Leica shutter is a precision piece, parts are costly and skilled repair is worth its fare.

Gee, if your Bentley had a blown head gasket, wouldn't you think it was worth repairing? The Leica is the camera equivalent of a Bentley - impossibly smooth and insanely expensive (relative to its competition) but worth every penny.

If it were me I would pay an extra $100 and have the camera cleaned and lubed and have the focus mirrors aligned.

[Nat]

Mark:
While I suspect that you may need a transport mechanism repair, its worth asking: exactly what happened when you loaded the film? Did you remove the film and experience the same problem with the advance? And is the rewind lever in the correct position? I haven't had an M3 in years, but my memory is that if the rewind lever is inbetween wind and rewind, things may not work. And certainly sometimes film can be funky. I would remove the film, check rewind, diddle with the sprocket, and check for film chips jamming things (while you can't see them inside the mechanism, sometimes you can see them in the outside area). Then gently try moving the wind lever. If it is firmly stuck, then off to the repair shop. If is moves but reluctantly, I would hazard pushing a little -- if its a film chip, you might clear it (though it might come back later). If it is a broken gear tooth or a screw loose, you will have to have it repaired anyway, so you haven't lost anything by trying (and at 260, they shouldn't be hitting you up for parts, so it doesn't matter if you damage something).
Here is the deal with camera repair: First, they need to protect themselves when they give you a quote, so they will quote high, and if it is an easy fix, maybe charge you less -- this is better than quoting low, and having to raise the fee. And second: most repairs are easy, but some are absolute nightmares, and all repair shops subsidize the nightmares by overcharging on the easy stuff.
And sometimes f they are worried that there might possibly be the need for unavailable parts, they won't even accept the repair job, regardless of whether it actually ends up needing parts -- they can't afford to put the time in to find out, and then not be able to fix it, so not be able to charge you.
About ten years ago I repaired a Canon F1 (one of the landmark cameras of the 70s) with transport problems. It had been sent to Canon, then to the enormous Canon subsidiary repair facilty in Georgia, and to Precision in Chicopee Mass, and all three had refused to even look at it -- no parts available they said. I had the thing fixed in three minutes flat -- just a rachet out of place, and not even in an inaccessible location. But these shops couldn't afford the time to investigate, and feared, correctly probably, that if they opened the thing up, not only might they not get paid for the time if they couldn't fix it for lack of parts, but they might be blamed for causing problems if they opened it up. A lot of cameras get junked because of this.

[Mark B]

Danj, where in Western Oregon would you have it repaired?

The $260.00 repair estimate may be perfectly fair, but I don't know the shop & it seems high to me. Unless I get a recommendation for a shop in my area, I'm planning to send it to Essex Camera Repair which has a good reputation for quality repairs at fair prices.

Nat, the film advance lever (this is the double stroke M3) jammed when I was loading the film. The lever will return to the ready position, but it won't move beyond what I estimate to be the end of the 1st stroke. I've removed the film. The film sprocket and the take up spool sprocket move freely. The film advance sprocket does not move.

[danj]

Danj, where in Western Oregon would you have it repaired?




I would contact Focal Point Photography in Dallas and ask Mike who he suggests for Leica repair. Mike's an old Leica guy and knows just about everybody in the area who is qualified to work on them. I think his repairman works outta Portland.

[Mark B]

I would contact Focal Point Photography in Dallas and ask Mike who he suggests for Leica repair. Mike's an old Leica guy and knows just about everybody in the area who is qualified to work on them. I think his repairman works outta Portland.

I took danj's advice and called Focal Point Photography and spoke with Mike who was very helpful. He recommended Dave at Advance Camera Repair in Beaverton. I'll take the camera in on Monday.

[Telecolor 3007]

Try this:
http://www.rus-camera.com/guestbook.php