Smoke/Water damage after a fire: Wow!

Carter64

Carter64

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Had a little arson incident at home on Thursday night. The upshot is, the room where I keep my film cameras (a few 35mm, one 6x6) and around 15 lenses is a bit damp and everything's covered in a thin film of greasy soot. Loss Adjuster's coming out tomorrow but I was wondering, from a technical POV, will any of the gear be salvageable? What sort of price would a CLA per item be?
 
Carter64 said:
Had a little arson incident at home on Thursday night. The upshot is, the room where I keep my film cameras (a few 35mm, one 6x6) and around 15 lenses is a bit damp and everything's covered in a thin film of greasy soot. Loss Adjuster's coming out tomorrow but I was wondering, from a technical POV, will any of the gear be salvageable? What sort of price would a CLA per item be?
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Well unless you have some very good gear a CLA would be more than the gear is worth....you will have to put the lenses in a dry well ventilated place to stop fungus starting and hope soot hasn't got inside the lens.
 
I'd talk to someone like the Real Camera company in Manchester. They organise repairs/CLAs and have a ton of second hand kit so they may be able to give you solid advice on what to clean up and what to replace.

I'd get an itemised replacement cost for everything and then maybe prices for CLAs on anything that has any kind of sentimental value or where replacement cost is quite high and a CLA would fix it.

CLAs are usually £60 a time roughly I'd think.
 
Great info, thanks! There's no single item worth more than that ballpark CLA, except maybe the C33 which was absolutely mint. All good stuff to chat to the loss adjuster about. While I'm sure they're going to be very good at their job, I think 70's/80's cameras and lenses might be a bit beyond their normal experience, so any help I can give is a plus.
Going to be a PITA to replace it all, took me ages trawling through ebay to build it up :(
 
Have a look in Ffordes second hand section as well. They usually have a ton of different things. Between Real camera company, ffordes and a few other places I'd imagine you should be able to replace the bulk of it without too much trawling.
 
Carter64 said:
While I'm sure they're going to be very good at their job, I think 70's/80's cameras and lenses might be a bit beyond their normal experience, so any help I can give is a plus.
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When I was burgled about 20 years ago, the insurance company replaced old for new so my FG was priced as equivalent with the current Nikon replacement (at the time), which was either an FE2 or an FM2, I think. Certainly worth a lot more than the FG was and they weren't interested in value shown on the original receipt, they only took it as a proof of ownership.

I'd get a couple of example prices for each item to give them a ballpark figure for replacement as those prices will differ to what you paid through ebay, though it might be worth speaking with the assessor as they might have a different way of doing things these days.
 
Strappy said:
When I was burgled about 20 years ago, the insurance company replaced old for new so my FG was priced as equivalent with the current Nikon replacement (at the time), which was either an FE2 or an FM2, I think. Certainly worth a lot more than the FG was and they weren't interested in value shown on the original receipt, they only took it as a proof of ownership.
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I've got new-for-old cover.......oh no, does that mean they'll offer me a Pentax K-m for my ME Super! :eek:

But seriously.......
Strappy said:
I'd get a couple of example prices for each item to give them a ballpark figure for replacement as those prices will differ to what you paid through ebay, though it might be worth speaking with the assessor as they might have a different way of doing things these days.
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Thanks :) So adding to the other advice, I should look at what I have (had :( ) and price from a retailer?
 
Firstly, glad YOU are OK - the gear is replaceable...

Practical advice now. In the back of Amateur Photographer, there are plenty of ads for dealers, some of which specialise in older kit. At a guess, other publications have similar, although the likes of Practical Photographer and Photography Monthly seem to be purely digital these days.

Good luck and happy shopping!
 
Carter64 said:
I've got new-for-old cover.......oh no, does that mean they'll offer me a Pentax K-m for my ME Super! :eek:
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:)

I was told that it was like-for-like new-for-old cover, which is why they insisted on the new Nikon - it was the only manual wind 35mm film camera available new!


Carter64 said:
... I should look at what I have (had :( ) and price from a retailer?
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Yes. Because you spent a long time looking for the right equipment from ebay, not the first you could find, so a second-hand retail price is more representative of what it would cost to replace that kit. Of course, this is all subject to your insurer, terms of your policy, etc. The assessor should be able to give you a good indication of what's going to happen.
 
think it'll depend on how much got into the lenses, if you very lucky you might have something like the minolta 135mm with apodation? :-O
 
You could ask the insurer to replace it like-for-like, and ask them to source it all for you and just dispatch it to you when they have acquired it.

Excuse my ignorance, but what does CLA stand for? I take it is all to do with cleaning etc?
 
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Ploddles said:
You could ask the insurer to replace it like-for-like, and ask them to source it all for you and just dispatch it to you when they have acquired it.

Excuse my ignorance, but what does CLA stand for? I take it is all to do with cleaning etc?
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It's the usual term for basic maintenance of camera gear Clean, Lubricate & Adjust
 
New for old on an ME Super?

Small, auto/manual interchangeable lens film camera? It's got to be a Leica M7 then! ;)
 
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Des, I was thinking along the same lines for my EOS300........entry-level full-frame AF mutli-mode which takes only EF lenses...........6D, surely ;)
 
I've manged to dig out this combo. The ST605 was out of smoke and water reach in a drawer, because I hate it; the Helios lens in my camera bag because I love it! Hate it or not, it's a working film camera and it'll keep me stable until the insurance is sorted
smile.gif
(And I'll be able to take part in challenge 35!)
St605 by mikeobrien568, on Flickr
 
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A bloke on a local facebook photography group not only offered me these free, he drove across town to deliver them :)
I can't even begin to put into words...............I mean......I don't know where to start! Very happy :)
I'm astounded by the generosity which has affected me positively on many levels :)
IMG_4356web by mikeobrien568, on Flickr
 
I used to work in adjusting on the building side, but once attended a seminar and factory visit by a leading fire damage restoration company - I forget their name, national outfit though.
They showed us a bath that they used to clean smoke damaged computer/ electrical equipment and the ovens that they dry it in.
I'm not sure if this is practical with a lens etc., but they were cleaning all sorts of electrical equipment when it was costly to replace or not possible.
You could have your adjuster check this option if there is something you cannot replace.
I'm not sure if this would be any better than a camera experienced restorer doing the job though, would they be used to smoke grease?
 
Thanks, Neil. The adjuster is going to use Rainbow International, they're coming out to assess what's economically salvageable/restorable or not. They're taking their time, though. It's been 10 days of the gear sitting mouldering in that room: the adjuster told me not to remove anything from it.
 
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