Who to use for Hasselblad repair?

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Ok, so it has happened, my Hasselblad 500c/m body has jammed. I managed to free it up a couple of times by using the screw inside the body but now it has jammed good and proper when winding on. I am going to have to send it in for repair. Who do you guys use/recommend. I understand this could cost me quite a lot of money too. :(

So much for taking it on holiday tomorrow.
 
Miles Whitehead. He's done a lot of work for me over the years and he did a very good job on my 80mm Hassy lens which had become quite gummed up and difficult to use. He doesn't have much of a web presence but drop him an email and he'll get back to you asap http://www.mwcamerarepairs.co.uk
 
Thank you. I've spoke to JDCamtech and he seemed a nice chap. £165 for a service which apparently should sort it.

Can't decide to take the Contax on holiday or not. Bit expensive for a breakage so may just have to use 35mm. [emoji21]
 
RaglanSurf said:
Miles Whitehead. He's done a lot of work for me over the years and he did a very good job on my 80mm Hassy lens which had become quite gummed up and difficult to use. He doesn't have much of a web presence but drop him an email and he'll get back to you asap http://www.mwcamerarepairs.co.uk
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Surely he doesn't work from a house as shown in google map....I was expecting a small business with a small team setup with latest testing gear as how can he get through all the work from recommendations as well as ones advertised e.g. My customers include NHS Trusts, The Fire Brigade, Police along with numerous professionals, studios, magazine and press photographers.
Why I am interested? well he might be skilled at reparing camera bodies but wondered if he has the equipment\knowledge to recalibrate an old de-centred lens....remember my bootie canon FL 19mm

BTW I did contact him last year and he did say he would look at the lens, but unless he can recalibrate the lens with special equip, can only check if an element was reversed.
 
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excalibur2 said:
Surely he doesn't work from a house as shown in google map....I was expecting a small business with a small team setup with latest testing gear as how can he get through all the work from recommendations as well as ones advertised e.g. My customers include NHS Trusts, The Fire Brigade, Police along with numerous professionals, studios, magazine and press photographers.
Why I am interested? well he might be skilled at reparing camera bodies but wondered if he has the equipment\knowledge to recalibrate an old de-centred lens....remember my bootie canon FL 19mm
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Brian, Miles has worked in the industry for many years and has more experience than a very experienced thing, he's worked on quite a few cameras and lenses for me ranging from an early 1900's Houghton bellows camera and 1950's Mamiya Six through to my Hasselblad 80mm lens and a sticky Nikon AF 28mm. And yes he does work from a very ordinary looking suburban home, he doesn't have the fastest turn around time for likes of us amateurs as he prioritises his "pro' customers but he always gets the job done.
 
excalibur2 said:
BTW I did contact him last year and he did say he would look at the lens, but unless he can recalibrate the lens with special equip, can only check if an element was reversed.
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Did you ask him if he could calibrate it?
 
RaglanSurf said:
Did you ask him if he could calibrate it?
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Well I don't really know the cause of the problem and just going by one site where I posted a shot and the immediate reply was "the lens was de-centred"...and if an element is out of alignment would need adjusting and tested using a machine, well I'm sure Miles would rather service a camera body than go through that hassle of re-calibrating a lens. Canon are a disgrace as there is a large centre near me and must have the equip but are not interested, and with no knowledge on who actually are experts on lens repairs just leaves a member here up north who said he gets he lenses serviced by a firm who also do Lieca, but the gamble is the cost is up to £80 if solved and no charge if not. Most firms in the London area are probably geared up for the electonics in digi cameras as the lens elements, I would guess, are bonded into position, so wouldn't have a clue how to fix an old fashioned lens.
The only use for the lens atm would be if e.g. if you wanted the subject in the centres sharp and either side blurred
 
To be fair to Canon Brian, I'm not sure they're a disgrace for not wanting to investigate a lens that was probably made before most of their staff were born. They wouldn't want to touch it like most modern manufacturers hence people like Miles getting a reputation for repairs instead.
 
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Looking at previous sales on EBay, the lens would sell for up to £200 so paying £80 to repair it on top of the couple of quid you paid for it seems like a pretty good deal to me? Alternatively, put it up for sale in its current state and in sure someone will buy it for more than the cost of repair so you make an easy profit.
 
stevelmx5 said:
To be fair to Canon Brian, I'm not sure they're a disgrace for not wanting to investigate a lens that was probably made before most of their staff were born. They wouldn't want to touch it like most modern manufacturers hence people like Miles getting a reputation for repairs instead.
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Well I wasn't expecting them to repair it for nothing, just another example of the big corps not interested in the "little people" with some unknown face deciding only digi gear to be repaired....as when I went into the reception the guy looked at the computer screen and said "we don't do that lens"...but it's a Canon lens......maybe so but we still don't repair them.:banghead:
 
It's a 40 year old canon lens though Brian so I'm not surprised it's not on their repair list. Pop into your local Ford dealership with a Capri and I reckon you'll get the same response :0)
 
skysh4rk said:
Wait, what? You pay if it's fixed, you don't pay if it isn't? How is that a gamble?

A gamble is paying £80 whether they fix it or not.
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Well Miles quoted a lot cheaper...excellent if I knew he had the gear to recalibrate it and not just check if an element is back to front. The problem is:- we all know Miles is very good for mechanical side and use him with confidence but his reply to me didn't use any sales patter e.g. if the lens is de-centred I have the equip to correct so shouldn't be a problem etc
 
stevelmx5 said:
It's a 40 year old canon lens though Brian so I'm not surprised it's not on their repair list. Pop into your local Ford dealership with a Capri and I reckon you'll get the same response :0)
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Another big corp :D
Anybody interested in hi-fi probably know Naim they will still update your old gear or repair it...... Interesting to know if Quad repair their old valve gear....blast I'm side tracking, but excellent small firms tend to look after their customers better.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well Miles quoted a lot cheaper...excellent if I knew he had the gear to recalibrate it and not just check if an element is back to front. The problem is:- we all know Miles is very good for mechanical side and use him with confidence but his reply to me didn't use any sales patter e.g. if the lens is de-centred I have the equip to correct so shouldn't be a problem etc
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Well, I've used Miles to fix a few of my medium format lenses and the lenses have all come back working perfectly. It was probably silly of me, however, not to get a detailed inventory of his specialist equipment before I commissioned his services.
 
excalibur2 said:
Another big corp :D
Anybody interested in hi-fi probably know Naim they will still update your old gear or repair it...... Interesting to know if Quad repair their old valve gear....blast I'm side tracking, but excellent small firms tend to look after their customers better.
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Maybe that's why kit like Naim is so horrendously priced for audiophiles ;0)

With regards to your lens, I'd agree with RJ/Nick and get it to Miles. I understand that paying for something you can't 'see' is hard which is why I always try to do my own but sometimes you need to rely on experts instead. It's that or sell it on if you're not happy with it.

Also, I'd suggest the best way to calibrate an ultra wide lens would be on a digital full frame like a Sony A7 so you can see live how it's affected. Also bear in mind that ultra wides in general are known for their aberrations as its nearly impossible to have such a wide field of view with perfect optics across the frame. Add 40 years of unknown life and it's bound to have been knocked along the way so could be something as simple as needing the optics reseated internally once it's disassembled.
 
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excalibur2 said:
Well Miles quoted a lot cheaper...excellent if I knew he had the gear to recalibrate it and not just check if an element is back to front. The problem is:- we all know Miles is very good for mechanical side and use him with confidence but his reply to me didn't use any sales patter e.g. if the lens is de-centred I have the equip to correct so shouldn't be a problem etc
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So you wanted him to use sales patter?
 
skysh4rk said:
Well, I've used Miles to fix a few of my medium format lenses and the lenses have all come back working perfectly. It was probably silly of me, however, not to get a detailed inventory of his specialist equipment before I commissioned his services.
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Interesting...what was wrong with them? the optics? fungus? shutters
stevelmx5 said:
Maybe that's why kit like Naim is so horrendously priced for audiophiles ;0)

With regards to your lens, I'd agree with RJ/Nick and get it to Miles. I understand that paying for something you can't 'see' is hard which is why I always try to do my own but sometimes you need to rely on experts instead. It's that or sell it on if you're not happy with it.

Also, I'd suggest the best way to calibrate an ultra wide lens would be on a digital full frame like a Sony A7 so you can see live how it's affected. Also bear in mind that ultra wides in general are known for their aberrations as its nearly impossible to have such a wide field of view with perfect optics across the frame. Add 40 years of unknown life and it's bound to have been knocked along the way so could be something as simple as needing the optics reseated internally once it's disassembled.
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Well as I've only one recommended place from a member, the only way I going to find out is to use Miles with a photo showing the problem and see what happens. It's a great lens as I've seen comparison shots compared to a Zeiss (IIRC on a FF frame digi camera) and it was just as good, so it has to be set up correctly\spot on as anything less would be a great disappointment to see poor results.
Any new member interested in the problem then I've scanned a photo I would send to Miles:- So back to Hasselblads o_O :exit:

 
excalibur2 said:
Well I don't really know the cause of the problem and just going by one site where I posted a shot and the immediate reply was "the lens was de-centred"...and if an element is out of alignment would need adjusting and tested using a machine, well I'm sure Miles would rather service a camera body than go through that hassle of re-calibrating a lens. Canon are a disgrace as there is a large centre near me and must have the equip but are not interested, and with no knowledge on who actually are experts on lens repairs just leaves a member here up north who said he gets he lenses serviced by a firm who also do Lieca, but the gamble is the cost is up to £80 if solved and no charge if not. Most firms in the London area are probably geared up for the electonics in digi cameras as the lens elements, I would guess, are bonded into position, so wouldn't have a clue how to fix an old fashioned lens.
The only use for the lens atm would be if e.g. if you wanted the subject in the centres sharp and either side blurred
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Come on Brian, I suggest you stop guessing, assuming and pre-empting responses and either send it off to the so called gamble people for £80 (or possibly nothing), send it to Miles and embrace his lifetime of knowledge and experience and let him sort it out for you (or possibly send it back because it's not economical to repair) or sell it here or even on the well known auction site and let somebody else deal with the dilemma.
 
RaglanSurf said:
So you wanted him to use sales patter?
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Indeed why not as I would have thought he doesn't take apart too many Canon FL 19mm lenses to repair..but it could be a piece of cake for him and doesn't bother to mentioning his skills, but it looks complicated to me:-

75e2a76fd25aab9092b1503a3508b58c.gif
 
RaglanSurf said:
Come on Brian, I suggest you stop guessing, assuming and pre-empting responses and either send it off to the so called gamble people for £80 (or possibly nothing), send it to Miles and embrace his lifetime of knowledge and experience and let him sort it out for you (or possibly send it back because it's not economical to repair) or sell it here or even on the well known auction site and let somebody else deal with the dilemma.
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Ah you'all want me to be a guinee pig :D but if Miles couldn't fix it then he might have a contact who could....I'll email him again.
 
[QUOTE="excalibur2, post: 7232724, member: 17847
Anybody interested in hi-fi probably know Naim they will still update your old gear or repair it...... Interesting to know if Quad repair their old valve gear....blast I'm side tracking, but excellent small firms tend to look after their customers better.[/QUOTE]

Just for info, Naim declined to repair my CDS a few years ago, they offered to take it in part ex, but there was no chance of a repair.

Chris
 
Racking my brane to remember who Ivor Matanle (?sp.) recommends whenever repairs/servicing crop up in AP. In fact, the racking got so bad that I dug a copy out to find Ed Trzoska. 01162674247.
 
Foxbat Flyer said:
[QUOTE="excalibur2, post: 7232724, member: 17847
Anybody interested in hi-fi probably know Naim they will still update your old gear or repair it...... Interesting to know if Quad repair their old valve gear....blast I'm side tracking, but excellent small firms tend to look after their customers better.
Click to expand...

Just for info, Naim declined to repair my CDS a few years ago, they offered to take it in part ex, but there was no chance of a repair.

Chris[/QUOTE]

H'mmm did they give a reason for refusing? As they don't make everything themselves and if say the CD drive unit was faulty, would have to rely on the supplier for spares if available.
 
Well folks in this an insulting email to a person who is an expert on cameras:-

Hi Miles
Many of the members I know (on my favourite photography site) have their cameras repaired and seviced by you..also recommendations from other sites.
Does your expertise extend to correcting a possible de-centred lens... a Canon FL 19mm f3.5 R ? Please find the jpg attachment that shows the problem where only a vertical strip in the centre is sharp and either side is blurred.
Regards.......
 
excalibur2 said:
Well folks in this an insulting email to a person who is an expert on cameras:-
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Yes, because you've already asked him about the lens and he said that he'd look at it.

I'm not sure what makes your £2 Canon lens so special compared to the Bronica and Hasselblad lenses he's repaired for me and others? :thinking:

excalibur2 said:
BTW I did contact him last year and he did say he would look at the lens, but unless he can recalibrate the lens with special equip, can only check if an element was reversed.
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skysh4rk said:
Yes, because you've already asked him about the lens and he said that he'd look at it.

I'm not sure what makes your £2 Canon lens so special compared to the Bronica and Hasselblad lenses he's repaired for me and others? :thinking:
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But no one has specifically said:- my Hassi or Bronica etc lens gave blurred results (not to fungus) etc and now it's come back from Miles and is sharp as a razor.
Also on this site how many have got my lens........when you consider how many were made, how many needed repair (only optics), then assuming the ones that did, went back to Canon.........so how many have needed repair since Canon stopped the sevice, then after all these deductions how many were sent to Miles.
Maybe to Miles all old prime lenses are all basically the same and no problem (I don't know this), but this is a very good lens and as mentioned, and would be so disappointed if it was just a bit better, so it has to be repaired spot on.

You can get away using a digi camera and "a lot of knowledge about which elements can be adjusted to correct an abnormality."
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/201...entered-lens-an-old-technique-gets-a-makeover

Also I sent him an email 14 months ago, and with all the emails he gets, probably has forgotten all about it.
 
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I've never seen so much overthinking for such a simple thing. Sure, they were rare lenses, but if Miles isn't able to deal with it, who else could? There isn't a person who repairs 100s of Canon 19mm lenses a year, so why not send it to someone who has the expertise across a wide range of lenses and optical problems?

The worst he can say is that it's not economical to repair, then you can just take it back and it'll sit as an ornament on the shelf.
 
freecom2 said:
I've never seen so much overthinking for such a simple thing. Sure, they were rare lenses, but if Miles isn't able to deal with it, who else could? There isn't a person who repairs 100s of Canon 19mm lenses a year, so why not send it to someone who has the expertise across a wide range of lenses and optical problems?

The worst he can say is that it's not economical to repair, then you can just take it back and it'll sit as an ornament on the shelf.
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Well it's not over thinking, as all I want is someone to fix the lens and no one has posted that they have had a de-centred lens and had it fixed by Miles, but if Miles can fix it and the results from the lens are what I've seen on the net then we could all recommend Miles for serious optical problems as well as his other skills.
But all the shots I seen of a decentred lens there is nothing as bad as mine and just hope there is not an element missing and a simple answer of one element is back to front.
 
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Brian.... send him the bl**dy lens..... If he can repair it you end up with a really good, classic lens that cost you next to nothing and is now worth hundreds, if he can't repair it then put it up for sale and make more than you paid for. Simples.
 
Andysnap said:
Brian.... send him the bl**dy lens..... If he can repair it you end up with a really good, classic lens that cost you next to nothing and is now worth hundreds, if he can't repair it then put it up for sale and make more than you paid for. Simples.
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:D It's building up to a grand finale here and all over google in wanting to know what was wrong with this bloody lens ;)
I'll re write my email to Miles.
 
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Asha said:
:banana:

:exit::D
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erm well I haven't finished yet :D

quick reply from Miles

***Hello Brian
If it is a loose group/element then refitting should resolve the issue, if it is not something loose then not sure what has occurred, presume it has not been apart previously?****

So off the lens goes to Miles...to decide whether it can be an excellent lens or paperweight.
 
excalibur2 said:
erm well I haven't finished yet :D

quick reply from Miles

***Hello Brian
If it is a loose group/element then refitting should resolve the issue, if it is not something loose then not sure what has occurred, presume it has not been apart previously?****

So off the lens goes to Miles...to decide whether it can be an excellent lens or paperweight.
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Well done, finally you see the light.
 
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