M3: advice on CLA

[wilt]

I am contemplating a CLA for my M3 DS and I would very much like some advice.

I bought it newly serviced some seven years ago, have used it much since then and it feels smooth and is in good working order but for two things:

1. it has jammed a couple of times the last year or so, maybe once every 10 or 15 rolls. The shutter and/or advance gets stuck but is un-jammed by rotating the shutter speed dial. No big problem, but still a bit unnerving.

2. on the last roll, I suspect that some - but definitely not all - pictures have a slightly darker portion in the left part of the frame. Having googled around, I think this could be due to one of the shutter curtains losing speed and being taken over by the other. Here's (http://www.5063.com/fotografiskt/2011/05/slutaren-pa-min-m3/) what it looks like. Repaired by adjusting the shutter brake or tension?

Otherwise, the camera is in good condition, but time for a CLA, I guess. So I got a price quote from the leading (i.e., only, more or less) Leica repair person, Alois Kosnar, here in Sweden, which turned out to be 600 $ for a complete overhaul including parts and the quite high Swedish VAT.

Is that a reasonable price? Would it be significantly cheaper to send it somewhere else, abroad?

What's your advice? Any input from you is much appreciated!

[sepiareverb]

I always consider turnaround time on any repair/CLA- not having the camera for months is a real drag, and sending out of country might add to that time.

[wilt]

Thanks, Robert! That's a good point; the quoted turnaround time for the Swedish alternative is ten days.

[Vics]

The price seems quite high to me. Youxin Ye did a CLA on my M3 recently for a lot less than that, and the turnaround time was about a week! He did my DR while he was at it, and fixed my dicey flash synch. But he's in the Boston area.

[Tom A]

It sounds like you are needing a service, rather than a full CLA. The shutter can be adjusted to compensate for the slow 2nd curtain (provided the shutter brake is fine - a bit of a weak spot on DS M3's). The jamming could be simply the curtain hanging up and the adjustment should cure that.
$600 sounds high for a CLA. That is about as much as a DS M3 is worth to start with. Check around for alternative service - re-tuning the shutter speeds is not a big deal and any competent technician should be able to do it. Check with the stores that sell Leica in Stockholm and see what they say.

[wilt]

Thanks for the answers, now helping me make an informed decision!

[mudride]

(In swedish)

Har du hört med Werner på Lp-foto? Han är ganska skicklig, även fast han inte är utbildad Leica-reparatör.

Priset för service av Leica-kameror är dock ganska högt i Sverige. Tyvärr!

[dshfoto]

Buy a second M3. That way repair delay is usually not a problem. I have 4 that I rotate for service. Usually have the curtains replaced, and the flash connection upgraded, and change the advance to single stroke. I even had one finder switched out to an MP finder.

[rogerzilla]

Send it to Peter Grisaffi in the UK (CRR Luton). No export/import issues as Britain is in the EU. Price is less than 200 GBP.

[errorlogin]

Price seems high for me.

I had my M3 at Leica in Solms two years ago. Wasn't serviced since it was born. Shutter was not properly working at all and they did a full CLA. I ordered the full service, except a new body shell.....

They really did a great job in my view. Did cost me 580 Euro. But I never regretted to spend the money.

[bfffer]

for 600 I would get an extra user M3/M2
or add a bit more cash for a mint-ish M3/m2

[Mister E]

Sherry would probably charge around that, maybe $100 less, but with shipping both ways, etc it would be $600 I'm sure.

Old Youxin Ye would not do a CLA. He might service the camera, might.

Looking at that picture is that a slow shutter or just the sky was slightly darker on one side?