The Definitive Leica Technician List For CLAs and Fixes

[zerobuttons]

Originally Posted by RFluhver

Quick question/observation.

These guys who are doing Leica servicing must be fast advancing in years. Are there new upcoming ones? Does Leica have some sort of educational programme that allows new people to apprentice on how to fix their cameras?

Will van Manen in Holland has Cathy Kuiper. I believe she is quite a bit younger than him, and that she will be taking over when he doesn´t feel like going to work every day anymore.

[Cagliostro73]

Anyone knows of a trusted repairman in Italy?

D.

[rodl]

Don Goldberg does excellent work but he told me he could do my Canon 50/0.95 in two months and it took six. He did it at the price he quoted but it wasn't cheap. I understand he's busy but I really needed a fairly accurate estimate.

Sherry Krauter will not touch a digital M although I've been told she does great work on what she does work on.

Leica NJ isn't cheap as you might expect but they mostly do good work and in the time that they quote.

[akitadog]

Is there someone in Vancouver who will do an alignment check on my M4-P?

Thanks,

Akitadog

[photografity]

Looking for someone to CLA & re-coating a Summarit in Canada.
Just seeing if I can avoid Canada Customs.........

[damonsong]

Originally Posted by Gary E

How about Taiwan? Any specialist there?

Master Li, or in Mandarin "Li Shi Fu", he is in Taipei and very well known for Leica, Hasselblad CLA and repair!

[pismo923]

David Yau in Toronto is excellent.

[kokoshawnuff]

Another recommendation for Youxin Ye. I sent him my M3 in need of a CLA and a curtain break replacement...I got it back today having sent it to him 8 days ago (it was in the FedEx/USPS system for 5 of the 8 days it was out of my possession). He communicated with me via email with every update. For CLAs or other simple procedures I don't understand why people send their cameras to DAG for 6-8 months with zero communication.

[roboflick]

I've always had great experiences with DAG, I sent him a Leica M3 which was my grandmother's and hadn't been used in many years, and came back working better than new, he has always taken care of minor issues on this camera like vulcanite flaking and shutter for free even 2-3 years after the service. He has also replaced the viewfinder of an M6 TTl with the MP style and replaced the advance lever with the m3 style, there was a slight vertical misalignment of the viewfinder which he fixed without complaning until he got it right it took 2 tries. He also serviced 2 collapsible summicrons and a v4 summicron for me which had a sliight wobble in the aperture ring, they all came back looking like new.

He is very busy and waits are long because he does excellent work and backs it up. He was factory trained at Leica, I don't doubt that he is capable of making mistakes, but if I spend 2,000 dollars on a lens it is only going to him.

Nik

[rxmd]

In Berlin, Germany:

Kamera-Service Ostkreuz
Neue Bahnhofstraße 6
10245 Berlin, Germany
Phone +49 30 2913626 (German recommended!!)
www.kameraservice-ostkreuz.de

They did a very good viewfinder-repair-cum-CLA on an M5 for a good price for me and a couple of good other repair jobs on various classic cameras and lenses for friends.

[bobby_novatron]

I dealt with Sherry Krauter earlier this year. I sent her a M3 double-stroke for an overhaul. She did not provide an accurate quote beyond the 'boiler plate' email she sends out regularly.

Granted, I should have explicitly asked for a quote before she started the work, but honestly I found her business methods a little lacking. She never responded to emails, and I had no idea whether or not my M3 reached her through USPS or not -- no confirmation of 'yes, I received it' or anything.

I phoned her (as other people have suggested doing) and between mouthfuls of food she off-handedly said said 'yes I have your camera' and 'it will be done in a few weeks'. That was it.

So after that, several weeks went by. I heard nothing. Then I received an email saying the camera was ready, and I needed to settle up. The final bill was quite expensive -- but yes, the camera needed a lot of work. Unfortunately, the CLA cost double what I had expected it to cost, but Sherry said it was in bad shape and needed serious attention. To her credit, it definitely feels like a slick machine now. In summary, Sherry does good work but honestly she's a little quirky.

Now to compare and contrast: In the Summer of 2011 I sent my M6 classic to Youxin Ye for a basic CLA ... his communication was top-notch right from the beginning. Always prompt at replying to emails, and very clear about prices and work.

The CLA on the M6 was done in a blazing amount of time, and before I knew it, I had the camera back home after only a couple weeks (I live in Canada so the shipping took a bit longer than US customers). I was very impressed!

My only gripe was that he left a couple of oily fingerprints on the black top plate of the camera, but that's just a minor oversight. He worked on my camera, communicated with me promptly, and charged a very fair price for his work. I love my M6 now more than ever.

[jmc56]

wye7@yahoo.com

Youxin Ye is outstanding and he's done a lot of Leicas for me. I have four more Leicas that are due to go to him. In sending him many LTM Leicas, I've had one I wasn't happy with and it was purely a question of feel on shutter release feel. I asks whim to change it more to my preference and it was dead on.

He is outstanding on CLA and at shutter replacement. If the Vulcanite is gone or troubled, he does a lovely job or very moderate bucks. There are things he doesn't do and there are times, he offers you the choice of buying a part from him or elsewhere -- and offer suggestions to start. He's an honest man that I trust.

He doesn't do strap eyelets and will tell you so. He's a rare pleasure to deal with.

In a different vein, but equally positive, I've done business with DAG occasionally and he's a prince of the business. He's the source for some parts to several Leica specialists, including Youxin Ye. I don't deal with Youxin Ye as a middleman, but directly with DAG which says something about both in a positive sense.

I see other names here. I don't have any reason to question any of them. This reaches as far as I can see and experience. But YY is as reasonable as it gets on Leica Mechanical. Unless he's changed, he doesn't do non-Mechanical Leical.

[RFH]

In Denmark, the owner of Lybaeck Foto claims to have the only Leica repair guy in the country. He is also a serious and knowledgeable collector of vintage Leica gear. He recently had the aperture ring on my Summicron fixed. It cost appx. €120, but here in Denmark, things are outrageously expensive anyway, so it's fair enough. Just knowing that my gear won't be in international mail, I'm happy.
And the repair guy did a very good job on resetting the focus during reassembly. It's absolutely spot on now. Sharper than it ever was.

[CrisR]

Red Dot Cameras in London serviced and repaired my M2 with broken film transfer for just £40 more than the CLA, £192 total inc VAT and turned around in just 3 weeks!

They also replaced, without being asked to, the transfer lever and shutter "dish" with ones that weren't scratched and brassed like the originals. Very impressed.

[existrandom]

@damonsong, how to contact master li?
any phone/email/website/address?

thanks alot!

Originally Posted by damonsong

Master Li, or in Mandarin "Li Shi Fu", he is in Taipei and very well known for Leica, Hasselblad CLA and repair!

[Cagliostro73]

ITALY- ROME: Camponeschi fotoriparazioni. It worked good for my M2. Now I'm trying to have my hazy summicron restored. I'll let you know.

[namelast]

I am a supporter of Will van Manen (www.kamera-service.info). Both him and Cathy are very friendly, their work is fantastic and the turnaround time is great too! I am a very happy customer!

[micromoogman]

Sweden: www.analogakameror.se Leica & Rolleiflex, Werner Schaden @ LP-Foto www.lpfoto.se, KR Kameraservice Täby

[dne]

One more in Stockholm, Sweden: Alois Kosnar/Kamera Service Center.

[benno]

Originally Posted by bobby_novatron

I dealt with Sherry Krauter earlier this year. I sent her a M3 double-stroke for an overhaul. She did not provide an accurate quote beyond the 'boiler plate' email she sends out regularly.

Granted, I should have explicitly asked for a quote before she started the work, but honestly I found her business methods a little lacking. She never responded to emails, and I had no idea whether or not my M3 reached her through USPS or not -- no confirmation of 'yes, I received it' or anything.

I phoned her (as other people have suggested doing) and between mouthfuls of food she off-handedly said said 'yes I have your camera' and 'it will be done in a few weeks'. That was it.

So after that, several weeks went by. I heard nothing. Then I received an email saying the camera was ready, and I needed to settle up. The final bill was quite expensive -- but yes, the camera needed a lot of work. Unfortunately, the CLA cost double what I had expected it to cost, but Sherry said it was in bad shape and needed serious attention. To her credit, it definitely feels like a slick machine now. In summary, Sherry does good work but honestly she's a little quirky.

I just had the same experience with Sherry. And, when I emailed her a few weeks after sending her a lens from Australia and merely asked if she received it, (an entirely valid request after such a journey) she actually wrote back and told me not to be so impatient!

The lens feels great though.

And Youxin, well, cheap/good/fast, pick any two. My M3 has never been the same since.

[emilsand]

Anyone know of somewhere in Europe I can get Leica digitals and ASPH lenses adjusted to one another?

[ray*j*gun]

Originally Posted by bobby_novatron

I dealt with Sherry Krauter earlier this year. I sent her a M3 double-stroke for an overhaul. She did not provide an accurate quote beyond the 'boiler plate' email she sends out regularly.

Granted, I should have explicitly asked for a quote before she started the work, but honestly I found her business methods a little lacking. She never responded to emails, and I had no idea whether or not my M3 reached her through USPS or not -- no confirmation of 'yes, I received it' or anything.

I phoned her (as other people have suggested doing) and between mouthfuls of food she off-handedly said said 'yes I have your camera' and 'it will be done in a few weeks'. That was it.

So after that, several weeks went by. I heard nothing. Then I received an email saying the camera was ready, and I needed to settle up. The final bill was quite expensive -- but yes, the camera needed a lot of work. Unfortunately, the CLA cost double what I had expected it to cost, but Sherry said it was in bad shape and needed serious attention. To her credit, it definitely feels like a slick machine now. In summary, Sherry does good work but honestly she's a little quirky.

Now to compare and contrast: In the Summer of 2011 I sent my M6 classic to Youxin Ye for a basic CLA ... his communication was top-notch right from the beginning. Always prompt at replying to emails, and very clear about prices and work.

The CLA on the M6 was done in a blazing amount of time, and before I knew it, I had the camera back home after only a couple weeks (I live in Canada so the shipping took a bit longer than US customers). I was very impressed!

My only gripe was that he left a couple of oily fingerprints on the black top plate of the camera, but that's just a minor oversight. He worked on my camera, communicated with me promptly, and charged a very fair price for his work. I love my M6 now more than ever.

I have had a very very similar experience with Sherry. Also, plus one for Youxin Ye..... he will stand behind his work way beyond any kind of normal warranty and god is he fast!!!!!

[ray*j*gun]

Maybe this has been discussed here but I don't see it..... who in the US is the best (a good) Nikon tech? I.E. Nikon rangefinders and F's etc. I used to use Mr Smith in Fla and Essex Camera In NJ but both are gone.

[Paulbe]

ray*j--I've had great results from Jim at Vermont camera works.
Good prices and turnaround, the repairs are fine, too.
Here's the website:
http://vermontcamera.com/
Good luck!
Paul

[ray*j*gun]

Hey thanks Paul!!!! I'm bookmarking that link.