'Lost' camera repairers

[Plain Nev]

Last year I traded my Pentax MX in for one from Soperfect Images. This involved getting my camera assessed by his repairer, and he also swapped the focus screen, since I liked the one in my camera. I took a small tumble in the Lakes last week, (I'm fine, but...) as a result my MX got a knock, and its back came open (with 3/4 exposed roll of film inside) and now won't close. I contacted Russell Soper and he has given me the contact details for the repairer he uses, Dave Cole in Somerset, website at http://www.colecamerarepairs.co.uk/index.htm. Waiting on a quote, but I'll likely send the MX to him as he's serviced it already prior to sale.

Funnily enough I went the exact same route. I contacted Sopers about servicing an old clunker of an OM1, and they referred me to Dave. He did a first rate job of it. It actually needed quite a bit of work. All sorted at a very reasonable price. I'm sure you will get on fine with him. He's that sort of bloke.

 

[SWCC]

Hi folks,

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but thought I'd also offer up my services for anyone else looking for film camera repairs or servicing in the future. I happened to see this thread when doing some googling to check a website change I made had updated.

Like many of you, I shared the same concern around our very experienced technicians retiring, closing shops or passing on. Going back several years ago, I took the plunge with film camera repair. I travelled to the US and spent some time learning under a master technician, and since then have been able to work with some retired/nearly retired repair technicians in the UK, but that journey was both costly and challenging.

I'm in my 30s, so hopefully have a long and healthy life ahead of me, but if I can help with repairs at any point please do let me know - I'm not planning to retire any time soon

We (South West Camera Co.) specialise in Nikon F3 & FM2/FM2n, we also have a technician who specialises in various Pentax 35mm cameras too (who has decades of experience), but we do cover other makes and models for a variety of servicing and repairs. As I'm a new user on here, I can't post links, but if you google us, you'll find our website which also contains a contact form and our email address + a lot of information!

Please do get in touch via my website if I can assist at all.

Many thanks & best wishes,
Alex

 

[GreenNinja67]

@SWCC

You may want to check out your website's certs etc. as apparently the site is "grayware" according to my firm's Mimecast and consequently blocked.

 

[SWCC]

@SWCC

You may want to check out your website's certs etc. as apparently the site is "grayware" according to my firm's Mimecast and consequently blocked.

Thanks for letting me know! All website certs were up to date but I'll keep an eye on it in case it's a wider issue.

 

[David_Mug]

Sadly a lot of the older style business are dying out. Camera repairers, watchmakers, the small local garages and loads of others come to mind.
There seems to be little chance of getting a job as an apprentice these days, they are about but nothing like the scale they were years ago. Items now are often considered "disposable", if they cant change a module they bin it, gone are the days of a little old chap taking it apart and repairing the bit thats actually broken.
Mind things are not made to be repaired, I spent a lot of time in the 1960s taking cars apart, and occasionally getting them back together, I'd need Stephen Hawking now.
Unless the country invests in these older style trades they'll be gone forever soon.

We met an interesting gentleman whilst on holiday this year. He served a seven year apprenticiship to become a specialist carpenter/joiner.
He works mostly on National Trust buildings restoring internal woodwork using original materials, tools and techniques.
He is very upset that no youngsters are even vaguely interested in taking an apprenticeship with him. When he goes, the knowlege dies with him!
My grandfather was wounded in WW1 and was sent to train as a watch and clockmaker.
I have his tools. They are fascinating but I wish that I had known him for long enough to absorb at least some of that knowlege.

 

[SWCC]

We met an interesting gentleman whilst on holiday this year. He served a seven year apprenticiship to become a specialist carpenter/joiner.
He works mostly on National Trust buildings restoring internal woodwork using original materials, tools and techniques.
He is very upset that no youngsters are even vaguely interested in taking an apprenticeship with him. When he goes, the knowlege dies with him!
My grandfather was wounded in WW1 and was sent to train as a watch and clockmaker.
I have his tools. They are fascinating but I wish that I had known him for long enough to absorb at least some of that knowlege.

I think there is a massive lack of publicising these types of apprenticeships too sadly!