TWIN LENS CAMERAS
Personally, I don’t think there is anything in photographic history that looks as classically iconic as the sleek and yet stoic design of a TLR camera.
From Rolleicords, to Rolleiflex’s, Yashica’s to Ricohs, Microcords to Mamiya’s…there’s a lot of variety out there when it comes to TLR’s and everyone has a favourite. Personally, I think there is something to love about every camera but some cameras are just easier to love!
If your TLR is suffering faults, not functioning as well as it could, or perhaps you just want to ensure it’s running as smoothly as possible then I would be very happy to help your camera get there.
If another 50+ years of life from your camera sounds brilliant to you, please read on!
What I Offer:
Full services (CLA’s) - Starting from £200
Standalone repairs - Starting from £80
What HAPPENS WHEN MY TLR IS SERVICED?
Your camera will be assessed and have its fundamental functions checked which will include partial disassembly in order to effectively identify any areas of concern or faults.
You will be notified if your camera is in need of any parts or repairs and of any additional costs. I will send you photographic evidence to support this - there’s no duping here.
Where required, your camera will be completely disassembled; every removable part comes out from the leatherette down to the screw.
It’s common for damage to occur to the leatherette on many TLR models when removing it. Whilst I do my absolute best to get it off in one piece (really, I put hours into it sometimes), they weren’t made to endure decades of exposure and honestly there are times where I simply cannot overcome how brittle the leather has become. If this is the case then I will notify you and seek permission to source a replacement, the cost of which will be added to your final invoice.
The interior of your camera will be cleaned and any gunk and debris will be ejected. This includes from within the lenses and camera body. Any failing light seals and their residue are swiftly removed. Fabric seals that can be salvaged will be cleaned and refitted.
Optics will have fungus and haze removed* and along with the camera body, these will be treated to eliminate lasting fungus spores. This prevents any fast recurrences of fungus.
If your camera has a metering system this will be checked over, thoroughly cleaned and calibrated.
Your lens helicoids will be lubricated with appropriate lubricants only. This is important as inadequate lubricants can cause damage and emit gasses which cloud lenses.
The shutter unit will be deconstructed. The components (including aperture/shutter blades) will be thoroughly cleaned, reassembled with any adjustments required and the key points of motion will be lubricated. This ensures accurate shutter speeds which I test for. Generally the manufacturer shutter speed tolerance sat at ~20% when your camera was manufactured. I have success in getting these closer to 5-10%.
The hood will be removed along with the focus screen in order to access the camera's mirror. The mirror is then cleaned, along with the screen and is then replaced.
Any rust on or within the hood is treated and removed, and the focus screen surround will be repainted black if needed.
Any other new light seals needed are popped in to prevent any stray light reaching your precious film.
The camera body is thoroughly cleaned. Sometimes this can remove or further damage any (usually small) already damaged areas of paintwork. If this is the case I will repaint these areas with colour accurate and hard wearing enamel paint.
As your camera's insides are now all flawless and the outside parts are shiny clean, the entire thing can be reassembled. The lenses will have their focus reset and all functions double/triple tested.
And very lastly, I give your camera a final polish, congratulate it on it’s MOT and then get it all wrapped up ready for its return to you.
*as much as is possible. Sometimes fungus / haze is inaccessible or is particularly resistant to removal methods.
The frequently asked.
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Generally speaking, repairs are invasive and require getting right inside your camera. Specific faults are usually caused by strain to the moving parts inside your camera. If parts of the advance mechanism break, it’s likely undergone too much stress and been forced to overcome any resistance. If the shutter speeds are inaccurate or it wont fire at all then this is almost always down to seized mechanisms from old lubricants and dirt. If your aperture or shutter blades are stuck, well, that’s usually because they’re coated in sticky stuff like oil or grease. You see where I'm going with this? 8/10 times the issue is caused by age related grime, dirt and wear. Given that to fix something I have to get right inside your camera, it wouldn’t be a bad idea of yours to have the whole thing serviced to get it up and running perfectly.
For the 2/10 occasions in which faults are the cause of wandering screws, advanced corrosion or missing parts, then of course targeting those specific areas might be more sensible. You can always send it in for assessment and I'll make an honest recommendation to you. Again, no false reporting here!
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I am very happy to source replacements for you and add the cost of these to your invoice. Alternatively I don’t mind at all if you already have these and want to send them in with your camera!
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Yes! I have absolute confidence in my work and so you get a 1 year guarantee on work done to your camera. There are some T&C’s, as a silly example, if you drop your camera in a pond or bury it in sand which then jams the mechanisms… then I can’t do much for that under the guarantee. But if your shutter suddenly starts jamming for no apparent reason, of course I will rectify that for you. You can read more about that here.
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Just click the ‘Contact Me’ button at the bottom of the page and fill out the form. It sends me an email, I then read it and then send you an email in return. Very smart, very digital.
This all sounds complicated and I’m not sure what I need…
If the above has boggled your brain, or you just want an outright answer on what your camera might need to get it as shiny and new looking again then reach out.
I am always happy to talk things through and make it all make sense. Either reach out by clicking the “Contact Me” button below, or send me an email at rollwithitcameras@gmail.com.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!