in my early post i said that i’m gonna post about my handy repairman. well, here’s a bit story about him.
Back in 2002, I met some guy when I was developing my pictures. We talked while we’re waiting the sales girl to give our prints. From him I was recommended a name, he told me that he can fix old cameras and quite good with lenses. So the next day I go out to his place to find out. When I get there, I met this guy, his in his 40’s I guess. He’s quite a decent guy, with a large collection of vintage cameras, especially rangefinders & SLR’s and mainly he collects Canon, seems like he’s trying to complete the line chronologically. Just like the Canon Camera Line-up Poster.I bring my OM-1 to get fixed by him. The shutter string snapped. He did a great job. And I repeatedly get back to him to fix my other cameras and lenses for about 2-3 years. Then for quite some time, I started to find other place to repair my cameras, because for the few last time, he didn’t do great. As in he gets his hair or eyelash left in the lens after I ask him to clean my lenses. When I asked about it, he said “oh, it’s okay, it won’t affect the results.” Bummer.
Then in 2007, I get acquainted with this photographer who refer me to a guy that he said was much-much better than the previous one. I went to his place, and I was amazed by his workstation. The room is about 2 x 5m with a long permanent table that sits on the long side of the wall, and I wide range of hanger in the other side. He got all of this kind of tools which is.. I don’t know.. Woow! I mean really, from a long, large, and many compartments for spare parts, mechanical tools, lens calibrating tool, electrical checker, lots of precision tools, unused camera, lens crank and opener, and all other things that I can’t name of.
I bring my OM-1 (again) to get the lens checked. And when I show him my camera, he got excited and then told me a bit of a story about himself. He showed me a card, a “OCC” member card which is the Olympus Camera Club (International) that’s being established in 1957. He also told me how he used to order the spare parts straight to Japan via air mail and wrote the letter in kanji. Cool! Then he opened a drawer full of dead OM bodies and few others, he kept them to use the spare parts. He’s a funny person too. It’s great to know him and to find him.
Sometimes it’ll be much better if you want to bring your vintage camera with an illustrated tutorial of how to fix your own camera. You could just browse for it on the net. Lots of the tutorials are easy to follow by your own, but then again if you don’t want to get your hands dirty and you want to get a precise and very satisfying result, you can just hand it to him.
Later I found out that this repairman is known to be very moody and picky with cameras that came to him to get fixed. When he liked the camera, then he’ll do an amazing work with it. When he’s busy or if he doesn’t like the camera, then you can throw all your hopes away.
“just sms me when you want to fix old cameras, when I remembered or when I got the time, then I’ll give you a call to let you know if I can fix it. I prefer digitals now, it’s easier and faster to fix.” There-there.. why oh why? He’s still a great repairman after all though. Up till now I’m still hoping that he’ll fix a few of my cameras. I think I have just to get the perfect timing for it.
