I think the CLA-for-everything crowd is wrong

Last month at a shop in Portland I had a guy bring in a Nikon F2 that just needed the mirror foam replaced, and he insisted I do a full CLA for $250. I told him the shutter speeds were fine and the light meter was dead on, but he argued a pro camera needs a pro service every time it's opened up. Am I the only one who thinks a clean and lube is overkill when a camera only has one specific problem?

4 comments

4 Comments

gray8751mo ago

Had a buddy who picked up a beat up Pentax K1000 from a garage sale for twenty bucks. Shutter was sticking at slow speeds, so he figured he'd just clean that one part. Took it to a shop who told him the same thing, full CLA or nothing. He said no thanks, watched a Youtube video, cleaned the shutter blades himself with some lighter fluid, and it's been working fine for two years now. Not every squeaky wheel needs a whole new axle.

the_susan1mo ago

And honestly, that K1000 is the perfect camera for that kind of hackery. They're built like tanks and simple inside, so there's less to mess up. If your buddy had tried that with a later autofocus SLR with all the electronics and ribbon cables, he would've trashed it. But on a manual mechanical camera like that, the risk is way lower. Shops have to cover their liability, so they always push for the full overhaul. But for a beater camera that cost pocket change, a targeted fix makes total sense.

paige_owens51mo ago

Ngl I did something similar with an old Minolta SRT I found at a thrift store. @the_susan is right about those mechanical cameras being way easier to mess with yourself, no electronics to fry. I just dabbed a little lighter fluid on the sticky parts and it's been fine for three years now, no need for some expensive CLA.

evan_cooper731mo ago

That pro camera needs a pro service" line always gets me. You were being honest with the guy about what his F2 actually needed and he still pushed for the CLA. At that point it's not about the camera, it's about his own headspace. If the shutter is accurate and the meter works, what exactly is a CLA gonna fix? A light clean and some fresh grease is one thing, but stripping the whole camera down when it's running fine just introduces new variables. I'd rather have a camera that's been opened up twice in its life than one that's been "professionally serviced" six times by six different guys with six different opinions on shim thickness.