Services and Prices

We Specialize in Shutter Repair!

	A properly restored shutter back with its lens on a lensboard. This shutter came in totally frozen. It now runs smoothly. "Unbelievable!" says Bob Gentile, from Orlando FL. "Carol not only got it working again... it's as smooth as you can imagine. This is an old shutter, but you'd never know it now!"

We Service the Following Shutters—Acme, AGC, Alphax, Betax, Compound, Copal, Compur, Crones, Fuji, Graflex, Ilex, Kodak, Melles Griot, Packard, Polaroid, Prontor, Rapax, Seiko, Synchro-Compur, Universal, Vario, Wollensak.  And even if yours isn’t listed here, if it can be repaired, we can repair it. And the impossible? Well... usually that just takes a little longer! 

Unfortunately parts are no longer available for those great Synchro-Compur shutters. If you have one in sizes 0 or 1 that is slow—or stops at the lower speeds—there is a 50/50 chance that a CLAC will cure the problem.

We can examine your shutter first and let you know the diagnosis before you send any payment. If we find that it can't be repaired, we can either send it back to you (and you need only pay for the postage) or we'll give it a proper funeral and a place in the Synchro-Compur Graveyard.

Similarly, we can longer repair Alphax #3 shutters.  We will gladly clean, lubricate, adjust, and check (CLAC) them, but if, on first examination we determine that they are unrepairable, we will let you know by email.  We can return the shutter to you  (and you pay only the return postage), or we can give it a respectful and proper funeral and a final resting place in the Alphax Graveyard.

Another one I don't work on is the Rodenstock Graflex Grandagon (left), made for the old Graflex XL.

Also, some Copal shutters from Schneider have aperture click-stops. These shutters are modified at the factory and Schneider has chosen not to make their parts available. As a result, we cannot repair broken click-stops. But we can restore the shutter to its original Copal condition without click-stops.

Lastly, Ilex #5's are getting more and more difficult to repair  Their parts are failing because of age and replacement parts are hard to find. I will do my bet to get them working.

NOTE: A situation we run into on occasion is the amount of extra time spent on shutters. We've spent over five hours working on one shutter only to return it as partially repairable. Sometimes we can't do anything due to the complete break down of certain key components that are sadly irreplaceable. When a shutter is opened, not all damage or wear is immediately apparent, which means we have to work on the guts of the thing to find out the true extent of the repair.

If we can see that it's clearly beyond repair, we'll let you know and a $25 bench fee will apply. We charge a bench fee of $50 for each shutter that we attempt to clean and repair with some success. The $50 fee will, of course, not be charged if the shutter can be cleaned and adjusted as per normal.

We do not work on electronic shutters!

CLAC for MF & LF Shutters: Price $160,  for Services Beyond a CLAC with Simple Minor Repairs: Price $200

That's Clean, Lubricate, Adjust, and Check—a four-step process that will bring your shutter back to the best performance it's capable of.

1. First, we'll clean your shutter to get rid of all that old sticky or hardened lubrication. Then we'll let the shutter sit for a few days just to make sure all that old lubrication is out—and isn't causing any problems. This sometimes takes a bit longer with certain shutters.

2. Once it's thoroughly clean and dry, we'll lightly apply the proper lubricants to all lubrication points.. so your shutter runs smoothly.

3. Next, we'll adjust your shutter so it can be as true as possible to the Dial settings. We aim to adjust shutters within these tolerances. The lower shutter speeds can usually be gotten back to the correct speeds easily . However, at higher shutter speeds this is not always possible -- there is only so much that can be done when parts have significant wear. Sometimes it's possible to overhaul a shutter, depending on the availability of parts. See below.

4. Then we'll check your shutter once again--a final check--and provide you with a timing sheet of your shutter's test results. It shows the actual speed at each indicated speed.

CLAC for Compound Shutters: Price $200

In addition to the normal CLAC, when the piston is slow or not functioning, we remove and clean the piston--removing any corrosion or gunk that has built up inside--so it works smoothly and is reliable. We then test the speeds and if necessary, make a new speed wheel (Additional $35.00 & upon your request). In doing so we can obtain the correct speeds within tolerance levels from 1/50 to 1/2-second. At times, 1 second may run a bit fast. In most cases 1/60 is the highest speed these old compound will shoot at.

CLAC'ing a compound shutter does take a bit longer than other shutters. The normal stay is three to five weeks, depending on how well the shutter cooperates.

MF & LF Shutter Overhaul

Labor and parts are extra, depending on the specific parts needed for overhaul. Note that certain parts may not be available for certain shutters. We have a supply of the most commonly needed parts for most shutters, but please contact us first, just to be sure.

NOTE: If at all possible send only the shutter as we do not do any type of glasswork—we can only clean the outside lens surfaces. We're not set up for (nor do we have all the proper equipment necessary for) cleaning the lens internally. This should be done by someone who specializes in lens cleaning and polishing. For a list of vendors please visit our Links page.

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LENSES

We Work On—Barrel lenses... and most anything with an aperture! Schneider, Zeiss, Nikkor, Rodenstock, Fujinon, Calumet, Goerz, Linhof, Sinar, Wollensak.—and other MF and LF lenses. Let us know what you've got.

Cleaning and Iris Blade Realignment: Price $150 If no major problems exsist.

We'll thoroughly clean the glass surfaces (if not multi-coated) and iris blades. We'll realign the iris blades so they open and close smoothly, reassemble the lens, and check its operation. 

We do not clean multi-coated lenses.  We do not remove fungus or recoat lenses!

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REPAIR WARRANTY 

All repairs are warranted for a period of 6 months from the date of the repair. During the warranty period, we will restore the equipment to good working order, or refund the repair charge, at our option. This warranty does not cover any damages resulting from neglect, impact, exposure to water or other liquids, tampering, excessive wear, or abuse. We reserve the right to charge for parts if such failure occurs within the warranty period, but is not related to the original service provided. We make no other warranty for the repairs performed. We will not be responsible for loss or consequential damages resulting from the use of the repaired equipment, even if loss or damages is caused by the negligence or fault of Flutot's Camera Repair.

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