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A guy brought in a Leica M3 from 1955 covered in beach sand.
He wanted a full CLA but refused to pay more than $100, saying 'it's just a simple clean, right?' Happened at my shop in San Diego last month. How do you even start that conversation without sounding like a jerk?
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christopherw345d ago
Yeah, "just a simple clean" on a 70 year old camera full of sand. Good luck with that. I'd just tell him the real price and let him walk.
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nguyen.morgan5d ago
See this all the time with old tech, people think because it's mechanical it's simple. They don't get that a CLA on a Leica is like a watch service, every tiny part needs expert care. That sand means a complete tear-down to avoid grinding the gears to dust, which is hours of skilled work. It's the gap between seeing a tool and understanding the craft behind keeping it alive.
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the_susan5d ago
Honestly, beach sand in a camera that old sounds pretty bad. That grit gets everywhere and can really mess up the delicate parts. A hundred bucks wouldn't even cover the time to take it apart safely. Maybe he just doesn't understand what's actually involved in fixing something that fine.
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