| Germany
Pentacon Service in Dresden
Pentacon in Dresden still offer full service and upgrade facilities
on Pentacon and Exakta medium format cameras.
Pentacon GmbH
Enderstrasse 92
D-01277 Dresden
Germany
Telephone: International + 49 351 2589 213
Fax: International + 49 351 2589 303
Note new e-mail address 23.6.2010:
e-mail: info@pentacon.de or service@praktica.de
Baierfoto
Another repairer and upgrader in Germany is Rolf-Dieter Baier. http://www.baierfoto.de
He speaks excellent English. Click on the link to go to his website.
He likes people to contact him before sending items to him for repair or
upgrade.
Foto-Service Olbrich, Görlitz
A German visitor to this website sent me an e-mail in which he said:
“BTW, there is a repairman in Germany who totally rebuilds Pentacon
lenses for a very reasonable price:
Foto-Service Olbrich
Emmerichstraße 17
02826 Görlitz
Germany
Tel.: International + 49 3581 40 12 41
Fax: International + 49 3581 40 12 41
http://www.mon.de/dd/foto-olbrich/home.htm
e-mail: foto-olbrich@t-online.de
“I paid around 35 Euro + VAT + shipping for a total dissassembly, cleaning
of all elements, lubricating, adjusting for each lens (the 120 lens had
fungus, the 300 lens needed repair to the aperture).”
In December 2005 Pentacon Dresden recommended Foto-Service
Olbrich for more complicated lens repairs requiring an optical bench.
I telephoned them, and they definitely have the equipment necessary to
do this. They sound very helpful, and in February 2006 I sent them
two lenses, one for repair and the other for a service. The lenses
came back promptly and Herr Olbrich had done an excellent job on them for
40 Euros each + VAT + a very modest charge for shipping (a lot less than
it cost me to send the lenses to them!). To see more details on one
of the lenses repaired, click here
and scroll down to near the bottom of the page. I have subsequently
sent Olbrich other lenses, on which he has done excellent work.
Kameraservice Ostkreuz, Berlin
In July 2007 I received a recommendation from Tobias in Germany for
another repairer in Berlin. Here are the details:
Kameraservice Ostkreuz
Gunter Prügel
Neue Bahnhofstraße 6
10245 Berlin
Tel.: 030 / 291 36 26
Tobias says: “I got my Pentacon six fixed. I am really pleased
with the result. They seem to have specialised in all kind of Eastern
Germany Cameras especially the Pentacon and Praktica series.”
A list of other repairers in Germany can be found at http://mitglied.lycos.de/kamerageschichte/and
click on the Service link.
The United Kingdom
Tom Page has asked me to remove him from this website, as it is generating
too much work for him! Thank you, Tom, for your decades of service
to users of the Pentacon Six and other classic cameras!
I recommend to visitors to this website who are looking for a repairer
within Europe (including the UK) to contact Rolf-Dieter Baier of Baierfoto.de,
Pentacon Service in Dresden (details above) or one of the other European
repairers named on this page.
Poland
In February 2001 I received information on a recommended
repairer in Poland. A visitor to this website writes:
“in Poland we have at least two or three repair shops which are able
more or less to do something with the Pentacon Six ... - I'm personally
using services of one in Lodz -
Fotonaprawa
Piotrkowska Street 85
- they do everything rather slowly (well - they are specialising in
old stuff ... so they are almost constantly occupied) - but the engineer
working with Sixes is very reliable and I can recommend him ... - he was
once a worker at Jena - and (received) some training in Dresden - so he
always know what he is doing.”
Additional information:
Telephone number: +48 42 639 92 89
“They should be able to communicate in Polish and English (probably
a bit of Russian or German too but I’m not sure). I forgot to add
that they have very reasonable prices - but they don’t do Kievs
(any kind), but they should be able to repair Exaktas.”
Ukraine
Gevorg Vartanyan of Arax Foto in Kiev
offers extensive repair facilities for Kiev cameras. However,
I have just learnt (December 2010) that Arax does not repair or service
Pentacon Six cameras. If you have a Kiev camera that needs
repairing, don’t be put off by his location. Ukraine is proud to
be part of the new, free Europe. I have had good experience in buying
from him, and reports that I have seen of his service and his products
have been extremely positive. Recommended.
Canada
I have also never sent equipment to Canada for
repair, but one Canadian Pentacon Six user wrote the following to me in
September 2004:
“Personally, I have had many of my cameras serviced
in Toronto at Commercial Camera Repair Limited,
5311 Young Street,
Willowdale,
Ontario
M2N 5R4
Tel 416-223-2257 [if the internet hides part
of this number, move the mouse over it and the number should appear: 416
223 2257]
Fax 416-223-5715”
|
USA
I have no personal experience of Pentacon Six repairers in the USA.
However. in September 2004 I received this information on a recommended
Pentacon Six repairer in New York:
Eddie Smolov - Brooklyn
Active Camera at Photoaction
117 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11215
(718) 622 5373
“Eddie CLAed my Pentacon Six after I first obtained it and repaired
it again after my tripod fell over. His work is very good, relatively inexpensive,
anf fast – what more could you ask for? He also repaired the diaphragm
mechanism on ny 120 mm Vega and did an internal cleaning of a cloudy Schneider
Componon enlarging lens for me for only $15.
Eddie’s business is located within the Photofaction camera store at
7th Avenue between President and Carroll Streets in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Bob Marvin”
On 14 May 2007, Sam Sherman reported “Eddy is now working from home
and you can call him on his cell phone - 718-541-0952 Eddy can work
on almost anything ... the work is good and the prices low.”
Update February 2011
A reliable source has provided a new address and contact details for
Eddie Smolov:
EDWARD SMOLOV <123camerarepair@gmail.com>
1660 E. 21 str. #3D
Brooklyn, NY 11210
718 541-0952
347 922-7275
Update October 2011 plus
details of another camera repairer
On 7th October 2011 I received the following e-mail from a visitor
to this website:
'I emailed Eddy about a broken Pentacon Six and unfortunately he's no
longer doing repairs. Just thought you'd like to update your website.
"At this time I am no longer taking any repairs because of my impaired
health and am currently seeking treatment. As an alternative to me, I recommend
you get in touch with a colleague of mine, Jerry Sorin, an experienced
camera technician with nearly 30 years experience. He will provide
the same service as I do. His email address is:
jerrysorin3@gmail.com. His phone # 347-275-5999 or cell # 646-8318757
Sorry for the inconvenience." '
My thanks to the visitor who sent me this information.
We naturally extend our best wishes to Eddy for speedy and successful
treatment.
I welcome feedback on the technician that he recommends. |
_____________________
Gary Camera Repair - Staten Island
Nathan Dayton (website: www.commiecameras.com)
gives the following details on repairers in the USA:
Gary Camera Repair
228 Hett Avenue
Staten Island
NY 10306
718-987-0278
“Gary does good work and is inexpensive.”
_____________________
Leonid Treskunov - New Jersey
9A Poplar La.
Old Bridge
See new contact details, below!
New Jersey 08857
trescam@hotmail.com
732-679-5805
“Leonid is a little more expensive but does exquisite work. He repaired
2 Pentacons for me and they are better than the new cameras that I have.
I can not say too much good about his work.”
1st January 2008. Trescam now has a website: http://trescam.com/index.htm
His address and telephone number have also changed to:
Trescam, Inc
131 Community Circle
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
732-762-6038
The e-mail address remains as above.
_____________________
Fema Binder - New York
26th June 2007. I have just received a further recommendation
for a repairer in New York City. Noel writes as follows:
“I wish to submit to you another repairman in NYC besides Mr. Smolov
and Gary Camera Repair. He is gentleman by the name of Fema Binder from
Kiev and he does excellent work. When I was looking for help I consulted
your site and tried to communicate with Mr. Smolov at the time, but I understand
he was taken ill. This was on the grapevine in NYC among the small tight
circle of repairmen who handle Pentacon and Kiev cameras. Finding Mr. Fema
Binder was a Godsend, and I recommend him to you and all the folks who
frequent your site for any information you have to offer. These are his
vitals:
Panorama Camera Center
124 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001
212-563-1651
He is located on the third floor of the building after having moved
his operation from the store that fronted on the street.”
Thank you Noel for this recommendation!
_____________________
Stanislav Studzinskyi - Petersburg, NY
On the Kiev Report photographic forum in March 2011 a contributor gave
the website of a repairer in Petersburg, NY. Here it is: http://www.mechanicalcamerarepair.com/Home_Page.php
This repairer obviously specialises in cameras and lenses from the
former Soviet Union, including the Kiev 60 and the Kiev 88. He says
that he repairs some “Pentakon” lenses (he is clearly more familiar with
the Russian spelling), but he lists 80mm, 120mm and 250mm and there is
no Pentacon 250mm lens – although there are of course 250mm lenses
with the Pentacon Six mount.
I have now (April 2011) seen very positive feedback on Stanislav’s work.
“I sent four lenses to Stanislav for a variety
of repair and internal cleaning needs. I am happy to report that
his work was outstanding, and I am completely satisfied and pleased with
the results. In one case he even made an older first-series Biometar
look like new, which I was not expecting. I could not be happier
with his work.
...
I would highly recommend Stanislav for anyone looking for repair work
on their Kiev or Pentacon camera or other equipment. ...
Incidentally, Stanislav’s English is excellent, so for those of us who
are only able to communicate in English, it is very easy to communicate
with Stanislav and describe exactly what you would like done with your
equipment. He also completed the work very quickly and I received
the lenses back very, very quickly.
Highly recommended!” |
_____________________
Ross Yerkes - Los Angeles
For repairs in Los Angeles, you can call Ross Yerkes.
342 Kirby St
Los Angeles
California
90042-2108
Telephone: (international access +) 1 323 256 1018
He specialises in Noritas but I have heard that he services and repairs
Pentacon Sixes. He is an excellent camera repairer and a good man.
– recommendation by TRA
In April 2006 I also received an e-mail about Ross from a user in Iowa.
He wrote:
| “I had a shutter speed problem with one of my Pentacon Six bodies and
sent it off to Ross Yerkes in LA for service, he did a great job of getting
the camera back to like new condition. Thank you for listing him
in the service area of your site. Thought you might like some feedback
on the people who repair these wonderful cameras.” |
|