Germany

Like all cameras, the Pentacon Six needs occasional servicing.  Pentacon in Dresden still offer full service and upgrade facilities on Pentacon and Exakta medium format cameras.

The address is:
Pentacon GmbH
Enderstrasse 94
D-01277 Dresden
Germany
Telephone: International + 49 351 2589 213
Fax: International + 49 351 2589 303
e-mail: service@pentacon-dresden.de

Another repairer and upgrader in Germany is Rolf-Dieter Baier. http://www.baierfoto.de  He speaks excellent English.

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
“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.

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

For repairs in the United Kingdom, I recommend unreservedly Mr Tom Page.
In January 2007 Tom moved to a new address in Kent.
Don’t send anything more to his previous Post Office Box!
Tom’s new address is:
15 St Magnus Close
Birchington
Kent
CT7 9UW
His new telephone number is + 44 (0)1843 848115
Please only call between 10.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. UK time Monday – Friday!

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 
Active Camera at Photoaction 
117 7th Avenue Brooklin, 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”
___
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
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.
___

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!
_____________________

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:
 

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”

Ukraine

Gevorg Vartanyan of Arax Foto in Kiev offers extensive repair facilities, including removing damaged coatings from lenses and applying new multi-coating.  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 all reports that I have seen of his service and his products have been extremely positive.  Recommended.