You are purchasing a "Complete CLA & Restoration Service" for your own camera for 1 Yashica Mat TLR Series* Camera, including any of the following models*; Yashica Mat-124, Mat-124G, Yashica 12 Yashica 24, Yashica Mat-EM, Yashica Mat-LM, or the Basic Yashica Mat. Services performed by Bob Sara, a Yashica Company Trained and Specialized TLR film Camera Technician with over 40 years of experience!
I also service all other Yashica TLR models-Please email me at CLAStudios [!at] msn.com with any questions about your camera model. Shipping charges shown are for the lower 48 States and Include USPS charges for necessary shipping insurance on the serviced value of your camera!
Order processing or delivery times shown by Etsy Shipping calculator are incorrect and do not apply to custom or repair services! PLEASE SEE ORDER PROCESSING TIME SECTION FURTHER DOWN FOR MORE INFORMATION.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
BEFORE YOU ORDER & PAY, CHECK WITH ME FIRST TO SEE IF THE SERVICE QUEUE IS FULL, WAIT-LISTED or OPEN FOR SERVICE SLOT RESERVATIONS ONLY. Please first send me a direct email message to CLAStudios [!at] msn.com [with your contact number] and ask me about the number of existing orders ahead of you in line and current estimate of turnaround time. I will respond with a phone call.
If long turnaround time is not critical or important to your order, then After Making Payment on Etsy, I still need a quick email from you to the above email address and to confirm both your contact number and email and provide model and body serial number of the camera to be serviced. You will receive a call from me, followed by an email message with packing and shipping instructions to send in your camera for services you purchased. Please do not pack until you receive my specific safe-packing instructions and be ready to ship your camera within 1 or 2 days after payment and receiving instructions. Thank You! Bob Sara, Yashica Company Trained TLR Technician.
WHAT IS INCLUDED ON THIS FULL CLA* RESTORATION SERVICE?
01- Careful Removal of Old** Leatherette Covers on Front, Right and Left side of the Camera for Access to Mechanism Cover Plates. NOTE*: Special Care will be taken with various tools & techniques to save existing covers for re-use providing they are not dried-up, brittle and do not break up in pieces.
02- Dismantling the Camera to the bare frame for cleaning out old greases, metal wear residue and Airborne Grime from Main Frame.
03- Dismantling each Component; Shutter, Film Transport and Focus Mechanism for Cleaning, Re-lubing and Adjusting, Including focus testing and re-calibrating for best achievable accuracy, depth of field, close-up and infinity.
04- Edge Re-surfacing of typically worn Metal Focus CAMS and CAM Push responsible for smooth rotation of focus mechanism.
05- Dismantling Multi-Element Viewing and taking Optical Lenses^ for individual inspection & cleaning.
06- Dismantling and Cleaning View Finder Optical Elements; Focus Screen, Frensel Lens, Magnifying Loop and Focus Reflex Mirror.
07- Removing and Replacing old, Brittle Light Seals in the Film Door and Between Finder and Light Meter Housings.
08- Removing and Replacing old, Brittle "Grease & Light Barrier" between Focus Chamber and Film Chamber.
09- Dismantling, Cleaning and re-lubing Stiff Film Door Lock Mechanism.
10- Electrical testing, cleaning or adjusting a responsive onboard light meter.
11- Re-Gluing any loose clear indicator display covers on film, shutter or light meter mechanisms.
12- Factory Paint Touch-up on Body Brassed and Pitted areas to Stop Micro-Corrosion. Final De-greasing and cleaning of interior and exterior controls and body prior to packing and shipment.
ORDER PROCESSING TIME: REQUIRED TIME FOR COMPLETION OF SERVICE PRIOR TO SHIPPING: This can vary depending on the volume of paid orders waiting in line for service at any time ahead of your order. This can vary by many months or longer from the date your Camera Is Received For Service. If you need to know a current estimate of turnaround time before you buy and order this service, please send me a direct email to: CLAStudios [!at] msn.com. After you purchase and pay for the service, you need to send me an email or message with your direct telephone contact and email address to receive Packing and and Shipping Instructions.
Note: Shipping Charges Shown are for Return Shipping of Serviced Camera Back to Camera Owner and Include Cost of Necessary Shipping Insurance on Approximate Market value of a Serviced Camera. Shipping Charges Shown are applicable to the lower 48 U.S. States and Do Not Include or apply to HI, AK or to International Destinations. Please send me a message and provide your shipping information to obtain a shipping rate if you are located outside the lower 48 U.S. States.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
**Old leatherette covers may need to be replaced if they have lost elasticity and break-up on removal. Current/old leatherette covering has to be removed to gain access to the screws and body plate in order to get inside the camera for service or repairs. Additional cost will apply ( if ) any leatherette panels need to be replaced with original replacements (when available) or (if ) a new set of leatherettes need to be cut and installed (custom-recovering) in either Black or with a different color/pattern leatherette. A leatherette color swatch is available and can be emailed to you to help with color selection. ^ Lens elements that are found with Mold/Mildew, Fogged due to Etching of Top Lens Coating from long exposure to acidic shutter lubes may not be salvageable for photography, or if salvageable, may require chemical treatments and extensive polishing services at an additional repair cost. * Full CLA Restoration Service does not cover costs for repair or replacement parts and labor for missing, broken or damaged parts that need to be first repaired or replaced (such as Focusing Mirror, which are often de-silvered/oxidized after 40+ years) before a CLA (Clean, Lube, Adjust) Service can be completed on your camera. Once camera is inspected, cost for any required additional repair parts or labor can be determined and quoted to you.
WHAT PROBLEMS CAN A FULL CLA RESTORATION FIX ?
• Stuck or Frozen Shutter Mechanism, Including Self-Timer, Shutter Speed Adjuster
• Inaccurate and Slow Shutter Speeds
• Film Advance Lever Issues: Limited, Intermittent or incomplete Rotation, Skips, Noisy, Stiff, Rough, or Frozen in place
• Film Exposure & Counter Issues: Not getting Full Frame. Loose or Inaccurate Film Counter Mechanism
• Stiff, Frozen or Gritty Focus Knob
• Light Leaks Due to Deteriorated Light Seals
• Focusing Issues: What you see in Finder is Not What you get on Film - Results of Viewing and Taking Lenses Do Not Match
• Foggy or Unsharp Focused image in View Finder
• Film Door Closure and Lock difficulties
WHY DO I NEED A FULL CLA RESTORATION SERVICE ON MY TLR CAMERA?
• Most TLR Cameras were originally manufactured in the 1950's thru Mid-1980's when TLR Makers used "Perishable Organic Based Greases & Lubes".
• TLR Cameras are "Mechanical" and use a variety of Greases and Lubes to operate Shutter, Film Transport, Focus and even Film Door Mechanisms.
• "Organic Based Greases and Lubes" are Perishable! After so many years, they Expire, Separate, Oxidize, loosing their Anti-Breakdown agents, protective Additives, Viscosity and Fluidity required for smooth and accurate operation of all mechanisms.
• Any TLR you own or see for sale on eBay that has not been recently CLA Serviced still contains Original Expired Greases & Lubes from 40+ years ago.
• Expired Organic Greases & Lubes are the Cause of Frozen, slow and inaccurate Shutters, Stiff Focus Knobs or Film Door Lock Mechanism, Noisy or Faulty Film Transport and Counters. Storage area temperatures can also further thicken old greases to such a thick consistency that can cause knobs and levers to break off.
• When Old Organic Greases and Lubes Expire, they chemically change and also loose their Anti-Wear, Anti-Corrosion and mold inhibitor Additives. This will quietly cause corrosion, extra wear, and mold on parts inside the Camera, including mold on nearby lens elements. Examples: Colorless or white Mold and Mildews on rear taking lens element directly behind the shutter or on rear viewing lens element near the lubed focus shaft inside the camera. Unlike today's Synthetic Lubes, the old Organic Lubes become "Highly Acidic" once they expire. The Fine Mist Splatter on the adjacent taking lens elements from shutters containing these old acidic lubes cause permanent etching, fogging and molding of the lens' top coating and premature wear on some of the internal parts made from soft zinc-aluminum metal alloys.
• By Design, ALL TLR CAMERAS,are "Open Air Mechanisms". This means that Internal Mechanisms are not Air-Sealed and have Access areas where Air, Dust, Debris or Moisture can and does get inside. This occurs from around the front plate area as focusing arms move back and forth and also thru areas inside the viewfinder that folds in & out of the body frame. For this reason, over time the viewfinder optical elements are highly affected! The Frosted Grid Focusing Glass, grooved Frensel Lens and the Reflex Focus Mirror all become dull and yellowish with airborne Grime. This makes focusing difficult and users often think the solution may be an expensive bright screen, which is False! A Proper CLA will most often resolve blurry/foggy focusing issues. This is the 2nd biggest reason why TLR cameras Must be Serviced every several years to prevent damage and to maintain accuracy of mechanisms.
• TLR Cameras and Cars are both very similar Mechanical Devices in that both can loose their Adjustments after so many years. Cars and TLR Cameras can both loose their "Timing". Cars can loose their wheel Alignment and TLR cameras can loose their Focus and film advance alignment and accuracy and both cars and cameras need re-lubing. Mechanical Devices simply need to be serviced every several years for necessary cleaning, lubing and adjustment in order to work dependably and correctly.
"You would not expect to store-away a vintage automobile for 40+ years and then have it start right-up and continue to run smoothly for use without first being professionally serviced, changing old greases and fluids and a tune-up. Vintage mechanical cameras work the same way and have perishable lubes, seals and parts that need to be professionally changed, cleaned and adjusted after many years of being stored-away, used or unused and often, they have never been serviced from the date when first manufactured!"
