Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

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edrice
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Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by edrice »

Terry Miyahara used to work for the Minolta factory in Japan and started out assembling SRT-101s and Autocords. For years he's had a Minolta-only service shop in Fountain Valley, California but is semi-retiring now. However, he still takes in work both by mail and drop-off. He just needs advance notice.

For those who have the older film equipment, he bought scads of parts as models were discontinued over the years and he may very well have what you need.

He's old-fashioned and only likes to work on film cameras. Digital is not his thing. Of the film cameras, he likes manual-focus the best, although he will work on AF. You can get a CLA for somewhere in the $85 range, and many times he will replace parts and charge no extra. He works on the lenses too and I've gotten cleanings and overhauls of fixed lenses in the range of $35 to $54. Price may vary for type of lens.

He can be reached at -

Terry's Camera Repair
18069 Second St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
714-964-7633

For a number of years I saw an Autocord in his display case and one day he explained to me that someone brought it in for repair and when he opened it up, it had his initials on the inside. He had assembled that one in Japan. He ended up acquiring it from the customer.

Ed
GaryFriedman
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I second that!

Unread post by GaryFriedman »

I actually live a few miles from Fountain Valley, and have used Terry's Camera Repair many times. He and his wife had moved to Orange County over 30 years ago, and he is perhaps the last of a dying breed of manual camera repair experts.

Over the years he's CLA'd my SRT-102, XE-7, and added a new foot to my 5400HS flash. :-) The only thing he refused to work on was my old XK (there was something about the complexity or construction that he just didn't like). He actually had a skinless XK motor on display in one of his glass cabinets, which he refused to sell even for parts. (Very cool innards, I might add!)

He certainly deserves a happy retirement.

-Gary Friedman
========
e-Books on the Minolta and Sony DSLRS at
http://www.FriedmanArchives.com/ebooks
Christine
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Re: Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by Christine »

Is there a place in S Cal where sensors can be cleaned and other things checked?

I hear Canon people share news like this " Happy CPS member: upon presenting the 1D MKIII with a clean & check coupon, Canon said, that's ok, we'll do it w/o one. So I used the coupon on the 70-200 2.8L IS, which hadn't been checked in two years. Of course they'll calibrate the two. And ship them back to me at no charge."

"And lest you think they aren't doing much in a clean/check: "check white balance. AF accuracy adjustment--check and adjust for best critical focus. Sensor clean. Check all functions, repair to good working order." And the lens, besides check and clean: "replace rubber seal on lens mount". It has a couple of bits missing. @Jonni, at least they'll pay the shipping one way. The CPS gold cost $99 a year, already paid for itself when my flash and 24-70 needed repairs."


Does anything like this exist for Sony?

I love my cameras and results. But need a service like that (I have the extended plan but they told me sensor cleaning was not included). Can you do it at Sonystyle?
Javelin
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Re: Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by Javelin »

Here in Toronto if you go to the main Sony service place they will do it for you under warranty. the 3rd party repir place will clean it for a fee but I imagine any camera shop will clean your sensor for you for a fee.

frankly you should learn to do it yourself. it's not that big a deal really and one day your going to be somewhere without access to a shop and need to cean your sensor. after you've done it once you'll wonder what the fuss was about honest ..
Christine
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Re: Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by Christine »

The camera has more than 100.000 clicks, very dusty desert conditions - action shots with horses. Dust, dust, dust. I have blown some before but these don't go away. I am afraid of the "wet" contact (don't have the solutions either).
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UrsaMajor
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Re: Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by UrsaMajor »

Christine wrote:Is there a place in S Cal where sensors can be cleaned and other things checked?

Can you do it at Sonystyle?
I do not know the answer to your question, but unless someone here gives you a better reply, I would suggest contacting Sony. I have not checked, but I assume that they have contact info on their web site.

Alternatively, if you happen to live or work within a reasonable distance of Costa Mesa, you might either telephone or go to the SonyStyle store in South Coast Plaza and ask to speak with "the Alpha guy". This is one of their sales people who is the store's specialist in the Alpha cameras. He actually is quite familiar with the products and with photography in general, with experience going back to film rangefinders, and I assume that he would be able to answer any questions you have.

I apologize for not posting his name, but I am not certain that I remember it correctly, and he has told me that the other sales people in the store all call him "the Alpha guy", so I assume that if you telephone and ask for him by that name you will reach him - assuming that he is in the store when you call.

With best wishes,
- Tom -
Iknowit
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Re: Terry's Camera Repair - Fountain Valley, California

Unread post by Iknowit »

You can contact Alzo Digital, CT on the east coast.
The highly ones would be by ATG.

They also do IR modifications on cameras and flashes.
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