My client was ripped off. A rant about Polaroid camera repair.

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  • Опубліковано 9 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 31

  • @theinstantcameraguy
    @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому +7

    For those interested, here was a full list of issues that I found:
    Issues caused from drop damage:
    - broken capacitor in flash discharge circuitry
    - broken flash housing
    - broken viewfinder mirror post and missing spring
    Unknown:
    - broken lug on L/D wheel, causing the walking arm to 'float' and create a variable flash aperture. This created inconsistent flash exposures
    - Model 3 front door. The original door might have been broken at some stage, and this was the best possible replacement. No shade thrown here, sometimes this stuff has to be done
    Issues a result of lazy refurbishing:
    - crusty electric eye!!!
    - PCB still held in place by factory heat stake, indicating eye was never even inspected!!!
    - no reflow work of PCB (not essential, but a REALLY good idea to help performance, power delivery and future reliability)
    - lens not calibrated to park position, causing inaccurate focus
    - chisel marks on plastic panels causing cosmetic damage
    - crumbling motor bushings not replaced
    - spring loaded light baffle lens leg bent upwards
    - Fresnel screen filthy and hazy, with small traces of fungus
    - L/D wheel filthy inside
    - bottom body panel filthy inside
    - bellows not cleaned on the inside, with yellow dust present.
    - motor not reconditioned
    - no evidence of pick arm lubrication of any kind
    - odd screws on base panel
    - lens board screws all loose
    - one geartrain screw loose
    In the case of loose screws and dirt... one could make the case that these things could have happened since the refurb was performed. However, my experience - opening these things up over the period of over a decade - including upgrading cameras that I have previously serviced reveals that it would be HIGHLY unlikely. Lens board screws do not come loose on their own. And the dirt present was likely the result of long term storage and crumbling leatherette removal.

  • @garvinkelly
    @garvinkelly Місяць тому +3

    I once traded a bunch of high end hifi equipment to a tech in return for restoring my favorite receiver. He didn't do anything but spray dioxit in it. What a rip off

  • @Casual_BackPacking
    @Casual_BackPacking 27 днів тому

    This is extremely valuable information 👏 thank you ima newbie to these cameras

  • @matthewjchung
    @matthewjchung Місяць тому +1

    Being in Korea, a lot of my hobbies require me to order stuff from all around the world. So I’m a little inured to paying for shipping and customs. It’s pretty funny to see Americans or Europeans shocked that they have to pay more than $5 for shipping for a indiegogo backed project from, say, Hong Kong.
    But, to paraphrase Bong Joon Ho’s translator, “once you overcome the $30 barrier of international shipping, you will be introduced to so many more amazing creators in your hobby community.”

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому +1

      @@matthewjchung 100% this^
      As an Australian, it's just part of our culture to order stuff from overseas and wait a few weeks for it to arrive
      For much of the rest of the world too, this used to be the case. However, express and same-day shipping from juggernaut corporations like Amazon seem to have ruined this for many Westerners. What many don't realise is that such a service is only possible due a small army of warehouse and delivery personnel getting paid minimum wage in terrible conditions.
      In the case of the USA too (although this is not exclusive) there is an ongoing myth that somehow the postal service is untrustworthy. This seems to stem from a libertarian belief system and governmental distrust. In reality it's insanely reliable and I have quite literally never had an item lost in the USA in 12 years. Sure maybe it's a bit slower... But it gets the job done!

    • @matthewjchung
      @matthewjchung Місяць тому

      @@theinstantcameraguy having lived in the US, you’re spot on about the general attitude towards the USPS. It is a strangely libertarian attitude that is held by the majority of people. It’s no surprise that companies like Amazon have been able to exploit that sentiment. And likewise, I don’t think I’ve ever had a package mishandled by USPS. UPS, FedEx, and DHL are more likely to fuck something up, in that order.
      In Korea, postal workers have the reputation of having the highest job satisfaction of all civil servants. And I’m not sure if it’s a virtuous cycle situation or it’s a genuinely great job, but it shows-it’s always a pleasure dealing with the post office here. They’re just so damn pleasant.
      But yeah. Living on a peninsula and a continental island, the two countries have the culture of waiting for overseas packages in common.
      predatorhandshakememe.jpg

  • @Svend-h3f
    @Svend-h3f Місяць тому +1

    As you may recall Jake, last year and a half ago I wanted to take a break from
    darkroom, and decided to get an SX-70, like the one I bought when it came out,
    around '74, knowing nothing of the perils of getting a 50 year camers
    The 1 from ebaah, it overexposed on every shot, and then the motor started running continuosly.
    Then bought 3 from for astromical prices, 2 SLR 680 and an Alpha from the big mess outfit.
    Then bought 6 Sonars from another repairer. With test shots.
    Then bought 1 SLR 680 from a nother repairer. Was such a cluster f#&¤/98ut, that
    donated it to you, and you replied, that is was only good for parts.
    All so poorly repaired, that the ejection of the film was at a laughable speed.
    They all ran sluggishly.
    All 10 over exposing.
    All 10 making dark flash portraits.
    If you want to learn a lesson the hard way, pick up 10 SX-70s in one month,
    from clowns, where some only wanting to make some quick money, and other simply
    not qualified.
    I wasn't surprised after buying a house that sat empty for years, that the roof needed
    replacing.
    However, I am wiser know with respect to old houses and Polaroid SX-70 cameras.
    I am also happy to now have some from you Jake that work properly, and have
    been OVERHAULED.
    And thanks for sharing your knowledge (although it does me no good, shut up) and for not subcomming to gatekeeping.
    And for calling out companies and governments, allow for phones and computers to be thrown out
    because the battery can' be replaced. I-2 share those sentiments.

  • @cyprus1840
    @cyprus1840 Місяць тому

    Yay my country was mentioned in the video. Greetings from Poland

  • @brian-esss
    @brian-esss Місяць тому +1

    I get not wanting to call out the bad repair shops, but maybe shout out the other ones who are doing it well. Especially for us not in Australia.

    • @brian-esss
      @brian-esss Місяць тому

      nevermind, I see you answered this in the video

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому

      @@brian-esss I go into more depth in my other video about this too. But it's literally impossible for me to comment on another camera without seeing it inside for myself. I've seen good refurbs and bad. The lack of consistency is what bothers me.
      Geographic location is not a significant barrier in the days of world wide postage.
      I have clients all over the world

    • @Svend-h3f
      @Svend-h3f 13 днів тому

      ua-cam.com/video/6wvuTSONvYM/v-deo.html

  • @infernalcapricorn
    @infernalcapricorn Місяць тому

    I have two SX 70's that have been sent to one place that starts with a B, and the other starts with an R. The one I got back from B, and I told them what was wrong with it, as soon as I put a pack of film in it, the camera started shooting out the film. Almost every time. The one that starts with an R, gave me a new camera that I didn't ask for, has a platic piece that constantly falls out and doesn't eject any film. I'm so frustrated and hard pressed to get anything done to them anymore.

    • @michaelpicardal4885
      @michaelpicardal4885 Місяць тому

      ...any opinions about Mint?

    • @infernalcapricorn
      @infernalcapricorn Місяць тому

      @@michaelpicardal4885I haven’t used them.

    • @Markybug-Keira-Cody
      @Markybug-Keira-Cody Місяць тому

      @@michaelpicardal4885I have a Slr670s and feel MiNT are great

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому +1

      @@infernalcapricorn if you send them my way I promise they will return functional
      I wonder if the one that doesn't eject film has an issue with the drive train spring slipping...
      I've seen it before...

  • @pierredubois5851
    @pierredubois5851 Місяць тому +1

    Man, we need to know who is responsible for this bad CLA

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому

      I'm not going to start drama. But I think if everyone asks critical questions and requests the best, then bad repair like this may become a thing of the past
      Everyone should ask the right questions and do their research

    • @Omniscientartist
      @Omniscientartist Місяць тому +3

      Im assuming its either BFC or retrospekt, but it was 2 years ago. Things couldve changed.

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому +1

      @@Omniscientartist this isn't the only repair like this I've seen this year. The others were more recent.
      Trust me. Very little has changed lol

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому

      @@Omniscientartist even if this repair was done 5 years ago, cleaning the electric eye is absolutely "repair 101" stuff, and is a technique that technicians have known about for decades now.
      Even back in my "as needed" repair days I'd ALWAYS clean the eye. It's essential!

    • @Svend-h3f
      @Svend-h3f 12 днів тому

      "word of mouth" . ua-cam.com/video/6wvuTSONvYM/v-deo.html

  • @MrWasowski97
    @MrWasowski97 Місяць тому

    Hi!
    Did you found any problem with using shrink tube for the motor bushings?
    Thanks in advance!

    • @theinstantcameraguy
      @theinstantcameraguy  Місяць тому

      @@MrWasowski97 I used to use heat shrink
      There is no issue using heat shrink. It would find
      Hose is just easier. Less steps :)

  • @Dancingatthefuneralparty
    @Dancingatthefuneralparty Місяць тому

    I feel personally attacked by this video 😂 Reddit girl here... Still love your channel a lot 🙈

  • @WhoIsSerafin
    @WhoIsSerafin Місяць тому

    Don’t be Ray😂