Viktor Gibarti Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 For me still not answering…I dont know why???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Dean Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Just to add to the discussion, Mr. Willard has repaired or serviced 4 different cameras for me within the last 2 years. The last work was performed within the last year. The cameras were Canon 814s, a Canon 1218, Nizo 800 and Nizo 56. In all cases I have been very satisfied with his repairs. The Nizo 800 had stripped screws in the lens mounting system. A previous repairman had walked away from trying to fix it and Mr, Wiliard did a super job of repair. The Canons were mostly CLA jobs, but he added his meter power supply to one of them, and it works flawlessly. Turnaround in all those cases was about a month. The Canon 1218 for which spare parts are practically non-existent took some time, but we kept in communication and I understood the status. The meter on the camera was not functional and ultimately could not be salvaged. I always felt like I was in the loop about the repair status. I would say my experience with him has been excellent. He has always been open to telling me what the waiting list for repairs is going to be. As a general recommendation, I would never send a camera to anyone, even for a CLA, if a production for that camera is imminent. I always send cameras off when I see lengthy down time coming. Unfortunately, there's plenty of that to choose from these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Oh look, it's someone making his very first post. Everything I have posted is factual and clearly others are experiencing similar issues. Some cannot get Mr. Willard to answer them at all after months and months. As for my camera, I tested one cartridge and it went perfectly. I am hoping to test another cartridge this weekend (work is getting in the way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill DiPietra Posted June 20, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted June 20, 2014 Oh look, it's someone making his very first post. And your point?... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Dean Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I am not doubting anyone's claim of good or bad service. My post simply states my experience with Willard Engineering. I hope your camera continues to operate well. Man, I'm glad that first post is over. It was riskier than I thought it would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill DiPietra Posted June 20, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted June 20, 2014 By the way...welcome to the forum, Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) I have no doubt Mr. Willard is an outstanding technician. That's why I sent him my camera. I had spoken to people who stated he was slow, but that he was the best. Unfortunately he seems to have taken in too many cameras and is now in over his head. He is also the rudest person I have ever dealt with in this industry (and I've dealt with the folks at Pro8mm). Numerous camera owners have contacted me since I first went public begging me for help (in talking to him). I won't get into details but I feel for these people. That being said, I do have my camera back. He did not charge me for the repair. I have tested one cartridge and the problem (the auto fade engaging) did not rear its ugly head. I will shoot another cartridge tomorrow. I won't know if the camera is truly correct until I shoot, process, scan and that takes time. But I am hopeful. My advice to Mr. Willard (an idea given to me by someone else who had a bad experience) is to hire an assistant to help him catch up and contact each and every camera owner he has ignored for the last year. That poor basterd in Hungary deserves to hear from Mr. Willard. Get caught up, stop taking on new orders and slowly take care of these repairs. A man as skilled as Mr. Willard may in fact be the last hope for many Super8 camera owners. Just remember he has no one to blame but himself for his predicament. I hope he can find a way to fix this mess. Who else out there can fix or service these cameras? Pro8 is outrageously expensive. So that leaves Duall in NYC and they don't handle many models. The future of Super8 looks bleak. This is just depressing. Edited June 20, 2014 by Matt Stevens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Dean Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Thanks, Bill for the welcome. Like many, no doubt, I've lurked for a number a years trying to glean as much as possible until deciding to join. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Baumgarten Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 This is one reason I ceased doing camera repair some years back as I could see it leading to such a backlog. And it ate up too much time away from the film processing services I do here. It's tough being a one-man show, and to add my two cents here, it's darn near impossible to get any decent help of any kind for our unique analog world. My recommendation is to just locate and buy any good working Super 8mm Cameras while they can still be found. I understand that generally speaking, all mechanical units will eventually need some servicing. So many of the Super 8mm cameras that were made, even top name brand models, seem to have been engineered without any real regard for servicing/repair....thus making them minefields to work on. An issue with many sound cameras now is that the capstan belts are getting so old they are breaking....and it's a super frustrating task to replace them in many cameras so often not worth it. And yes, there is still TONS of sound film out there, sitting in the freezers of many filmmakers and home movie enthusiasts, as well as all that old crap that folks sell on eBay that has only been room temp stored. Back to the camera repair issue though: For CANON, the earlier autozoom 814 is better...from a repair point of view, the NIZO silent S series cameras are good, and GAF ST-xxx series (and their Chinon/Porst/Revue counterparts), and the lens interchangeable BEAULIEUs which are readily servicable. The more complex the cameras were made, the more of a nightmare they are to service. My beloved SANKYO XL-620s are a good example of total frustration where just to get at the inners, two layers of circuit boards have to be desoldered to fix even just a simple trigger jam. The NIKON R-8 and R-10 models are complex, and the higher end CANONs, also, seem to have been built without much regard for repair. Of the earlier late 60s and 70s cameras, those that are more accessable aren't worth bothering with since they so often are only autoexposure (with perhaps a bias adjustment knob). Buy several cameras, use ONE cartridge to test several.........Slate each shot so you know which camera it was used in. Then you're only out one cartridge and processing etc, to test several. Sort the runners from the junk and forget about repairing the junkers (shelf display only, unless you're feeling brave!). Anyhow, good luck and keep shooting....SUPER 8mm! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Anderson Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Just wanted to drop in, been off the forum for years, but this has my attention. I dropped off my Canon 814XLS before Thanksgiving of last year of 2013. Every few months I've emailed for an update and have been told it's the next one on the bench. Fingers crossed. I understand time and am in no hurry. I honestly was more getting it set up for my wedding in October of this year. Good thing i dropped it off a year in advance. :P Will update when I get it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Louis Seguin Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Good technicians are always swamped :-) Jean-Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Millar Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Simple concept of supply and demand no? They should charge so that the amount of work they end up with is in accordance with their ability to do it in the agreed timeframes. (or at least refuse the work) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 No question Mr. Willard should have stopped taking in new cameras when he had a huge backlog. Remember, he answered all my emails prior to sending in the camera within 24 hours and was extremely wordy in his replies, supplying much analysis. Then when he received the camera, the communication stopped. Completely. And that is what seems to have happened with others who've sent in their cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Anderson Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Welp. My wedding was in October 2014. Camera is still missing now, Jan 2015. After months of trying to get in contact with him I got him on the phone. We agreed I would send him a prepaid shipping label and he would send the camera back. Not serviced, just return it. I sent him the label same day. That was in November. The last response I got from him was I asked if he had shipped it and he responded, "yes". The shipping label was never used according to UPS tracking. I sent a final letter via registered mail asking him to return my camera or pay for a replacement. I will probably file in small claims court next week. There's a two year statute of limitations on stuff like this, so we'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 And to think people criticized me fore going public! Willard is a complete jerk. He is steeling people's cameras. I am amazed I got mine back. But I had to fight for it. Hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Anderson Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Yea I have all my paperwork and emails. It bums me out so bad because I don't want the guy to loose his job at Spectra Film and Video or just fall off the face of the earth, but damn man. My 814XLS took me YEARS to get...then i drop it off for a tune up and patiently wait 1.5 years later...and I sound like I'm crazy... I swear this guy is going to disappear and 1 year after there's going to be a giant release of cameras by someone who happened upon the vault and we'll all be screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 I am certain he has a room full of cameras. I have talked with so many people who are trying to get their cameras back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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