Repairing Your Nikon Film Camera

I like to write about good experiences I have with people who help keep our classic film cameras alive. Without good techs, it would be difficult to keep these decades old machines operating reliably.

Earlier this year, I was out shooting with my Nikon FE2 when, mid-roll, the mirror stuck in the up position. I was in aperture priority mode and have had this similar issue happen with other SLRs. When it does, moving the shutter speed dial to one of the manual speeds typically unsticks the mirror. I tried it and…nothing. Mirror stuck. I tried new batteries. Still stuck.

My FE2 was in the queue for a CLA anyway so this was a good nudge to move the Nikon to the front of the line. Occasionally, as is the case with some fully electronic vintage cameras, it makes more sense just to buy another one rather than paying for repair. I decided to check FE2 prices on eBay to get a feel for current prices on this model and was surprised to see them selling for $125 to $250 or more depending upon condition. Cosmetically, mine is at the upper range, so I felt good about investing in a repair. It’s also nice to see that the FE2 is holding its value.

While looking at FE2s for sale, I came across Jim Holman’s eBay store. Jim sells serviced Nikon, Canon, Minolta and Pentax cameras and lenses in his store and also offers repair services. Jim has been a repair technician for over 35 years and for the last 20 years he has specialized in lens and film camera repair. He is also an authorized technician for Nikon, Canon and Sigma. With his solid credentials and excellent eBay customer feedback, I decided to give him a try.

Jim’s process is pretty simple. Just click the $20 “buy it now” evaluation fee. Jim then messages you back and asks what camera you have and what the issues are and gives an estimated repair cost. He then sends you his address to ship the camera to. I packed up my FE2 and included a note with my contact information.

Within a day of receiving my FE2, Jim called to discuss the issues and what he needed to do to my camera. We had a delightful conversation about vintage SLRs and our mutual admiration of the Nikon FE2, FE, FM2 and F3 bodies. Jim clearly loves working on these old machines and helping analog photographers keep their gear operating smoothly.

Jim is located here in California, so this whole process took just a bit over a week. My camera came back clean, shiny and operating smoothly. It’s reassuring to know that the meter is now calibrated and the camera is back to factory specs. Oh…and I know this is really geeky, but I just love the way a camera smells after it has been CLAd. I think it’s the glue used on the new seals or cleaning fluid or a combination of both.

I had a really great repair experience with Holman Camera and highly recommend him. He also has a nice selection of cameras for sale. My F3 is due for CLA in the very near future and I’ll be sending it to Jim.