I was fixing a Leica M3 in a tiny shop in Portland and a customer's story made me rethink everything

This guy brought in his granddad's M3, said it was used to take photos during a protest in the 60s. He didn't want it cleaned up to look new, he wanted it to just work again, keeping every scratch and dent. I mean, I'm used to making things perfect, you know? Getting all the brassing polished out. But he said the marks were the story. So I did the full CLA, replaced the shutter curtains, but I left the body alone. It changed how I see my job. Now I ask people what the camera's history is before I even open it up. It's not just about making it factory fresh, sometimes it's about keeping the story alive. Has anyone else had a client change their whole approach to a repair like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.cole20d ago

Man that reminds me of a guy who refused to let me replace the worn leather on his old satchel, said the stains were from every country he'd visited lol

reese862d ago

Totally get that. @the_jesse is right about keeping the feel, it's way more personal. I'd probably do the same with something that special.

the_jesse20d ago

Yeah, that "keeping the story alive" part hits home. I had a client who only wanted the lens focus fixed on their old Nikon, said the sticky shutter button was from their dad's grip and they wanted to keep that feel.