CLA Servicing
Clean. Lubricate. Adjust.
The full mechanical service that brings a tired or long-idle camera back to reliable, trustworthy working order.
Enquire about a CLA →
What a CLA is
- CleanThe mechanism is stripped and old, varnished grease and grime removed from every moving part.
- LubricateCorrect lubricants are re-applied where they belong — the right oil, the right weight, the right amount.
- AdjustShutter speeds, tension, focus and controls are re-set to specification on the timer and by hand.
The result isn’t a camera that merely fires — it’s one whose speeds are true, whose wind is smooth, and that you can rely on for years.
Why it matters
Lubricants age, whether or not the shutter fires.
A mechanical camera is a clockwork instrument. Over decades the oils that keep it honest thicken to varnish, the shutter curtains stiffen, timing drifts, and light seals crumble to dust. None of it announces itself — it just quietly pulls the camera out of spec. A CLA strips that back and re-sets the whole mechanism to how it should feel.
When to book one
- It’s been idle for years
- Old grease turns to varnish and seals perish while a camera sits. A CLA is almost always due before you trust it with a roll.
- Speeds feel off
- Slow speeds dragging, fast speeds capping, an uneven wind — the timing has drifted and wants re-setting.
- Before a trip or a project
- Peace of mind before it matters. Better to find a fault at the bench than on the last frame.
- Every few years, in use
- Even a well-used camera benefits from a service every so often; lubricants age whether or not the shutter fires.
Every CLA is quoted after a free inspection, carries a 6-month warranty, and ends with a filmed test you can watch by QR. Bought your camera here? It may already be covered — just ask.
Something actually broken? See Repair. Sending it in? How that works.