Old Rolleiflex from an estate sale changed how I think about CLA

At an estate sale in Portland last weekend I picked up a Rolleiflex that clearly hadn't been touched in decades. The shutter speeds were all sticky, but the lenses were spotless, and the owner's son said it sat in a drawer since 1989. I mentioned my usual approach of just cleaning and lubing, and he told me his dad never serviced it once, just used it hard and put it away. That made me rethink whether we over-service cameras sometimes, or if I got lucky with this one. Has anyone else gotten a neglected camera that worked fine without a full teardown?

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reese_lane2916d ago

Man, that story hits me right in the gut. It's kinda crazy how these old cameras just refuse to die if you leave them alone, you know? I've seen so many people rush to tear stuff apart and fix things that ain't broke, and then they end up with a mess on their hands. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just let it sit and see what happens. I get the urge to keep everything perfect, but there's something to be said for a camera that just works because it was built tough. Sounds like you scored a real keeper there, and I hope it treats you well for a long time.