RE: Dealing with George Ury

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

Hi LUGgers

I was reading through some more digests last night and came across a 
post requesting info on the above dealer.

I have dealt with George on two occasions and will never deal with him 
again.  

I believe it's becoming common practice for some dealers to recondition 
well used cameras and lenses into appearing to be mint condition.  In 
my case, it was a heavily used Canon F1fn camera that the brassing was 
painted over and a few parts replaced to make it look like new.  I 
described the symptoms of the camera to a repair person and they said 
"you must shoot a lot with a motordrive don't you",  I said "no, I just 
bought this camera from George Ury"  and silence came from the other 
end of the phone.  I was talking to George's contracted repair shop .  

My brother bought a F-1fn camera and two lenses from George.  I didn't 
put two and two together until after about a year, seeing his formerly 
mint camera and 200mm lens now with considerable wear.  My brother  
shoots about 10 rolls of film a year.   Knowing him and knowing what it 
takes to wear Canon equipment to that condition, I realized that he had 
been sold a bum bill of goods too.  

I suppose if I had a mint M3 except for a scratch on the speed dial, I 
would think about finding a mint dial to put on it.  That is, if it was 
for my collection.  I can accept a certain amount of replacing minor 
parts,  some people destroy battery covers for example, but repainting 
users and selling them at mint prices, that crosses the line in my 
opinion.  Adding a new gold Japanese inspection sticker is icing on the 
cake of deception.

On several instances I have seen George and Tony (his repair guy) at 
shows looking at various user cameras (like a Hasselblad SWC CF and 
F3's) discussing the replacement of parts to make them appear to be 
mint.  It's amazing what you can hear if you stand around dealers table 
long enough.   When I used to live in Chicago, I went to every show.

I used to think that they couldn't redo chrome bodies.  But there is at 
least one dealer besides George who attends the Chicago area shows who 
can do a pretty good job.  I saw an Chrome SL2 that one dealer was 
showing to his buddy bragging about the touch up job he did and how 
much profit he was going to make off of it.  And his buddy, seeing 
$signs, went and returned with a couple of M-bodies to see what he 
could do with them.  The premium on collectable equipment is tempting 
dealers to do such restoration,  SOME advertise what they've done, and 
Some take your money on the sly.

So the moral is,  look very very very carefully for irregularities at 
the finish of used camera and lenses you are buying.  Advances levers 
that aren't tight vertically or horizontally, focus rings that seems 
loose, engraved paint that looks cleaner or dirtier than the rest of 
the finish etc.  The best thing you can do is learn the feel of new 
equipment.  If the mint example you are looking at doesn't have that 
feel, walk away.  I was ignorant of such matters back then, but am no 
longer.   Incidently, I returned that F-1fn and traded it for my first 
Leica, a M-3 DS and a 50mm DR and bought a new F-1fn.  

So...... Deal with reputable dealers.   Or buy new....

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador

PS  Incidently, there was a discussion around digest 55 about the how 
long cameras are designed to last.  M-Leicas (per PR) are designed to 
not show wear until after 100,000 cycles.  Canon F-1s (per PR)  are 
tested to 100,000 cycles (exposures).  There is a major difference 
between the two statements. 

One photographer  I knew who uses (unless he went to EOS too)  Leica R  
for sports said that his R's lasted  over 2 1/2 times as many exposures 
as did Nikons.  So he figured.