Restoration – Jim Sollows Photography

The CLA

“Clean, Lubricate, Adjust” Should Actually Mean Something

Written By: Jim Sollows
Date: October 17 2025

In the world of vintage cameras, three little letters, C-L-A, get tossed around more than a film canister at a camera swap. “Clean, Lubricate, Adjust” refers to a full mechanical and optical service meant to bring a camera back to near factory-spec performance. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the term has started to lose its meaning and become a marketing buzzword.

Scroll through any online marketplace and you’ll see it everywhere: “Recently CLA’d!” or “Just CLA’d and ready to shoot!” But more often than not, that so-called CLA is little more than a wiped-down exterior and a few shutter clicks to show it still makes noise. That is not a real CLA, and the kind of work that actually counts is not cheap, so you will not find it on bargain-bin cameras.

Screenshot 2025 10 17 at 11.32.39 pm — Fresh CLA !!! Canon Film Camera $20.00

Not long ago, I opened a camera belonging to one of my students. He had purchased it after being told it was “recently CLA’d,”. He contacted me because he was having trouble with a rough film advance. The exterior looked clean, but once I removed the top plate, I found dust, grime, and even a spider web. It was very clear evidence that the camera had not been opened in decades, if ever.

A true CLA is a meticulous process. It means fully disassembling the camera to clean away old, hardened lubricants and applying the correct modern equivalents in just the right places and nowhere else. It also involves calibrating shutter speeds, replacing light seals, aligning rangefinders, and ensuring every moving part behaves the way the original engineers intended. It’s not a five-minute job; it’s a skilled task that takes experience, knowledge, and often specialized tools.

When sending a camera or lens for a CLA, it’s essential to choose a reputable professional who specializes in vintage cameras. The best technicians document their work, sometimes providing test data, photos of the process, or calibration notes. Just as importantly, they stand behind their work, offering a warranty or follow-up support if something isn’t quite right. This all comes at a price, a CLA is an investment, giving new life to your vintage gear.

LensMedicYYC servicing a 90 yr old lens — Photo provided by LensMedicYYC showing his progress servicing my 90 yr old lens

People often ask me to do a CLA on their camera. I can handle some basic service work, but I don’t have the skills needed for a full CLA. Many of my own cameras have been professionally serviced by my go-to technician, Gary at LensMedic YYC in Calgary. Gary has the skills, tools, and experience to do it right, and he’s never let me down. He recently CLA’d a very rare Kalimar Six Sixty medium-format camera. Even Gary admitted he had never seen one in person, yet his work was impeccable.

One of my most prized cameras, a 75-year-old Leica IIIF, recently went for a CLA. When it came back, it included a list of work that filled more than three pages. Every gear, spring, and screw had been inspected, cleaned, and adjusted. The shutter curtains were replaced, and all components that were out of spec were either restored to factory standards or replaced entirely. Because of the extent of the work and the need for camera-specific parts, I chose to have it serviced directly through Leica. The result was remarkable. The camera now looks and performs exactly as it did when it left the factory 75 years ago. Holding it, winding it, seeing the crisp clear viewfinder and rangefinder plus hearing that shutter snap feels like stepping back in time.

When a camera truly receives a proper CLA, it shows. The shutter feels crisp, the advance is smooth, and the meter (if it has one) is accurate. Everything works as it should, often better than it has in decades.

The next time you see someone proudly claim their camera has been CLA’d, take it with a grain of salt unless there’s proof. In the world of vintage mechanical cameras, a true CLA isn’t just a marketing phrase. It is a way to roll back the clock, restoring a fine camera’s performance, preserving its craftsmanship, and keeping it shooting beautifully for decades to come.

Restoring San Lorenzo 1900

Embarking on an extraordinary journey, I find myself entrusted with a unique mission – the restoration of a small collection of photographic glass plates capturing life in the quaint village of San Lorenzo, Italy, around 1900. Discovered in Vancouver, Canada, these delicate artifacts hold within them the untold stories of a bygone era. The owners of this visual time capsule, have entrusted them temporarily to my care. My task is to delicately recover the images held on each fragile plate.

Preserving Fragile History:

Handling these delicate glass plates becomes a dance between caution and passion. Each plate, adorned with scratches and missing emulsion, demands the utmost care. Dusting off the layers of time, I feel the weight of responsibility as I transport these fragile pieces into the present, preparing them for a journey through restoration.

Each plate was delicately cleaned

Next they were digitally scanned and processed

Plates were badly damaged and faded after more than a century. Each had to be laboriously restored one at a time.

Stereoscopic Wonders:

The uniqueness of this collection lies in its stereoscopic design, capturing dual images simultaneously. Armed with the necessary technology and a deep appreciation for the historical significance of each frame, I meticulously photograph both the left and right images from every plate. In the quiet solitude of my studio, these images become digital puzzle pieces waiting to be artfully overlaid, merging seamlessly. When the two images are merged, I am able to make the scratches and damage go away, telling the tale of San Lorenzo.

Before and After

The first image shows the scratches, dirt and missing chunks of emulsion. Once the pair of images are blended together, that damage can be removed leaving the undamaged image as shown on the right. If you would like to actually see this being done, I’ve created this short video clip.

Before retouching. Notice the scratches, discolouration, fading

After retouching all the damage. It’s still not perfect but we don’t want it to be. It was shot in 1900 after all.

A Glimpse into San Lorenzo’s Past:

As the merged images come to life on my computer screen, the streets of San Lorenzo awaken with a vibrancy long forgotten. The smiles of children and adults, the horse-drawn wagons navigating dirt roads, and the absence of modern vehicles transport me to a simpler time. In every scratched surface and missing chunk of emulsion, I discover the marks of a community that once thrived in simplicity.

These images are from glass plate positives of San Lorenzo Italy around 1900

Simple Pleasures:

One photograph, in particular, draws me into the daily life of San Lorenzo. A woman, adorned in a long dress, guides her ox cart along the street, with her husband enjoying the leisurely ride on atop the wagon. The absence of motorized vehicles underscores a time when the rhythmic clattering of hooves and the patient plodding of oxen defined the pace of life.

A Glimpse of Pre-War Life:

The presence of Italian soldiers scattered throughout the images hints at the imminent upheaval of World War I. Each soldier frozen in time becomes a silent witness to the community on the brink of historical transformation. These photographs not only capture smiles and simple pleasures but also foreshadow the challenges that lie ahead.

Notice the armed soldiers in this plate. WW1 is approaching.

Conclusion:

Restoring this collection of photographic glass plates has become a personal odyssey, an intimate exploration of a village frozen in time. With each scratch repaired and every missing piece delicately reconstructed, I feel a profound connection to the past. Through my lens and the digital canvas, San Lorenzo’s story unfolds, inviting us to appreciate the beauty of life in a small Italian village and the resilience of memories preserved through the art of restoration. The restored images are being returned to a historian for the village of San Lorenzo. More than a century later, they are going home.

Peek into the Past – Part 2

t was back in April 2022 when I came into possession of an old roll of film in an antique shop. I wrote a blog post about that film and all that went into developing it and the 3 amazing prints that resulted. A lot has happened since then and a follow up post needed to be written to complete the story. If you haven’t read the first instalment, you should do that HERE before going on.

The film had been developed and we have some very old photos that appeared to be around the 1930’s or 1940’s but there was little to go on. I posted them here on my web site and also on my Facebook page. It generated a lot of interest but nothing compared to what was about to happen. It was around this time that my good friend and fellow photographer Steve Bueckert came into the picture. We were chatting one day and Steve suggested, “We really need to try and find these people or at least get more information. What we need is bigger circulation”. Steve went on to tell me about a friend who was a Vancouver newspaper editor. We contacted Bob Kronbauer at Vancouver is Awesome, a publication that circulates news about happenings around the city. Bob instantly took an interest in the story and arranged for an interview with reporter Brendan Kergin. Brendan listened to the story, asked a lot of questions and gathered the pictures. Next thing that happened was that the story not only appeared in the newspaper but it appeared front page. The article invited readers to contact me by social media or my web site if they knew who these people were or could shed more light.

The day the newspaper hit the streets, messages began to arrive. Some of the comments were nothing more than guesswork and a few that were less than helpful. There were also comments from people that identified aspects of the photos that we had not considered. We were even contacted by people who had some real knowledge of the time and offered valuable insights. Each day as new tips came in, Steve and I would discuss the information. We gradually started to assemble more information about the scene. Occasionally new information would add clarity that required us to toss previous assumptions. Here are a few of the things we learned along the way.

The old truck shown in a couple of the photos was common in British Columbia around the 1920’s-1930’s and was usually used in agriculture or logging and was especially common in farming on the south coast.

The bicycle tire shown in one shot is vulcanized rubber that was common in that same period

There is an old wringer washing machine that dates to the early 1920’s

In the background of a couple shots is an MJB coffee can with a logo that was in use in the 1920’s

One of the young women in a photo is wearing a shirt that appears to bear and Flash Gordon graphic. Flash Gordon wasn’t released until the mid 1930’s

Based on the hundreds of tips that came in, we were pretty sure these photos had originated in the mid to late 1920’s, but we still didn’t know anything about the people or where.

One day I received a message that changed everything. A lady in Edmonton, named Pamela, said she was looking at the story in a local paper and instantly recognized the little toddler in a couple photos as being a childhood photo of her Grandmother. The little Toddler was her grandmother Lorraine who was born in 1924 and Pamela said her picture was unmistakable and a perfect match to others she had. To further confirm we had the right person, Pamela was able to identify all the other individuals in the photos including that of her Great Great Grandfather John Ivor Carlson and his wife Great Great Grandmother Jerti Carlson. She had been working on a family tree at the time the newspaper story came out and happened to have other photos of these very same people. They were all a match.

We exchanged messages back and forth with Pamela for a few days, adding details as Pamela worked through her archive of old family photos and notations on the back of many. By now the article had appeared in 22 newspapers across Canada, USA and even UK. I resisted the urge to just tell everyone the mystery had been solved. We still had a piece of the puzzle that just didn’t fit. How could Hjerdis be wearing a Flash Gordon shirt for a movie that won’t be released for another ten years?

One day a message came in from a sports historian who specializes in Olympic memorabilia. He said “I know exactly where that shirt came from. It was released as part of the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix France. It’s not Flash Gordon, it’s actually a graphic of a freestyle skater. With this, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

Steve and I were extremely excited, we couldn’t believe we had actually managed to identify these people. The last step was to deliver a set of original prints to Pamela in Edmonton. I thought I could just print them and ship to her in the mail. Steve said “Hey, I have a friend who is also a photographer in Edmonton who I’m sure will help us out!” Steve contacted Owen Law who eagerly offered to assist. We arranged to print the photos and mail them to Owen. Owen would then hand deliver the prints to Pamela, and shoot some photos of her receiving them.

While planning for the print delivery to Owen, I was contacted by Jay Durant, reporter and news anchor from Global News. Global is a major nationwide Canadian TV news service. Jay asked how the search was going and when I explained the findings, he said “We really need to do a story on this!” Within a mater of days I had Jay Durant, TV Cameras and lights occupying my home and even crammed into my darkroom. Jay interviewed me and asked me to explain the process of recovering the film. Sadly Steve was working and unable to be part of the Global interview. I regret that he wasn’t there because his role in this project was just as significant as my own. However Jay was able to arrange for a Global News camera crew from their Edmonton office to accompany Owen when he delivered the photos to Pamela. At one point I said to Jay, “I can’t believe Global is putting so much effort into this little story!”. Jay quickly responded and said “Actually this will be the story people will remember the next day. There is so much bad news that people need to hear this”. When the show aired the following week, it was positioned right at the end of the newscast, to end on a positive note.

This brings to a close, the story of the Verichrome Film. We started with an unknown roll of old film in an antique shop and not only recovered wonderful old photos, but put them back into the hands of the descendants where they belong. Moral of the story, never never never toss away an old roll of film. You never know what piece of history will be lost forever if you do!

I want to offer my personal thanks to the team that made this project possible. This includes Shari Sollows, my wife who was with me the day we found the film and whose tenacious enthusiasm for solving puzzles kept us motivated. Steve Bueckert who was the brains behind the news & social media aspects, and without whom this story would never have been seen by Pamela. Owen Law in Edmonton played a such a very important part when he eagerly volunteered his time and efforts facilitating the final hand over of prints to Pamela in person and being a liaison with the Edmonton Global TV crew. The last photos in the set are Owen and Pamela and the final one is Steve and Jim. Owen passed his camera to the Global cameraman and asked him to take the shot. It’s a wonderful photo to end this story.

Here are a few photos capturing the day the prints were delivered to Pamela in Edmonton.

Peek into the Past – Part 1

My wife and I enjoy visiting antique shops and one Saturday recently we found ourselves in a small shop in Vancouver. It was a tiny store with a limited selection of neatly placed items lining the shelves and tables. Among them, a small selection of camera and darkroom items immediately attracted my attention. I ended up purchasing a few small items. This led to very pleasant chat with the proprietor. When he learned that I do darkroom work and rescue old film, he gave me a couple exposed but undeveloped rolls that had found their way into the shop. One of the rolls was Kodak Verichrome in 130 format, which I had heard of but never actually seen.

Returning home later that day, I did some research and discovered that Kodak Verichrome film was the predecessor to Veriehrome Pan. Information about Verichrome in 130 format is spotty at best. I was able to find a bit of information indicating that it was released in 1907. Verichrome 130 was used to contact print post cards, was discontinued in the early l930’s. In other words this film may well be almost 100 years old.

The question remained, can I actually recover images from film that old? I’ve recovered photos from old lost films before, but nothing close to this age. To further complicate maters, my usual sources of information for developers and times, showed nothing on this very old film. There were many references to Verichrome Pan but not on the older Verichrome and the films do have some significant differences. In other words … I was on my own. I made some decisions based on past experience with vintage film but my choice of developer and times was, a best guess. To further complicate maters was the fact that this unusually large roll film wouldn’t fit any of my more modern development tanks. This meant that the only way to develop the film was to unroll it, in total darkness, and then see-saw it back and forth through each of the chemicals for the required time.

The time had come and there I was in the darkness, unrolling the delicate 1.5 meter long film. Going by feel, I managed to guide it to the developer tray and began the process of see-sawing the film back and forth in the developer. I quickly discovered a consequence of film being rolled tightly into a spool for 100 years … it wants to twist and coil like a snake around my arms. I wrestled with the film trying to, by some miracle, ensure it actually gets into the chemicals. I thought to myself, “There is no way this will work!” Finally when it had been moved through Developer, then Stop Bath and finally Fixer, it was placed into a rinse bath where I was able to turn on the lights.

As my eyes adjusted to the room light, my heart skipped a beat when I saw images! Not just faint, barely perceptible images! These were clear photos. Only the last 3 images were able to be recovered. The two images located on the outermost layers of the roll had degraded over the years and were completely gone. However the remaining three were in good condition. I anxiously hung the film to dry. I couldn’t wait to see the final result!

Following a couple hours of drying, I finally processed the prints. The three prints appear to be a family.

There is an older gentleman, perhaps the grandfather, who is dressed in a way that makes me think he may be a farmer. There are two younger women and man, as well as a young girl roughly 2 years of age.

The background in a couple shots shows the silhouette of an old truck and another shows a very old washing machine. Consulting with someone knowledgeable about historic farm and machinery equipment, these both appear to be 1920/30’s vintage. There is also a very old can of what appears to be MJB coffee with a logo that seems to date back to can design from the same period. We can’t be certain of the dates, this is merely a guess on our part.

The big question remains, who are these people? That we don’t know and likely never will. I have been contacted by a reporter from a local newspaper and magazine that specialize in British Columbia History. They have expressed a desire to continue the research and possibly determine more about the people in these images. What of the photographer that took these photos? Why were these photo’s never developed? Maybe the roll was miss-placed, or given that this may have been early or mid 30’s, perhaps the photographer was called into World War 2 and never came home. We can only guess. Regardless I feel privledged to be able to finish the work that this photographer started so many years ago.

Let me conclude by saying, never assume that an old roll of film is unrecoverable. You never know what mysteries or historic gems might be discovered. Film can remain viable for very long periods of time! I get excited every time I rescue a lost roll of film.

For those curious about the technical details. The film was developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 11 minutes and then 1 minute for Ilford Ilfostop and 8 minutes in Ilford Rapid Fix then a 20 minute rinse. Normal fixing time is 5 minutes but in this case I extrended to 8 minutes to ensure clearing this very old emulsion. The images are actually reversed. They curled so badly and it helped to keep them flat for digitization.

DON’T MISS PART 2 there is a lot more to this story