Bob was incredible, he genuinely cared about my camera and went ABOVE and BEYOND working on my Hasselblad lens. Communication could be better, BUT I don't know what the other reviews are talking about, Bob is a master of his craft. He very much cares about his customers, their cameras, and their wallets! I 10/10 recommend! read more

Precision Camera Works - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

PCW kept my Mamiya 7 hostage for 7 months. The communication was horrendous. I luckily received the camera back. I have no idea if they actually even fixed it yet but I can already say that you should avoid this company at all costs. read more

I wish I had read other reviews on Yelp before sending my equipment to this company. I sent a Hasselblad kit in October, and, to be fair, I was told the company was busy, and it could take a while to get everything done. However, I was sent an estimate, approved it, and paid the invoice for work on Dec. 4. Since then, I've received no updates and my emails have gone unanswered. I've called and spoken to Loren a few times and every time I'm told Bob is running behind but the equipment should be shipped back "soon" and I will received a tracking number when it is. Then weeks pass and nothing. I understand a single person doing this kind of work can be busy and face delays, but at the very least, there should be updates to people who have send in their cameras. If I don't hear something definitive very soon, I will be looking into legal action. read more

Bob has had my Mamiya 645 Pro, finder, back and lens for nearly 4 years now. I'd been given the runaround for 2 years before communication stopped. I sent the camera to his California address in April, 2020. They moved to Texas after that, and I only found out after seeing it posted on their website. If you send an email or call, that goes to a person in Chicago called, "Loren." There is no way to contact Bob himself. All I want is my camera returned - I don't care if it's fixed or not. I've tried contacting them via Instagram, as well as their Ebay store. Ignored. Do some searching, and this seems to be a common occurrence. At this point I have no other choice but to consider the camera stolen. I am beyond frustrated. read more

I have had great experiences with Bob in the past. He was very clear and helpful. However, I am disappointed in my most recent experience. It's not that I am upset about any work he did or didn't do, I am slightly appalled by the lack of communication. They have had two cameras for over a month and I had to call twice just to get them to email the inspection results. The email I received was not specific and my questions have yet to be answered. I am curious if this is the result of his "assistant" Loren who is not nearly as educated as Bob, nor does she have great communication skills. I would hope that if I actually got to speak to Bob that I might resolve this. However I don't hold out hope. He does quality repair work and is very generous, but the timing and communication have become poor. UPDATE: it took two months for me to get my cameras back without any repairs completed. read more

I recently purchased an Arca Swiss D4 Geared Head from Precision Camera Work and I could not be happier with the product and the incredible service from Bob and Loren. I called and e-mailed several times with questions relating to a custom order. They answered all questions quickly and thoroughly. The customized my geared head with a Really Right Stuff clamp and I received the item in a few days (I am in California). From my experience I can safely say Precision Camera Works is a business that truly cares about the customer experience! Thanks again Bob....and Loren! read more

This has been the worst experience getting a camera repaired. The lack of communication is terrible and the craftsmanship is nonexistent. I sent my camera in September 2019, it is now October 2020. I received the camera back around May of 2020 and there were no repairs taken and they stole $420 from me. I sent it back to get it fixed and they are to this day still holding my camera and my money hostage after I have made repeated requests to return my camera and my money. Avoid this shop at all cost!!!! I have even filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Be warned, no not send your camera here if you want it repaired. read more

I have talked to Bob on several occasions and he has always been very generous in offering advice on panorama cameras. I have also spoken with his office manager, Shandi and she is of great help. In fact, I talked to her about my interest in a rare Noblex camera, and she took my name down in case one became available. Lo and behold, several months later I got a call from her and one, freshly serviced by Bob, had become available at a very fair price and I bought it. This is probably my favorite camera and will be for a long time. Not a lot of places will take the time to walk you through your options or give you help with a prospective purchase, but Bob and Shandi do just that, I look forward to doing business with them in the future. read more

2.5 years ago I sent these people my Mamiya. I got an estimate and everything, and now nobody will answer. Go look at the Facebook page, do some digging - these people are stealing cameras. I'm not the only person with the same story.. All I want is MY CAMERA RETURNED. The person answering the emails is in Chicago, while my camera went to CA, and supposedly is now in TX. The only contact info is to some person called Loren in Illinois, with no contact info for Bob in Texas. read more

A professional photographer friend of mine recommended Bob Watkins and Precision Camera Works when I needed to have some routine maintenance done on my Mamiya C220 twin-lens reflex. I sent the camera in for evaluation and quickly received an estimate from Mr. Watkins for a cleaning, lubrication and adjustment. I instructed him to go ahead, and a short time later my beloved C220 arrived back with shutter speeds recalibrated, light seals replaced and lens board realigned. My venerable camera is like new. All around, an excellent experience. read more

I, also, was referred by a professional photographer friend to Bob Watkins and Precision Camera works. I had a serious light leak in my Noblex 150 UX. As a professional photographer myself, I wanted the camera fixed and back as soon as possible. There are not many places out there who can handle this kind of camera and its mechanics. Precision Camera Works is one of few camera repair businesses which specialize in this kind of work. I called them up, and was told to send the camera in along with a test roll I had shot. By looking at the roll, Mr. Watkins was able to see exactly where the problem was. Within a few days, I received a written estimate, via email, for the repair and service. When my camera was returned, it was serviced and repaired. I am very happy with how the whole process worked.... easy, simple, quick, and reasonable! Audra, at Precision, was extremely nice and professional, keeping me updated throughout the repair. I highly recommend Precision Camera Works for camera service and repair! read more

Has not gotten back to my father about his camera. Its been well over a year and the company has now started to ghost my father's calls. They refuse to refund his money or even give a status on the camera. At this point it might be well to assume they broke the camera even further or sold to another customer. read more

Be worn, their website ad fake services they cannot or do not do. They dont repair lenses, looks like fake to lure people to send them equipment! "We work on lenses of all types; from 35mm auto focus to massive barrel lenses." This is what read on their page and it is not true according to answer to my email I receive but only AFTER I sent them my Canon 70-300 IS (nothing very weired) lens: "Dear W, I received your lens but I no longer work on them. Thank you, Bob Watkins Precision Camera Works Bob Watkins was unable to answer my email about the lens before I sent it to him but I entrusted yelp reviews and sent it to him. Later, he asked what happened to my lens and gave me "great" advice that no one would repair my lens. All this diagnosis he has done by email: "My guess is that any other repair facility would be reluctant to attempt a job that was previously incorrectly repaired. " Its my second service in Chicago and second of junk quality. I will have to send it to Canon eventually, anything that is not local based. Eventually Bob e sent back me that lens on my cost so I wasted 2 weeks and 30$. But learn one important thing, good reviews on yelp means actually nothing if less then 10 is posted. I hope I worn everyone from this lens and camera "repair" service. Who knows, maybe they also work on cameras in the same way they do on lenses? Someone else and real is to try this. read more

Just received my Arca Swiss monoball Z1 back from the folks at Precision Camera Works. They did an excellent job on my repair and completed the work in a very timely fashion. In addition to the minor repair I had them complete, it looks like they took the time to completely clean and lubricate my tripod head. I would swear that this head works better now than when it came out of the factory. Wouldn't hesitate to send other gear to them in the future for repairs. read more

Bob was great to work with a did a speedy repair on my Hasselblad.

If, like me, you're a fan of the Mamiya 6 and 7 medium format rangefinders, you need Bob and PCW on speed dial. My first experience with them was with my first Mamiya 6 on which the advance failed. Neither of the two local "factory trained authorized warranty service" outfits could fix it. That prominent Georgia-based outfit told me online they could and, once I had shipped my camera to them, told me they couldn't. Bob fixed it, and it's operated flawlessly for years. Because I have utter confidence in Bob, I recently bought an 80mm and 150mm for the 7 in "as-is" condition for super-cheap and had him fix them. The 80mm was in marginal condition, but Bob's overhaul made it look new. I actually wondered if he had sent me right lens...Finally, this last repair came in under the estimate, so Bob not only does good work, he does good business. read more