In-house service
Lens and camera service, right here in Chicago.
The same tech team that preps every rental can take care of your gear. Led by our Lead Lens Technician, Nate Wilke, we handle lens evaluations, cleaning and servicing, troubleshooting, and custom fixes from our lens room at CineCity Studios.
Meet your lens technician
The reason we can say what we say about our glass.
Nate got his start at Panavision, where he began his lens training, and he's never stopped building on it. He attends the Lens Summit every year and is always working to expand his expertise.
Here, he maintains our lens inventory with a precision we'd call slightly obsessive, in the very best way. He's just as good at the softer half of the job: sitting down with a DP who can describe the look they want but not the lens that gets them there, and working backward together until they find it.
Plenty of shops can put a lens in a case. Fewer can tell you what's actually happening inside it, and fewer still will invite you in to take a look for yourself.
In the lens room
- Chrosziel lens projectorDedicated projection room
- MYT Works Reticle System20 ft rail + projector mount
- Prêt à Tourner chartIn the lens room
- Every lens in our inventoryServiced regularly, tested daily
Off the clock
Nate is quietly famous around here for making genuinely outstanding drinks, and every so often for being the reason a night ended one drink further along than anybody had planned. Worth it every single time. It turns out the instincts that make someone great at evaluating glass (the patience, the fussing over tiny variables, the flat refusal to call something finished when it's only close) make them very good at building a cocktail too.
Services
What we can help with.
Projection checks and written condition reports, whether you're chasing down a soft lens or buying and selling glass.
Internal cleaning, dust removal, and general servicing for cinema and stills lenses.
Bench diagnostics for cameras, monitors, wireless video, and power, with manufacturer service handled for you when a part has to go back.
Replacement latches, brackets, caps, and custom mounts, designed and printed in-house.
Calibration for on-set and client monitors, so the image you're judging on set is the one you actually shot.
If something's off with your gear, send Nate a note. If it's not something we can fix, we'll point you to who can.
How service works
Simple, and no surprises.
How do I start a service request?
Email nate@cameraambassador.com with what the gear is, what's going on, and any photos or test footage you have. Nate will follow up with next steps and when to bring it in.
Is there an evaluation fee?
Service starts with a $75 minimum charge for us to evaluate the gear and determine whether service is viable. We'll talk through the findings and the cost with you before any further work begins.
What if it needs to go back to the manufacturer?
Some repairs need factory parts or a manufacturer's service center. When that's the case, we'll let you know and can help coordinate it.
Get in touch
Gear acting up?
Tell Nate what's going on and he'll take it from there.