My new hero—Ric in Fairbanks

Ric Thompson, my hero of 2016

I found a new hero in Fairbanks. But before you go thinking I’ve ditched Poor John, you need to know that Poor John found this hero for me. He even egged me on.

Here’s what happened.

My camera, actually the lens, had a meltdown on our last morning in Coldfoot. The victim was my deluxe EFS 15–85mm Canon lens—the only lens I brought on this trip.

In reality, the meltdown was inevitable. The lens had been playing up for at least six months, but I had been able to work around its quirks, so thought I could continue to get by on this trip.

Besides it can cost a fortune to send a lens off for repair. And sometimes you get charged $100 for them to open it up and then say Sorry it’s dead, really dead.

But that last day in Coldfoot, I went to photograph the amazing buffet set-up in the camp restaurant, and the lens would only focus on infinity. Same problem when I tried auto or manual focus.

Infinity is fine if you want to photograph the Northern Lights or something two blocks away, but it’s never going to be good for anything closer.

Now this blow wasn’t a complete end of the world. I brought a second camera, a small, new Lumix that I am still getting used to. But the Canon is my workhorse: a lens I really know and a camera body that feels right in my hands.

When we returned to Fairbanks, Poor John asked at the visitor’s centre if there was a camera repair place in town, and the gal thought there was but that it had moved. She wasn’t sure where and had no idea what it was called.

The next day as we walked in downtown Fairbanks, there is was. Poor John spotted it first—a sign for a camera repair shop and it was almost directly opposite our hotel.

I was sceptical. After all, this was Alaska. But Poor John insisted that we check it out. So up the stairs we went and met Ric Thompson, surrounded by camera equipment.

We learned that Ric has a long and amazing camera history, working in a first-class repair shop in Portland Oregon and rising to head technician. Some years ago he decided to move to Fairbanks and be a sole operator.

When we walked in, he put down the lens he was working on and took a quick look at mine. After a brief chat, he said Come back tomorrow about lunchtime.

Suddenly it dawned on me that photographers from around the world come to Alaska to photograph the snow and, more importantly, the Northern Lights. Of course, this place needs someone talented who repaired cameras. And there he was sitting in front of me.

Bet you can already guess how it turned out.

The next day Ric said one screw in the lens was completely out of place. Two more were loose. He fixed them all and charged me about half of what Canon in Australia would have charged. Plus he did it overnight.

Last time I sent a lens away for repair in Australia, I begged for it to be done within eight weeks so I could take it to Papua New Guinea. It arrived two weeks after I left the country—so 10 weeks in all.

Ric, you are my hero of 2016. The lens is working perfectly. My heartfelt thanks. And I’d still like to know if you have a clone in Australia. Two more of my lenses need attention.

And if anyone out there ever needs to find Ric, here’s how.
Ric Thompson
Tel. 907 452 8819
551 2nd Ave., Room 221
Fairbanks, Alaska 99707