Fixing ZM Wobble?

[notturtle]

I have a couple of lenses with slight slack in the focus ring and one has a touch of wobble in the front section. I have heard that a small flange accessible from the rear of the lens is the culprit. Is this the single flange that can be seen from the rear of the lens with two little notches in it (one on each side). I see other concentric circular matal components but this is the only thing I can see with nothces for a wrench.

What sort of wrench does one need and where might I be able to get one (assuming this is not prohibitively expensive). I am trying to avoid sending them off and losing them for a few weeks and paying for someone else to tighten them up.

The gap between the flange and the barrel appears very tight... v hard to get anythying in there so I cannot even tell it it is loose.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Are you having a problem with out of focus photos?

I am a real believer in the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" line of thinking.

 

[notturtle]

no, but it is irritating when fine focusing and if it is a simple job I would rather get it done now.

 

[Avotius]

my 50 planar has the same wobble and I also want to get it fixed. It is not broken yet buuuut the focusing has become so so so so so smooth, much smoother then my leica lenses and much smoother then my other Zeiss ZM lenses and there is also a feeling that the lens might come apart if nothing gets done.

 

[jonmanjiro]

My first 50 Planar (silver version) was silky smooth with no wobble at all, as is my second 50 Planar (black version).

I know what you mean though as both 50 Sonnars I owned had some play in the focus action to a slight extent. Nothing that a regrease of the focus helicoid wouldn't fix though.

 

[Overconfidence]

I think my 35/2 has some "wobble", but no play in the focus ring. As in, the front lens barrel can move a little bit, but there is no slack in the focus ring and focusing is always easy, accurate, and spot-on.

 

[sanmich]

In some lenses (ie Canon lenses, summicron-c 40) the optical block goes through the focus block and is locked by a notched ring from the back side of the lens.
If this is the case, and that ring has become loose, you will get a wobble.
All is needed (again, if this is the problem) is a spanner wrench and a carefull tightening back of the ring.
a five seconds job....

 

[jmarcus]

I read that someone had a very good experience sending their lens to Zeiss, I think in NJ, to have this repaired and it got returned very quickly. My lens suffers from the same wobble. Its my favorite lens.

James

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

If you bought the lens new, I'd send it to Zeiss and get it checked out rather than tinker with it and risk voiding the warranty. The warranty is non-transferable, so if you bought the lens used, have at 'er.

I sent my Planar to David Yau last year. He reduced the wobble to the point that it wasn't noticable unless you were really looking for it. Even then it might have been my imagination. Anyway, it can be fixed pretty easily by someone who knows what they're doing.