Zeiss wobble revisited

daveywaugh

daveywaugh

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I purchased a Planar 50 about six months ago second hand. At the time, here in Australia, I couldn't find a new one in stock but the lens I got was in ex condition. I noticed a bit of play in the focus when it arrived but the previous owner assured me he didn't have an issue at all.

He was right - optically it's been great and I am very happy with the results. Over time however (few months), the focus play became more prominent and I started to detect a bit of play in the front ring also. Started to bother me a bit so I got someone to look at it.

Well... three techs later (and about about $180 in inspection fees!) and noone could do anything! Finally it went back to the Zeiss distributors here and they said it would need to go back to Japan for at least 6 weeks and they had no idea on cost... yikes. I must say they were great to deal with and were really helpful but geez... it doesn't fill me with confidence.

Have decided to just have it returned to me - I can't be without it for months and then cost big $$ Why such a drama with Zeiss lenses? Are they so difficult to work on? Seems ridiculous to me.

Hoping there's a DIY fix and be done with it. Otherwise I'll put it on the shelf and save for the next few years and buy a Summicron! ;-) Yeah it works OK but I have one camera and one lens and frankly I want it to feel nice. At least as nice as my wife's Nikkor 50mm that cost $10!
 
I have a Planar 50 ZM with the same problem. There was no effect on the photos, but the wobble was quite an annoyance. I ended up having it fixed by my local RF repair guy here in the Philippines who did it for about US$25. Since then (about two years ago) it has not given me any problems and is as wobble-free as my Leica lenses!

Some info here: http://manilacamerastyle.com/post/383425890/james-uy
 
I think there's wobble then there's serious wobble. I had a Zeiss 25 that started to wobble, long story but the jist is it got progressively worse so that by the time it got to Zeiss they deemed it not financially viable to repair, and offered me one at cost. After many emails to and fro, they finally replaced it [when I initially returned it I was mistakenly told it was out of warranty, when in fact it wasn't]. So I wouldn't wait for it to get worse, might be better to bite the bullet now.
One other thing, I so love the 25/2.8, I have no qualms about owning one, I'm assuming that Zeiss must have addressed these problems quietly, they are so well documented they must have made changes to how they made these lenses to avoid more problems down the road, I also assume they being quite a small outfit, couldn't afford to do a mass recall when the problems came to light. These might be too many assumptions on my part though.
Do you have any idea of the purchase date. In the UK we have a consumer right of fit for purpose, so for example if you buy a washing machine you should expect at least 5-6 years use out of it if not abused, so if it gives up after 3 years you do have some redress with the manufacturer even if the warranty was only for 1 year. i went down this route with Zeiss plus the fact that my initial return to the retailer was within the then 2 year warranty period.
I'm actually just about to buy the 35/2 once I sell my 35 Summilux.
Best of luck with it......Robert.
 
I suspect Zeiss may have silently taken care of the issue. I own 4 ZM and none wobbles so far, fingers crossed. However, if any problem arises, I normally send the lenses to Oberkochen. I believe the service there to be the most efficient and precise.
 
I also have 4 ZMs, and my Planar ist starting to exhibit the slightest focus play after 2 years of owning it. I'm not going to send it anywhere unless it becomes a real nuisance...
 
My experience is similar to bobbyrabs above (also with a ZM 25/2.8), it had "serious wobble", got sent to Zeiss themselves in Germany who deemed it unfixable.

So if you're lucky, your lens can either be fixed a sensible price, or it's condition will not worsen.

Good luck with it.
 
NO Wobbles ...with any of my Zeiss Lenses

In the Past: the C sonnar, c biogon, The Planar 😉
The Present: another Planar ( sellers remorse and bought another)
 
kossi008 said:
I also have 4 ZMs, and my Planar ist starting to exhibit the slightest focus play after 2 years of owning it. I'm not going to send it anywhere unless it becomes a real nuisance...
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If you are the original owner, check the warranty, here in the UK it's three years now.
 
daveywaugh said:
Finally it went back to the Zeiss distributors here and they said it would need to go back to Japan for at least 6 weeks and they had no idea on cost... yikes. I must say they were great to deal with and were really helpful but geez... it doesn't fill me with confidence.

Have decided to just have it returned to me - I can't be without it for months and then cost big $$ Why such a drama with Zeiss lenses? Are they so difficult to work on? Seems ridiculous.
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Not sure how long it takes to repair the lens, but you should take in consideration that your local distributors will not ship your lens alone to japan. They probably have monthly or bimonthly shipments depending on the volume of their business. The factory will have to inspect the lens and assess what kind if damage is there before they can quote you. Nothing unusual with that. And Leica lenses do wobble too, beside other issues, and repairing them will cost you much more than Zeiss, and the waiting period is much much longer.
 
Thanks for all the advice and info. I guess my main issue is why it has to go OS to be fixed? What if I was a pro and relied on this stuff? In fact I do use the ZM on a Nex for video professionally so I guess I am a pro ;-) For pics it lives on a Leica M3.

I was close to purchasing a Zeiss Ikon, but you know if something goes wrong and it has to go to Japan for a couple of months... As an amateur I can't afford multiple bodies.

Anyway, I'll take the advice and send to Japan direct. Thanks everyone.
 
I am sorry to hear about your problem, it sounds very frustrating. I am surprised that a local RF repair person can't do anything. I am not familiar first hand with the infamous wobble (I have the 28/2.8 which is wobble free, knock on wood). Does the repair really necessitate sending it back to Japan?
 
Both my ZM lenses (28/2.8 and 50/2) have a little play in the front assembly, the 28 more than the 50. They take great pictures nonetheless. Unless it gets much worse and they run the risk of falling apart, or the looseness starts to affect image quality, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.
 
efix said:
Both my ZM lenses (28/2.8 and 50/2) have a little play in the front assembly, the 28 more than the 50. They take great pictures nonetheless. Unless it gets much worse and they run the risk of falling apart, or the looseness starts to affect image quality, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.
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My rational side tends to agree with you, and I know you're right... but isn't the emotional side part of why we (well many of us) love photography? I love having one camera and lens that FEELS great in the hand. Maybe I am being picky, but to me a major part of the enjoyment comes from using nice gear. If all I wanted was to take photos (and I didn't care about the emotion) I'd frankly use my iPhone more ;-) I have to get out more don't I! lol.
 
daveywaugh said:
My rational side tends to agree with you, and I know you're right... but isn't the emotional side part of why we (well many of us) love photography? I love having one camera and lens that FEELS great in the hand. Maybe I am being picky, but to me a major part of the enjoyment comes from using nice gear. If all I wanted was to take photos (and I didn't care about the emotion) I'd frankly use my iPhone more ;-) I have to get out more don't I! lol.
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I can totally understand that. Hell, if money were no issue, I'd send in all my gear to have it CLA'd to be in perfect condition again! But the stuff works even without being in 100% condition, and I get such beautiful images as reward that I would only ever consider sending my gear in when there was absolutely no way around. But ... the decision is yours to make! And if the wobbling spoils the experience for you, then maybe that's reason enough.
 
rdeleskie said:
it sounds very frustrating. I am surprised that a local RF repair person can't do anything. ............. Does the repair really necessitate sending it back to Japan?
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My local repair guy has repaired 2 ZM lenses for me by disassembling, cleaning out the old lubricant, relubricating and reassembling. Afterward they were at least as smooth and wobble free as any new lens. He says they are no different than any other lens.
 
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