Focus Problem with 90mm Xpan lens?

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parasko

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Hi all,

I haven't used this lens much on my Xpan as I own the other 2 wider angle lenses of this kit (need I say more!). However, I have recently commenced using the 90mm and I have noticed that I cannot achieve focus on a subject beyond the lens' infinity marker point.

That is, I can focus the lens up until the infinity marker but if I turn the lens all the way to it's physical end, beyond the infinity marker, the lens cannot achieve focus on that distant subject.

Is this normal, due to the shallow dof of the lens or do I have a faulty lens? The other 2 Xpan lenses focus beyond the infinity marker point but they are wide angle lenses and the dof is great.

Has anyone noticed this on their lens or can anyone try this and provide some feedback.

FWIW, I only use this camera in panoramic mode but I don't think this makes a difference.

I bought this lens new from B&H last May (when Xpans were still available new) so I still do have some remaining warranty on this kit if I need to send to fix.

Any help appreciated. Thanks.
 
sepiareverb said:
I'll pull out the XPAN & 90 tomorrow and run some film- see what I find. I'm jealous of your 30! Seems like a great bit of glass for a really great camera.
Click to expand...


Thank you. I appreciate it. Yes the 30mm is something else. I am awaiting a new NIkon 9000 scanner which will hopefully give me a better idea of how good it really is!
 
Back, after I played around with the 90 this morning. (No film processed, just camera handling info here) My example doesn't rotate beyond infinity, it stops dead on in the center of the symbol. At that point, very distant objects seem to be lined up well, but I don't have the diopter to be 100% sure. Certainly close enough to be right on even at f4. Note that I've never noticed any problems with distant focus, but rarely shoot at infinity focus.

I had a Nikon AF 180 lens that would rotate beyond infinity, I got it used, and always thought that the helicoid had been stripped somewhat. Since I used this lens for small wildlife I was never focusing near infinity and didn't bother with it. It always was tack sharp where focused.

In re-reading your post am I correct in thinking that the lens focuses correctly at the marked 1m, 1.2m, 1.5m etc? And does appear to focus all the way out to the infinity mark, but that the lens barrel turns past infinity on the long end? (to infinity plus?) If this is the case I'd think it was the helicoid.

I'd check the distance scale against something at a few measured distances- that 1m mark is easy, and also try one at 3m or 12ft to be sure that these indicated distances are correct. Also double check that it is the lens and not the rangefinder by trying this with the 45mm. The distance should be measured from the film plane mark on the top plate.

If all your lenses rotate past the infinity mark on the long side I'm not sure what that means, as both my 45 & 90 stop dead on there. Do they stop exactly on the 1m and 0.7m marks at the other end of rotation? If not perhaps the whole ring has shifted? Seems odd that all three of them would be off like this.

I'll check back later today, will head out to do some shooting in about an hour or so (I am finally taking the M5 baseplate to the machine shop for the initial grip manufacturing meeting). I should be able to run the film this afternoon and see what I've got. Looking like an HP5 day hereabouts, heavy clouds...
 
Well the snow started as I headed down the hill, and it has been snowing since, so I'm not going to get my infinity shots today. Was headed to town to get some long views with nice sharp building edges rather than the snow covered trees I see from here. Can't even see the trees outside my window clearly now. Perhaps this weekend, but the weather forecast is Sat: snow showers, Sun: snow showers, Mon: snow showers, Tue: few snow showers, Wed: few snow showers. What's that saying about April showers?

I will make some shots as the opportunity presents itself, but it may be a while now. Apologies.
 
sepiareverb said:
Back, after I played around with the 90 this morning. (No film processed, just camera handling info here) My example doesn't rotate beyond infinity, it stops dead on in the center of the symbol. At that point, very distant objects seem to be lined up well, but I don't have the diopter to be 100% sure. Certainly close enough to be right on even at f4. Note that I've never noticed any problems with distant focus, but rarely shoot at infinity focus.

In re-reading your post am I correct in thinking that the lens focuses correctly at the marked 1m, 1.2m, 1.5m etc? And does appear to focus all the way out to the infinity mark, but that the lens barrel turns past infinity on the long end? (to infinity plus?) If this is the case I'd think it was the helicoid....
Click to expand...

Thanks Sepiareverb for the feedback.

I have checked all 3 lenses again. All lenses physically rotate up until the infinity symbol and NOT beyond. However, when focusing the 90mm at infinity, the 2 split images of the rangefinder cannot come together to focus beyond a certain distance. So, approx. 100-150metres away, all looks ok but if I were to try and focus on buildings/mountains quite a distance away, the rangefinder has its limitations. I suppose in the same way with the 30mm lens, the 2 split images cannot come together when the subject is incredibly close in distance.

For the 90mm, I don't know whether this is normal as I am not familiar with other rangefinder systems. In addition, I usually do not infinity focus either. Perhaps I have just noticed this as I usually only use very wideangle lenses.

With your Xpan/90mm, are you able to point the camera at a very far distance using this lens and the split image still comes together? Or does your rangefinder have a limitation in terms of distance?
 
Stuff at that distance is beyond my eyes ability to see without the diopter! It appears that stuff does line up. I wonder if your rangefinder is out of alignment? I honestly don't know the symptoms of this- but sounds like a possible reason. You might post in the Leica RF forum asking a general question about rangefinder mechanics around this. We're getting beyond my understanding of this stuff.
 
I had a similar problem with 35/1.4 M lens that wouldn't allow the rangefinder to line up at infinity yet all my other lenses would and it was the same on other M bodies so i sent it to Leica and it was "re-colliminated". You may have the same problem if you other two lenses line up ok in the rangefinder at infinity. Granted the rangefinder patch is smaller on the Xpan so it's not so easy to evaluate. There is plenty of info on this on the net if you run a google search. Just a thought.
 
Thanks for the information. I will again test all 3 lenses to make sure it is not the rangefinder and only a lens issue. I will also google to find further information.
A
As I bought the lens new from B&H, do you know if Hasselblad are still providing a repair service to the Xpan system? As I said, it is still under warranty? Do I have to send the lens to Sweden or the US for repair? I am in Australia but I'm assuming my kit has a US warranty.
 
Camera may go to Fuji for repair? Don't know on that one. Can't believe Hasselblad would shirk on the warranty. I did hear something about the camera being discontinued because it uses mercury in the manufacture, and the EU banned mercury. (EU just banned incandescent light bulbs! Now that's progressive- but there's mercury in flourescent bulbs- EU bans electric light?) Redesigning the electronics without it wasn't worth the money considering the slow sales. Camera is made in Japan tho right? Maybe not all of it.
 
a different sort of problem

a different sort of problem

On a related note, for the 1st time ever (bought the camera in May 2001), my 90mm will not focus on anything closer then 30ft. Namely, I cannot physically rotate the lens down to below 30ft. I twisted pretty hard, but stopped short of all-out tugging, so as not to break everything else. I very rarely use the 90mm on subjects closer then infinity, so I probably haven't twisted the lens in a year.

But still......
 
Yes, still. Still snowing that is. More like December than April. My barometer is rising, so perhaps a change is in the cards? I will test when the weather breaks.

That's a new one BlackCloud- I've never had a lens do that.
 
For everyone's info...Hasselblad USA indicate they will only repair Xpan bodies. Lenses need to go to the factory in Sweden.
 
Sun forecast for tomorrow! A solid week of snow every single day up here in Northern VT. We had crocusses in bloom. Well the price we pay for summers below 95F. I have the cameras loaded in the bag for some good fun tomorrow. Incredibly the good weather coincides with my day off!
 
Well, back from a great shoot- the XPAN2/90 combo and the M7's in manually set ISO mode (another thread). Went to Morrisville, and found that the rangefinder lines up perfectly on infinity focus. Checked this a lot- even on stuff I didn't want to shoot- most of my stuff was more like 15-20 feet away- so I was focusing from there back to infinity a lot. Distant church steeples, wires, stuff that I could really see to be sure. So I think you do have something amiss somewhere- have you gotten any ideas as to what is wrong from our Swedish friends?
Snow returns tonight/tomorrow with 6 more inches forecast!?!
 
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