35mm summicron asph focusing jerky?

[analogpics]

Hey all, just wanted to see if any one else here has this issue. I've had my 35 summicron asph for a few years now and for whatever reason, just recently noticed how jerky the focusing can be with it. I checked it out vs my 50 summilux asph and also the summarit and yeah....it kind of jumps because of the resistance. It's hard to get accurate focus when it does this. If i pull it from min focus distance to infinity quickly, it's pretty smooth, but if i gradually move the tab from one side to the other, it jumps around quite a bit. Hope this makes sense?

 

[rfaspen]

Makes sense.
My Elmarit 28 and summaron 35/2.8 both have that characteristic. Makes it very difficult and frustrating to "zero in" on focus because it will "jerk" one way, then jerk the next. Its not quite like stiff focusing, and like you said, I can make it smoothly focus from one end to the next in one purposeful motion.

At any rate. I know exactly what you're describing. Let me know if you find the cure.

 

[35photo]

Mine has been buttery smooth since I got it 10+ years ago... Sounds like it need to be lubed up by a pro... CLA if you will

 

[Vics]

My collapsible was doing that. I sent it to DAG, now it's all buttery smooth again. He could have just fixed the focus, but an overhaul seemed in order, so...

 

[Rob-F]

Mine has been buttery smooth since I got it 10+ years ago... Sounds like it need to be lubed up by a pro... CLA if you will

Agreed, it's a lubrication issue. My 35mm pre-ASPH Summilux is jerky near the infinity end, while my 35mm Summaron and 35mm 8-element Summicron are buttery all the way.

 

[Huss]

I just checked my 35 Asph cron. It is as silky smooth throughout the focus range as one could hope for.
As others have mentioned, yours needs looking at.

 

[jaapv]

Did you drop the lens along the way, or the camera it was mounted on? Even if it suffers no visible damage, impact can make focusing rough, to the extent of blocking in completely in extreme cases.

 

[analogpics]

Thanks for the input everybody! So, i'm guessing, maybe it fell out of whack while getting constantly jostled in my bag perhaps? I really should be more gentle with it 😛 But yeah, contemplated taking it to a local repair shop but now thinking either leica in New Jersey or Youxin Ye or DAG...but i guess that's a whole other thread 😛 does anyone know if YY or DAG can do 6bit encoding?

 

[35photo]

Thanks for the input everybody! So, i'm guessing, maybe it fell out of whack while getting constantly jostled in my bag perhaps? I really should be more gentle with it 😛 But yeah, contemplated taking it to a local repair shop but now thinking either leica in New Jersey or Youxin Ye or DAG...but i guess that's a whole other thread 😛 does anyone know if YY or DAG can do 6bit encoding?

Nah, my M6 with 35 ASPH have been dropped, thrown around... lens still super smooth, is more about the conditions its been under, my guess pretty dry so lubricant dries out and becomes jerky..

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Did you drop the lens along the way, or the camera it was mounted on? Even if it suffers no visible damage, impact can make focusing rough, to the extent of blocking in completely in extreme cases.

^^^this. Happened to me. Wasn't a full fledged fall, but it did land on the rear element at about table height. I think the cause is a dinged brass helical. DAGDAGDAG. . . .

 

[analogpics]

Alright, so i decided to send it off to Youxin, will update you all when it gets back 🙂 Thanks for your help everybody!

 

[PeterG]

Did you drop the lens along the way, or the camera it was mounted on? Even if it suffers no visible damage, impact can make focusing rough, to the extent of blocking in completely in extreme cases.

Nah, I have dozens of M lenses and some are smooth and some are "jerky." Just send it to DAG (not Leica) and he seems to understand how to lubricate M lenses to make them silky smooth. I'm not sure why Leica can't seem to get this right... just Leica repair, I guess.

 

[analogpics]

so i got the lens back from youxin and its silky smooth now, even when i move the focus ring slowly. No more jerkiness/jumping across the whole range 🙂 and he did it super quick and was very reasonably priced.

 

[agoglanian]

Youxin is the best for quick turnaround and great communication. Unlike Leica who have had my 28mm Summicron for 4 months now and won't return my calls or emails.

Anyways, my own 35 Summicron is perfectly smooth but I noticed that my 50 Summilux Asph is noticeably less so. It's still definitely usable but not super smooth in focusing. I just assumed it was due to the moving elements.