Can I unscratch a lens??

[Branestawm]

Ash, I'm in the process of repairing an identical lens with cleaning marks on the front element. It's on it's way back from Arax at the moment. The big problem with this lens is that the front element is cemented into a brass mount ring which is then swaged over to secure it. Removal involved turning the mount down in a lathe followed by heating it to about 150c to soften the glue. The turning is a delicate job (I served my time as a turner so like to think I have reasonable idea of what I'm doing) but this lens and a Leitz Summar of similar construction survived the ordeal and should soon be back together. I had wondered about using a front element from a J8 and even went as far as taking one apart but the construction was different with a plain unmounted glass of different diameter to the Zeiss.

Paul

 

[Xmas]

Ash

We have some people who are collectors on this forum, no names, no pack drills.

I was thinking of your wallet not your hobby.

I bought my M2 in a dusty photo store 1/2 the normal price of a chrome M2, I think because it looked time expired. It was 30years later I discovered it is a collectors dream... I think in its scuffed and dinked and decomposing paintwork it is a collectors preference, sending it to CRR would drop its value.

I spent years walking round London looking for a black M, a Leiciavit, a stereo attachment. when I saw the first black one (the M2) cheap, I got it in one hand, and handed the cash over from the other. I've only even seen the one.

That was the good story.

The bad story was my 21st Bd present was a 2nd hand black Nikon F, it was a really early black F in almost new shape when I part exchanged it 10 years later without realising it was a low volume collectors dream...

You win some you lose some...

What does your ex-photog mum say about your hobby?

Noel

 

[Ash]

She still enjoys digital, but with 30-odd operations, a Canon 300D is about all she can manage to carry for a few hours at a time. She's a bionic mum - replacement titanium elbows, metal-bracket shoulders etc.

I understand there are collectors here, but I'm guessing they're trawling the bay for bargains, rather than looking at user-condition gear on here 🙂

Paul. Did you have any success using the J-8 element?? If not, and if Arax return the lens to your satisfaction, then I would love to pay the labour, and a pint on top, if you were to do me the pleasure of removing that element. It sounds like a bit of a difficult job.

 

[Branestawm]

The attempt at using the J8 front element was fairly half-hearted. It may be possible but would involve making a new mounting ring or at least modifying the existing one and in any case I didn't really want to scrap what was actually a decent lens. Having said that the one I looked at was a fairly late ltm example so an early one might have the same construction as the Sonnar. Perhaps there is someone out there who has stripped an early lens and can comment. My lens should be back in the next couple of weeks, when it arrives I'll let you know how it looks. If it turns out ok I would be happy to help you out.

Paul

 

[Trius]

Have you shot with the lens under "extreme" conditions? Somewhere I saw a story about a Retina that had a badly scratched (or fungused... can't recall the details) lens (Schneider), and it performed incredibly well.

 

[Ash]

Trius, what constitutes as 'extreme'?


I've yet to run a single roll using this camera. For all I know the whole thing needs an overhaul. I guess this is all pie in the sky until I can see the results using the lens.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Sorry Ash, I am not really a Contax sort of guy.

Kim

Kim, fancy a bit of moola in return for dismantling and reassembling a CZJ Sonnar? 😀 😀

 

[Ash]

No worries Kim, if the lens is rubbish I'll ask Branestawm since he's in a similar position 🙂

 

[JohnL]

There was a man of Thessaly
And he was wondrous wise
He jumped into a quickset hedge
And scratched out both his eyes
But when he saw his eyes were out
With all his might and main
He jumped into another hedge
And scratched them in again.

 

[Xmas]

Ash

I'm real sad about your mum, mine is pretty bad too but she is 93, never got near to 93 at snooker or cricket myself. You could offer to carry her camera bag, on occassion, sneak in a IIIC or standard?

If you use a hood scratches should not matter.

Suggest always use a hood, if you drop the camera, the hood will hit the pavement first before the filter ring, the filter ring may be ok even if the hood is not.

The Oly OM-n 35/28mm (wideangle) rigid rubber hoods are rigid and will absorb a read bang, ebay or junk shops, they are ok for J8/J3/J12. The 85mm Oly tele hood ditto - for J9. You need a 40.5-49mm step up ring as well, for 40.5 mm lenses.

Always use a hood you wont finger print a lens with a hood on it.

In open shoots i.e. most out of door shots a hood will improve the contrast even with a pristine new Leitz asph (none of these myself).

Noel

 

[Ash]

No worries about my mum - the next time you take a flight from the UK you could be using the software engineered under her project management/design (course, most of the base stations picking up your mobile phone are also co-designed by her - from a few years at motorola). So it's not a tragic story, but a pity. Plus Ehlers-Danlos is genetic, so I wanna get as much done before I even reach a fraction of her situation.

There's rarely a chance for her to go out shooting, apart from the times my parents are off on holiday somewhere nice. So a lightweight case for the 300D is good enough. Not even a tripod 😉



I seem to really dislike hoods... of the photographic kind 😀 but I'll have to resort to it to enhance my lens capabilities I guess.

 

[Jocko]

Have you shot with the lens under "extreme" conditions? Somewhere I saw a story about a Retina that had a badly scratched (or fungused... can't recall the details) lens (Schneider), and it performed incredibly well.

I agree. Ash, stick the lens on your Kiev and see what happens - chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised: just see what Jurgen has to say about his dodgy lenses - http://www.certo6.com/services.html

All the best, Ian

 

[Ash]

Ian, I'll keep it on the contax!! 😀

I'll see what the lens is like on both, since I know that the Kiev works fine, so any errors could be from the camera etc. Anyways if the lens is no good I have the Jupiter to use on it 🙂

 

[Xmas]

Ash

I can dislocate my shoulders at whim, used to do it for the training hospital, (it allowed them to see the reset procedure, before computer graphics) and my stitches dont heal normally, typically 2-3 weeks, but that is not the same syndrome.

Sorry

Noel

P.S. a lens hood will improve the contrast of any lens

 

[Ash]

I was hoping that I subluxed my shoulder back at the start of last year.... unfortunately I'd broken it!

I would have preferred a dislocation at will. My mum's fixed shoulder operations were because they would dislocate and no amount of thumping could force them back in. As you know, there's a lot of force involved to 'pop' the joint back in the socket.