Canon/1.4 LTM

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dfoo

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I saw an LTM 1.4 yesterday. The glass looked good, but the aperture ring was very very stiff. They were asking ~300 USD for the lens. Is the stuff aperture ring difficult to fix? How is the lens wide open?
 
The aperture ring probably has grime under it from use. A few drops of 99% Isopropyl Alchohol or other solvent will probably fix it right up. But- you don't know until you try. Worked on mine.
 
On one hand, it's very easy to dismantle and clean it (given you have a spanner wrench and a few precsion screwdrivers).
On the other hand, for 300$ you can have a clean one...
 
If it was in a camera shop, point out the deficiency and ask that they repair it. A shop pays wholesale with repair services. Or, ask that the price be reduced for you to have it cleaned.
 
Canon rangefinder lenses are generally very sensibly designed and easy to dismantle with the correct tools. A Micro tools lens wrench with the correct inserts and a suitably ground set of screwdrivers plus careful marking of parts as you dismantle them so you can mesh helicoids, etc correctly, and the job should be a doddle. I'm fast coming to my repairers use by date and Canon R/F lenses are all I'll work on now.
 
My Canon 50f1.4 seems loose when I set the distance and I have tighten the two screws on the base but it still seems loose. That doesn't take away from the results I get which are great. The contrast and color rendition is almost as good as a 50f1.4 Nikkor LTM I have, which is my favorite lens.
Joe
 
tennis-joe said:
My Canon 50f1.4 seems loose when I set the distance and I have tighten the two screws on the base but it still seems loose. That doesn't take away from the results I get which are great. The contrast and color rendition is almost as good as a 50f1.4 Nikkor LTM I have, which is my favorite lens.
Joe
Click to expand...

Joe,

I don't think the screws on the base has something to do with this.
you have to tighten the notched ring in the back of the lens that is locking the optical block into the focus mount.
a spanner wrench and you're done (cereful not to scratch the rear element though)
I think there was an online dismantle page for the 1.4...
 
sanmich said:
Joe,

I don't think the screws on the base has something to do with this.
you have to tighten the notched ring in the back of the lens that is locking the optical block into the focus mount.
a spanner wrench and you're done (cereful not to scratch the rear element though)
I think there was an online dismantle page for the 1.4...
Click to expand...

More likely it is lack of or hardened grease between lens mount and helix, Joe & Michael.

Take the lens barrel off, disassemble the focus barrel from front to back. The brass focus helical is held in place in the chrome lens mount via a brass locking screw/ring. One needs to use grease under that ring, so that the focus helical doesn't wobble.

Roland.
 
Last edited:
The other possibility with the tight aperture ring is that the lens has been dropped. I bought a black/chrome 50/1.8 recently with a serious filter ring dent that had been straightened, but that was also the source of a tight aperture ring. So I filed the slot that the retaining ring goes in a bit. Of course, I realize the element spacing in this lens may be off as well. So if there's a filter ring ding on the 50/1.4, don't pay much for it at all.

As for the loose lens, it could be loose due to the retaining ring holding it to the focusing mount. Or, if the looseness is just rotational, it means that either the brass tab held by the two screws in the back is worn, or the groove it rides in on the helical is worn, and the helical that should only go in and out is able to rotate a bit. This won't compromise focusing accuracy on a 50mm lens, nor should it compromise optical quality.
 
With my copy of the Canon 50/1.4 the aperture ring is that easy to move that I always accidentally change aperture while focusing. Also it wobbles a little (have already tried to tighten the lens block with a spanner tool) so I should try to fix that again.

Other than this a great, light-weight (compared to a 50mm Summilux pre-ASPH) lens. 🙂

f/1.4 (Tri-X)

3440380128_8e2727fcb8.jpg
 
I really want to see some 50 1.4 LTM shots. I have this lens but never used it as I don't have a screw mount RF. I just bought it when someone offered to me for $ 156. It is in very good condition with some small spec of dust in the elements but I gues it will not affect the picture quality. I oredred an LTM to M adapter from Stephen and will be able to try it later.
 
The Canon 50/1.4 is my favorite all-around 50. I like what it can do in both B&W and color better than the other 50's I own or have owned. If only it could have been built closer to the size of typical rangefinder 50 instead of more like the size of a SLR lens...if so, it would never leave my camera.
 
If all fails, mail the lens to Eddy Smolov, explaining to him all aspects of lens repair needed. He will treat you right.

The 50/1.4 sits on my Canon P since two days. When I choose one particular 50mm RF lens over the rest of the 20+ 50mm lenses, then it means something. The lens is very sharp and it is excellent overall. I have a difficult time deciding which lens I like more, the 50/1.5 or the 50/1.4. Both are superb.
 
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