Canon 35mm f2 LTM Lens

[Lechan]

Hello everyone,

I just received a Canon 35mm f2 ltm lens which I bought from a Japanese seller on ebay. The lens is overall in beautiful condition and I was very happy about it until I very quickly had to realise that the front element of the lens with the aperture ring is quite wobbly. I can basically pull it back and forth by almost 0.5 mm I would say.

Is this something to worry about with this lens and should I return it (have not yet taken any shots with it)? Or is this quite normal with this lens as I remember to have read somewhere that the Canon ltm lenses can be quite loose? Maybe it is something that can be fixed?

Any other experiences and insights would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,
Hannes

 

[xayraa33]

Welcome to the forum....the front element and aperture ring on that lens should not be wobbly....return it and get your money back.

The Canon f2 35mm in LTM is a superb lens and was made in great numbers and could be bought new at camera stores till about the late 1970s, so there are plenty of good examples about. (one famous Chicago mail order camera store advertised that lens new for 60 dollars in 1975)

 

[jcb4718]

As xayraa33 says the front element and aperture ring should not be loose. I bought the same type of lens from a supplier in Japan. The aperture ring was stiff and there was a slight wobble in the focus. I chose to disassemble to lens and refurbish it. A tiny drop of watchmaker's oil was all that was needed to free up the aperture. The focus needed a re-application of grease, it had simply dried out. I'm happy to do this kind of simple stuff. I remember thinking the lens was very well engineered and quite simple to work on but I don't remember the details. If you want assurance the lens you purchase is in working condition consider purchasing from a reputable dealer whom you can talk to or correspond with to check the details...oh! and it is a superb lens.

 

[lukx]

Another thing you might want to look at: these (most) lenses typically consist of two things: a focusing mount/helicoid and a lens block. The block can be taken out of the helicoid. In old lenses such as this, the lens block is usually held in place by a retainer ring which is screwed in from the back. At the back of your lens there should be a slim black ring with two notches. If this ring is not screwed on tight you might experience wobble/play of your lens block.

In this case, it's an eayy fix, GIVEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TOOL. You need a lens spanner to properly fasten the retaining ring.

 

[jcb4718]

That rings a bell, Lukx. The ring at the back holds the lens block in place. It is simple to see if it is loose: you can just use a screwdriver. My guess is something simply needs tightening up i.e. rather than there being a fundamental problem.

 

[twvancamp]

My copy has the slightest play in the focusing ring, but the aperture ring is clicky and has no back and forth action. It's a great lens--I hope you are able to get this one working or find another!

 

[ACullen]

I think this front wobble has been reported a fair bit. Mine certainly did have exactly the same issue as described by the OP. My local repair guy fixed it very quickly. It was as I recall a matter of tightening 3 screws . It’s a beautiful little lens with much to admire.

 

[Lechan]

Thanks so much to all of you for your input and suggestions. I brought the lens to two local repair shops here in London (Aperture UK and Sendean Cameras). Both confirmed that the lens can be fixed and one quote was actually very reasonable with around 70 GBP. However, I decided to not sink any more money into the lens and send it back to the seller in Japan. Got the money back from the seller and now I have to deal with Her Majesty's Customs and Revenue Service to get the VAT and customs duty back - joy! 🙂 Shame that the seller did not describe the lens accurately and this was the first time ever I have been let down by a seller from Japan who are usually very honest and great to deal with. Anyway, got my money back and invested most of it into a very nice Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 Color Skopar Classic.