Canon 50/1.9 Serenar.

[Sonnar Brian]

I'll be posting some more on this lens as I clean it and use it.

This was bought on the classifieds cheap- the screws that hold the mount were missing. I've repaired A Nikkor 5cm f2 collapsible and a Canon 50/1.5 missing the screws from the mount before, using screws from 1970s fixed-lens RF's. Dumb luck, take out screws and see if they fit. Get a match: mark down where they came from.

The screws to fix the Canon 50 F1.9 are the same used in the Canonet QL17 GIII to hold the front section in. Take out the front group, you get three of them.

the rear mount has MANY starting positions. You need to set the focus of the lens at infinity, and keep trying to get the mount to line up with the infinity catch, then line up the three screw holes. I cleaned out the old lube and used some vacuum pump grease. Smooth as Butter now.

 

[David Murphy]

I've done the same sort of thing. I have a junk box of old non economically repairable cameras (mostly SLR's) that I keep around simply to mine their screws. Finding, for instance, tiny sized metric screws is a non-trivial problem for the individual.

 

[Brian Legge]

This sounds like a great wiki project - documenting screw / part compatibility and sources. It could definitely save people time and something like anwiki would let lots f people contribute.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

and... The pentaprism from a Minolta XG-1 fits a Kodak Retina Reflex-S perfectly... way brighter, and better than re-silvering.

 

[Mackinaw]

Don't spend too much time fiddling with this lens, it's not one of Canon's best. Pretty soft wide-open, at least for my sake, though it does sharpen up nicely once you get to F3.5 or so. Lot of flare too. I sold mine several years ago and haven't looked back.

Jim B.

 

[Argenticien]

I'm just wondering, is anyone aware of any source where one can buy a mixed bag of small screws (as are needed in cameras) of various lengths, diameters, head types, and thread pitches? I've seen a site (I forget which, now) where, for high prices BTW, you can buy these tiny screws in homogenous batches--not that useful as you'd have to guess in advance which to keep on hand and buy them. I'd like to buy a mixed bag of such tiny screws, a "lifetime supply" quantity (what would that be, 100 grams? 🙂) and be done with it. It's not that I mind the idea of mining Canonets, 1990s P&S cameras, rubbish plastic SLRs, etc. for screws; but not all of us have built up a large box of those yet and it does seem slightly wasteful anyway.
--Dave

 

[Spavinaw]

On a previous thread I was looking for some set screws for a Leica IIIf shutter speed dial. Someone thought they might be something exotic Leica came up with. Turns out they are so exotic that they were used in some broken eye glasses I got at the dollar store. They were standard 1.6mm size, and the heads were low enough not to interfere with top plate when turning the dial.
Just remember the world wide, universal philosophy of the thrift store/yard sale aficionado: Stuff is where you find it !

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I've built of a couple of boxes of spare parts cameras, left over from making a working camera out of two broken ones. So the Canonets- probably 5 dead/ 10 working from 15 broken ones. Same with others.

On buying a mixed bag of small screws- I'll check with the owner of the machine shop that we use at work. Same with having shims made. I have a small collection from J-8's and J-3's. Left over from conversions. after that- make them from foil and wire.

So the Canonet seen here: good glass, good RF, film advance was broken.

Took the top plate, botton plate, viewfinder assembly, and lens to repair this one:

http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90468&highlight=canonet

Even fixed the battery check light. New seals, adjusted the meter, ready for use.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

the 1.9 isn't a natural first choice lens for ltm 50mm users.

but i love it. it is small, my sample is very sharp and it fits beautifully on my cl..

neopan 400 in D76 ( i think)

raytoei

 

[Michael Markey]

I like mine esp with colour film.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The 50/1.9 on the Leica M8:

Wide-open,


grass1_f19 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

100% crop


grass1_f19a by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

At F4:


grass1_f4 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

100% crop

grass1_f4a by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

 

[Sonnar Brian]

and the Fence, at F1.9.


fence_f19 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

100%


fence_f19a by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

F4:


fence_f4 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr


100% F4



fence_f4a by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

This lens is lower contrast, reminds me of a Summitar. It is a classic 6 element in 4 group Planar formula lens. But lower contrast, more like a Summitar.

 

[johannielscom]

great shots.

I own the 28/3.5 Serenar and I love it. Sharpness is up, contrast is down, color is pastel-like.