Canon 85mm Serenar f:2 Chrome

[jvan01]

I just snatched one of these up at a garage-sale like price. However when looking through the barrel it looks like some parts of the interior assembly (NOT the aperture blades, the aperture opens and closes fine and looks completely intact) have sloughed off and are freefloating. THe lens looks and performs OK otherwise. Can I try to open up the lens myself and clean it out and use it as is?

 

[Al Kaplan]

Try the lens and see how your pictures look. If there's no problem with your images your choices should be limited to A) leave well enough alone or B) let an experience repair person get in there. Trying to do things such as getting the focusing helicals lined up correctly might be beyond your patience.

 

[John Shriver]

Black and curved? Probably paint that was used to blacken the edge of a lens element that has fallen off. So long as it stays out of the way when you take pictures, don't worry about it.

Some Canon lenses are easy to work on, this isn't one of them.

 

[peterm1]

I had one of these and think I recall some black "floaties" inside - caused as stated above by matt black light absorbing paint sloughing off the interior of the barrel. No big deal but could be worth a CLA. I dont recall disassembling my lens so cannot comment on how "do-able" this is.

 

[jvan01]

I had one of these and think I recall some black "floaties" inside - caused as stated above by matt black light absorbing paint sloughing off the interior of the barrel. No big deal but could be worth a CLA. I dont recall disassembling my lens so cannot comment on how "do-able" this is.

Floaties is exactly how I'd describe it. It looks like a layer of paint that has sloughed off. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[Nikon Bob]

I had the same thing with a Canon 135/4. With the 135/4 all the paint flecks were in the front part of the lens which was easy to get apart. The flecks were from the front lens element edge. The lens edge was repainted with fast drying automotive touch up paint and seems to be holding up. I can't say how easy or not the 85/2 is to take apart though.

Bob

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have this lens, and it also had peeled paint floating around on the inside. The front section simply unscrewed from it, and I was able to get the black paint out and clean the surfaces in front and back of the aperture. I used a Sharpie (marker) to darken the glass that the paint had come off of.

It's quite a nice lens. I would not take the helical apart. Someone sent me one that was partially disassembled. I never could figure out how to get the RF coupling to work again. So on mine: unscrew the front section, cleaned the "floaties", quit while I was ahead!

 

[jvan01]

I was able to open up the lens and clean out the paint flecks. I agree in that it is not a lens to be opened up and disassembled unless you know what you're doing!

Could you explain exactly what needs to be repainted? I took a look inside and saw no residue of black matte paint on any interior surface.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Look at the rear of the Optical Glass at a portion that might appear "frosted". This is where the optics are exposed -ir, not in the metal mount-, but not part of the optical path. The surface is not polished like the portion in the optical path. That is typically painted black to prevent internal reflections. It is not critical that it be painted black, but it sure inspires confidence that a relfection will not get into it!

If unclear, I can take some photo's tomorrow of some junk lenses to make it clear.

 

[jvan01]

thanks Brian, I see the beveled frosted glass as you had described. Looks like the paint has completely and cleanly sloughed off the surface without leaving a trace.

One more question I have is that when screwing on and tightening the front element component as far as it will go, results in the aperture alignment mark being off by about 15 degrees . So I have to back off accordingly by nearly a full turn. Just wondering if this is normal in these lenses.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have mine in front of me (took the day off).

Mine screwed back into position correctly.

With the front section out:

1) Make sure thre threads are clean of dirt, oil, paint, etc.
2)Make sure the aperture ring is turned to open the blades fully: that is F2.
3) The front section should screw back into original position, the index will line up with the F2 mark. This takes a lot of tightening, I used a rubber sheet.

It is possible that the Index marked SLIPPED when you took the lens off. It is held in by the three set screws in that ring.

4) Tighten the lens as far as possible. Again- took a lot on mine to line it up.
5) TEST the lens with film, or at the film gate of the camera with a test strip- scotch tape on exposed negative is what i use-.

6) If the focus is good at Infinity and Close-up, back off the tiny set screws and move the index mark so it lines up with the F-Stop ring.