Is it me or do you find the ZM lenses very stiff?

dovevadar

dovevadar

DoveVadar
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I went to try out the 21mm biogon and 35 bigon this morning at the store, I found the focusing to be freaking stiff to a point I was struggling to focus with it. Then I remembered having the 25mm biogon awhile back. It was stubbornly stiff as well..

I understand some might argue that stiffer lens focus more precisely but not to this extend I guess :eek:

Anybody experience the same thing?
 
My 50/1.5 is nice and smooth and has been since new. My older second-hand 28/2.8 is stiffer with a few stiffer spots, but it has been used much, much more.

Was it 2nd hand ones you were trying, or new?
 
Leica lenses vary a lot. Frances's 50/2.5 Summarit is a little too light for my taste, and the mounts on her 18/4 and my 50/1.5 Zeiss are at least as smooth as my 75 Summicron. All from new...

Put it this way: there's quite a wide comfort range for me, and all the ZM lenses I've tried are well inside it. The lightest and smoothest was the 15/2.8, but then, it's a hand-lapped mount.

Cheers,

R.
 
When I first got my Sonnar 50 it was rather stiff. Then it loosened up or I got used to it. Aperture ring was/is perfect.

I jut got the Planar, and it's incredibly smooth to focus, but the aperture ring's click stops are too harsh for my taste. Maybe they'll smoothen with use.

I don't think they're stiff on purpose. Probably just sample variations.
 
Having had :planar ZM, Biogon 25mm and still have Biogon 21/2.8 - all were smooth. Planar was a little stiff at first but became smooth later. They do feel different compared to Leica and Hexanons, but not worse - just different.
 
My 25 and 35 Biogons are very smooth and "medium" stiffness. My Elmar-C 90mm is about the same as them, and my old Summarit f/1.5 is stiffer (even after a lube).
 
Interesting... seems like the result varies.. mechanically can be improved I guess. I haven't felt a smooth one. Maybe I really need to try out every piece. Anyway, I tried both new and used.. all STIFF like hell :bang:

ok... maybe it IS buttery smooth but I think a better word to use is TIGHT.. VERY TIGHT.. To a point, Im struggling to focus with it.. I can image shooting the entire roll with it. It will be quite a struggle especially in street photography.

The test point is the normal Leica ASPH lens. I think it is very well balanced for the focusing tension.
 
dovevadar said:
The test point is the normal Leica ASPH lens. I think it is very well balanced for the focusing tension.
Click to expand...
There are two kinds of ASPH lenses, those with floating elements and those without. I use both and with one exception those that have floating elements are tighter where those elements come into play, i.e. at closest focus.
 
The focus on my 35/2 Biogon is margarine smooth. My DR Summicron is buttery smooth. No complaints about either. I'd say there is some sort of sample to sample variance. I do know that compared to the Biogon and Summicron the focus on my VC 28/1.9 is rather stiff and makes me wonder if there is a variance there as well
 
I used to have a Planar 50 zm. It was buttery smooth and even across the whole range. May be even too smooth ;-) My 50mm 'cron is smooth too but you need to apply more force to twist it. On the other hand my 25zm is stiff and doesn't get any better with time, partially because I do not focus 25mm very often due to a huge DOF... Hope that helps
 
Sample variation. I've noticed between different samples of the same lens.

When I bought my Planar, I had four different used Planars out on the bench at MAP Camera. They were all different. I chose the Planar with the smoothest, lightest action. Of the other three, two were ok but heavier (although one had some play in the action), but the third one was way too stiff. Beats me why they're like that, but I've noticed the same thing with several samples of the Biogon 35/2, Biogon 25/2.8, and Sonnar 50/1.5.
 
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