Leica 5cm Elmar focusing problem

Niko

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Jan 26, 2005
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I did a CLA last winter on my 5cm screwmount Elmar. All went well, except, when i tighten the lens properly on the camera (Leica IIIf) the focusing gets too tight. I can not understand what could cause this, the focusing helicoid should not be affected ??? Any ideas ? When i attach the lens loosely (too loose) on the camera it focuses smoothly, or when it is not on the camera it focuses perfectly smoothly. The grease i used in the CLA was a grease i once got from a Pentax -repairman, he said it´s for small lenses/short helicoids, i don´t remember what it exactly is.

Niko
 
Maybe the screw mount of the camera is not 100% flat. Try your lens on another camera or tighten all four screws of the screw mount on the camera. When the screwmount on the camera is not 100% flat, it will "bow" your lensmount and it will not move freely. Maybe the shimming under the lens mount of the camera is out of order.

Erik.
 
Thanks, Erik. There indeed is something wrong with the screwmount mounting ring. When i loosen the two upper mounting screws, the lens focuses normally. I then removed the mounting ring, there were no shims. I'll look at it closer later, for now i'm happy with it this way.

Niko
 
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