Leica Elmar 50mm f/2.8: Problem with locking

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mercury

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Hi everyone,

I just bought a used Elmar 50mm from ebay, and I am not sure whether the locking works properly.

After pulling out the lens, I turn it to the left, in the direction of the f/2.8 mark, to lock it. I cannot push it in then, so this seems to work.

But when I turn the aperture ring to the right, in order to set an aperture of f/2.8, I can easily and accidently turn the whole lens into the unlocking position. I don't know if this is intended, but I found turning the lens into the unlocked position so easy that I am wondering if there should be some locking mechanism in order to prevent the lens from being turned that way.

Summarizing, the locking of the lens up and down works, but there seems to be no lock for turning the front element of the lens into the unlocked position, which I find strange.

Is there anything wrong with my lens, or am I operating it wrong?

Hoping for your answers!
mercury
 
mercury said:
Hi everyone,
But when I turn the aperture ring to the right, in order to set an aperture of f/2.8, I can easily and accidently turn the whole lens into the unlocking position. I don't know if this is intended,
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's intended but yes it happens. There is nothing to prevent the lens from collapsing when you turn it in the opposite direction. I find changing apertures something of a two handed job.
 
Hi dfoo, thanks for your reply. Do you mean it locks to the right when you are facing the front or the back lens?

For me, it also locks to the right when i am facing the front lens. But when I am facing the back lens, like when I am operating the camera, it locks to the left.
 
Take the lens off that camera, and look at the back of the lens barrel, the part that slides out, while it is in the collapsed position. There are three curved strips of brass along the rear edge. These three strips are what prevent the lens from unlocking. In some cases they have been pushed too close to the lens barrel, so they do not present enough friction to prevent the lens from unlocking.

Take a thin strip of plastic (I caution you not to use a steel knife, or a Swiss Army screw driver, as they can mark the brass), and gently push the end of the strips outwards, less than 0.2mm. Do this in increments and then try to lock and unlock the lens. It should work.

Let me know if this is not clear and I'll find pictures.

Best of luck!
 
Hi Vic, thanks for your reply. I have seen the strips, but currently I don't have an appropriate tool with me. I will try that later and report back how it helped.

All your responses were helpful and are very much appreciated!
 
Thanks Vic! All these years I've taken the problem as "that's the way they made it"!.. I thook my thumbnail and pushed them out (takes a bit of muscle so I don't think you can overdo it). My lens locks in place great now! No more two handed aperture changes.
 
Beemermark said:
I don't know if it's intended but yes it happens. There is nothing to prevent the lens from collapsing when you turn it in the opposite direction. I find changing apertures something of a two handed job.
Click to expand...

Are we talking about the elmar-m 50/2.8? Mine locks perfectly and there is no chance that I accidentally unlock it while turning the aperture ring.
 
@tom.w.bn Obviously, there are some Elmarits that do not lock as perfectly as yours. But now, as we have this thread, people can find help in the rangefinder forums 🙂
 
I had an LTM Elmar 50/2.8 that had this same issue. I think it's common on the older lenses as the parts gradually wear from being collapsed and un-collapsed many, many times. I just braced the barrel with my left hand when changing apertures and didn't have any problems.

I'm curious about the procedure suggested above to help the lens lock better when extended. Can this screw up the collimation? I seem to remember reading something about bending those brass tabs on a collapsible Summicron causing misfocusing. I ask because I have a Russian collapsible Industar that unlocks a bit too easily and was thinking of trying this.
 
mercury said:
Hi dfoo, thanks for your reply. Do you mean it locks to the right when you are facing the front or the back lens?

For me, it also locks to the right when i am facing the front lens. But when I am facing the back lens, like when I am operating the camera, it locks to the left.
Click to expand...

My 50/2.8 Elmar (not the latest one) locks when I turn the barrel clockwise. I'm thinking that "clockwise" might be more helpful than right vs. left. A still better way to put it is that the lens should be turned in the same direction as that required to click it into infinity position.
 
I found this dedicated thread for the problem. I see there is some help too, how to make locking more tight. That's nice to know. Thus I put my earlier wrote posting here:

Steve Bellayr said:
It should lock in.
Click to expand...

If you mean that it should lock to shooting position so that it doesn't rotate easy, can you say this is a common fail for newest Elmar? Of cource the lens stays in shooting lenght.

Is this a misfunction or the quality of Elmar ? I think it will not annoy me, but is this a correct reason for asking some refund from seller?

If I use little power, it stick lightly, but I would not say it locked.

(quality as a feature or characteristic )
Click to expand...
 
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Beemermark said:
Thanks Vic! All these years I've taken the problem as "that's the way they made it"!.. I thook my thumbnail and pushed them out (takes a bit of muscle so I don't think you can overdo it). My lens locks in place great now! No more two handed aperture changes.
Click to expand...

Hi! It is too thin hole for fingernail. Do you mean "out" = back (closer to shutter) and in my picture upward?

When I read Vic's advise, I think "up" mean in my picture closer to you. (90 degree to optical axle)

My question only for reason that fingernail can do the job only different direction than I suppose Vic told.
 

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Vic said:
Take a thin strip of plastic (I caution you not to use a steel knife, or a Swiss Army screw driver, as they can mark the brass), and gently push the end of the strips outwards, less than 0.2mm. Do this in increments and then try to lock and unlock the lens. It should work.

Let me know if this is not clear and I'll find pictures.

Best of luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you. I can't see there is space for any plastic tool which would be strong enough. In my study I see one must remove back lens group's locking ring ( black part in my picture) first, and after that you have space to lift the strips up properly. I can't open the locking ring myself - it need special tool.

Am I helpless? Or are the products different? This is sn 3692*, chrome.
 
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mercury said:
Thanks Vic, your hint worked well for me! I really appreciate your help.
Click to expand...

How you succeed? Clefts are very narrow for tools or nails.

Seller of my lens was ignorant that it must lock and offered me return or partial refund. I choose refund.
 
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Sorry for bringing up this old thread.

But I have a 50 Elmar f2.8 ( SN 1698XXX ), can tell whether its a M mount or LTM..

Should it make a "click" sound once locked in position after extending ?
 
Anyone?

The copy I have does not click. But it's stiff enough that I can change the aperture without rotating the barrel.
 
Dan95 said:
Sorry for bringing up this old thread.

But I have a 50 Elmar f2.8 ( SN 1698XXX ), can tell whether its a M mount or LTM..

Should it make a "click" sound once locked in position after extending ?
Click to expand...

Dan95 said:
Anyone?

The copy I have does not click. But it's stiff enough that I can change the aperture without rotating the barrel.
Click to expand...

See this link, you have serial numbers bellow: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Elmar_f=_5_cm_1:2.8

you have a M-mount Elmar from 1959.
My M-mount Elmar doesn't make any ''click'' when is locked.
Regards.
 
Glad to hear my copy's good. Thanks !

My Elmar has some dust on the edges though. Doesnt seem to affect final output.
 
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