Repair for Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon ZM Lens Wobble

[punkzter]

A few weeks ago I bought a used Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon T* ZM lens that has the "wobble."

I spoke with the seller, and we agreed to send it to Youxin Ye for repair. Youxin took a look at it, and couldn't remove the wobble.

Now I'm sort of unsure what to do next. If the seller agrees, we could send it to Zeiss, but I've now read a few posts about Zeiss being unable to fix the wobble, or charging huge sums to do so. I don't want to keep paying for shipping.

I could also send it to DAG, but I don't want to send it to another person and have them be unable to fix it. He said that he could, but so did Youxin.

Any suggestions? I'm about ready to send it back. I got an okay price on it because it had a few small issues with the coating on the front lens. But this wobble is not pleasant to deal with, and I have no sense on whether or not it gets worse over time.

 

[ccstearns]

Hey Punkzter!
I'm not sure my .2 will help you here but a couple of years ago I sent my f2 Biogon to Zeiss to get overhauled and early wobble prevention.

I sent it to NJ and six months went by before they let me know that they had not even begun to diagnose the issue and had sent my lens to Germany). Mind you this was after I really tried to track down the lens.

I asked for an ETA or even a cost estimate for a base overhaul and was told it would 6 to 8 weeks before they knew anything. Or put another way, 9 months of the year w/o my lens and no answers.

I declined all of this and asked for my lens back. They said....that they could not return my lens but had another with 'similar' issues that they could send me instead. I won't get in the details here and In the end, I did get my lens, unrepaired. (if it aint broke...)

All of this is to say, this feels like a not good situation. I don't trust Zeiss repair to the point I won't use their products anymore and this lens feels like a dog. I'd send it back if you can.

 

[punkzter]

Thanks. That is good to know. Because not only does it need to travel to NJ, but they then need to send it to Germany.

 

[Out to Lunch]

My 2.8/28 Zeiss Biogon started to wobble after some 9 years of use and, so far I can't get it fixed. Today, I think it's a write-off. I found some temporary relief by tightening the back-end second black ring by hand...and then the wobble reoccurred. My take...it's a structural lens design issue. If anyone ever found a Zeiss comment on this, I'd like to know. Cheers, OtL

 

[Huss]

I have Zeiss ZM and Zeiss ZF (Nikon SLR mount) lenses.
It is interesting that the ZF lenses are much better built than the ZM ones.
I guess Cosina figured that more SLR users would be working professionals and so had to build the lens to that spec, while rangefinder lenses are more used by hobbyists.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Maybe. This said, I have the 2/35 ZM, which is of the same age as the 2.8/28 and it's fine.

 

[rolfe]

My 50mm f1.5 Sonnar developed a rough spot and Zeiss USA sent it to Germany. They do not work on the ZM lenses in the US. Came back perfect and since I don't remember the charge, I don't think it was excessive. Zeiss USA handles the transit to and from Germany.

Rolfe

 

[jawarden]

A few weeks ago I bought a used Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon T* ZM lens that has the "wobble."

I spoke with the seller, and we agreed to send it to Youxin Ye for repair. Youxin took a look at it, and couldn't remove the wobble.

I know you got a good deal but I'd send it back anyway. Lenses for me aren't projects, they need to arrive functional and correct. Good luck!