Seizing 25 snapshot

[itf]

Hi, I'm a rare poster but stop by every now and then to see what's happening. Anyway, as the title would suggest, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the focus ring on a 25mm Snapshot Skopar seizing up (the aperture does occasionally too)?

It's been doing it since I got it new about 6 months ago (and yeah, it took me this long to post), but its gradually geting worse. Also, it seems to seize more in hot weather (SE Asia, so maybe humidity plays a part too) as there's often no problem when the weather is a little cooler.

I'd like to see what can be done about it, because it can get to be very annoying. Anyone? I think a CLA may be in the works soon.

Cheers.

 

[Ororaro]

Isn't the 25 skopar a scale focus lens, anyway? I think it has no focus coupling so therefore everything is all right.

 

[itf]

Isn't the 25 skopar a scale focus lens, anyway? I think it has no focus coupling so therefore everything is all right.

Sorry, I just re-read my post and realized it is confusing, I'm not feeling too well right now so please forgive. The problem is that the focus ring and occasionally the aperture ring are sticking, sometimes badly.

I'll edit my post and get rid of the unnecessary ramblings.

 

[pvdhaar]

My 25/4 never actually seized up, but compared to other lenses, it's not been the smoothest either. There is a point near 6m (which isn't one of the focusing click stops) where it was so gritty that you could almost mistake it for a focus click. It's been like that very soon after I got it new in 2003. Over the years it's gotten much better though. My conclusion is that this is one of the earlier Cosina RF lens designs, and that it's rather crudely engineered and machined. Putting on some wear seemed to be what it needed..

 

[itf]

Cheers Peter, mine seems similar but worse to yours. It seizes enough that it requires considerable force to unstick it quite regularly, and once it seized enough that I had to put pretty well all the force I could get on the tab to free it (which I didn't much like doing, but with it stuck at 1m...).

Rarely can I differentiate between the milder sticking and the click stops. As I said, it seems worse the warmer the weather. Anyway, I'll stick with it and hope it gets better with time.

 

[zuikologist]

Mine is fine but I bought it used with some miles on the clock which, as menitoned above, probably helps. It might be worthwhile working the mechanism a lilttle even when not taking photos, just to wer it in a little.