stiff focus on IIA

[santino]

Hi!

today I got my Contax IIa, it's beautiful and the shutter works perfectly but the helicals are stiff. do you have any advice on how to remove the fron bezel? (I did it on my Kiev but it seems to be different and I don't want to ruin something).

thanks 🙂

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Its a medium to big job - you have to pull the top plate off to remove the front plate. Also, the postwar Contax is quite a bit fussier to put back together after you remove the lens mount. The rangefinder unit comes out as a separate piece and you have to hold it all together at once. Then you have to play with the 5 screws on the mount and the screws on the rangefinder unit until you get it settled correctly. Otherwise, you'll get a rough, grinding noise when you focus.

Beware - the screws in the accessory shoe and self timer are VERY SOFT and EASILY DAMAGED.

 

[santino]

actually it isn't that stiff but it produces that rough, grinding noise. what do you suggest? it bothers me a lot.

 

[Pherdinand]

you should remove it and try to put it back correctly, as Mike said.
Also, some more things to remember: There might be some spacers under the (five?) screws when you remove the helical, remember how many and where they are, they keep the lens parallel w the focal plane.
Then, don't put thick grease on the helical.
Then, before you losen the screws mark the position of the two cogwheels that couple the rangefinder unit to the lens helical's cogged wheel, say at infinity setting, to ease the assembly.

 

[santino]

thanks a lot! you guys are a lot of help 🙂 I'm in love with my IIa and I'm going to use it but that focus sucks so I have to relube it 😀