Stuck Summitar

[eartweeker]

Just got my first Leica ever from a major internet auction house. a lllc; it is beautiful- major mechanicals seem good but the 50mm Summitar apeture ring will barely move. Has anyone repaired this at home? Also the lens coating is peeled away from just the edges of the lens. I want to send one roll through before sending it for CLA...

 

[Sean Moran]

This happened to me also. It seems to be quite a common problem with the Summitar: so much so that a firm in Manchester, UK, advertises a cheap repair service on ebay for this very issue. They sorted out mine recently (and lost the lens cap, but I reduced my next invoice from them by the amount that the lenscap cost me, so we are quits again.)

The Summitart is a great porttrait and a handy general purpose lens.

Good luck, Sean.

 

[Nikon Bob]

This keeps coming up and seems to be a regular problem with Summitars. One of mine was the same way. Try this thread http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50601 and see post #6. This post is a good candidate for a sticky in the LTM forum.

Bob

 

[payasam]

My Summitar's aperture ring was impossibly tight, but once fixed it was perfect.

 

[cosmonot]

I recently sent a Summitar to Sherry for CLA. The ring was frozen when I sent, got it back nice and clean, but the detent is no more. Just have to be careful not to bump it once set, otherwise it's a great little lens.

 

[ChrisN]

Did Summitars have a detent? Mine doesn't seem to, even though the aperture ring moves freely, perhaps too freely.

 

[Nikon Bob]

I was under the impression that Summitars do not have detents as both of mine don't. OTH there may be versions that do.

Bob

 

[eartweeker]

thanks guys as soon as the whole holiday thing is over I will try the repair myself. Will post the results.
Jingle Bells and all that!
Hope theres the folder of your dreams under the tree...

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Mine did this. I put a few drops of 99% isopropyl alchohol on the aperture ring, worked it a bit, and sopped up the gunk that came out with a Q-tip. It is working well now.

 

[cosmonot]

I was under the impression that Summitars do not have detents as both of mine don't. OTH there may be versions that do.

Bob

It's very possible that they don't. Mine was locked up tight, and now it's very easy to bump the aperture inadvertantly. I never experienced a 'new' summitar, so my expectation of a detent could be totally off base. It would also explain why Sherry didn't say anything about it when she sent it back to me 😉

 

[Leigh Youdale]

[QUOTE - t the 50mm Summitar apeture ring will barely move. Has anyone repaired this at home?

A couple of years ago i bought a IIIf with a Summitar that quickly developed the same problem.
First repair many said it was a common design problem that caused the aperture blades to bind when they were worn. Charged me for "repairing" it, which was over optimistic on his part.
Sent it to a second techie who said the first guy didn't know what he was talking about, stated it was dirt, disassembled the lens and cleaned it, and it's been perfect ever since. No detent, by the way.

 

[OldNick]

My Summitar was the same, aperture ring very stiff. I had it serviced and it has been fine since that time. No detents.

Jim N.