Summarit 1.5 Repair, Restore and Renew

S

Stu :)

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I've been offered a 50mm Summarit 1.5 LTM for the same price as a good J-8.
However... it's condition is less then prefect, lets say it sits between User and Ugly on the scale of used cameras.

The body of the lens is good, some polish and re-painted the numbers will clean it up lovely and mechanics (focus and aperture) are in great shape.
The glass has the "normal" wipe marks on the front element, but free from serious scratches, slightly cloudy with balsam separation patch.

Cloudy glass hasn't stopped me yet, I've bought several lenses to date which where sold to me as cloudy and have cleaned them up a right treat and everything else I can live with, but how terminal is balsam separation patch??? I thought it only effected the rangefinder in cameras? :confused:

Do I risk my Aunty's christmas cash, or not. Also if anyone's got and/or knows of any online Leica service/repair books/PDFs send me a PM. I'm getting 'precision screwdriver happy' here...

Stu :)
 
Thanks Brian!
Second time I beleive you've told me to go forth and grab a lens.
I had funny feeling you'd be the person who'd reply to this thread. :)

The next question, where does one find index matching fluid? I've heard of it before from my days of engineering and
I guessing it not the sort of 'glue' you would find in the local "Mom & Pop" hardware store...

Stu :)
 
Cemented pairs of lens elements can separate just the way rangefinder prisms do. The cement used in those days was actually tree sap, and over a long time it can deteriorate.

John Van Stelten of Focal Point can re-cement separated elements. It isn't a cheap service, but if the lens is in good shape otherwise and the price is low enough, it might make sense.
 
Index Matching Fluid is the sort of thing ordered from Edmund's and other optical companies. It is the stuff used for "oil immersion lenses" on the higher power microscope lenses. Have any friends in school?
 
For anyone interested in how to use oil to fix a separated lens, I found this thread on photo.net discussing the successful repair of a Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Aez3

The author used the clear portion of WD-40 (the solids will settle if it stands long enough, but he had access to a centrifuge). Personally I'd use indexing oil, now that I know what it is (thanks Brian ).

I don't imagine this would work on a partially separated Leica RF prism, as one of the glass surfaces is semi-silvered. As it is, my finder hasn't gotten any worse in 2 years, so I'm not about to risk it (I know that DAG and Lutton can re-cement them should it get worse.).
 
I thought of using "clear" WD-40, but the idea gives me the willies.

Brian- By "school" I assume you mean university??? I'll ask around next week and see if I can find which department uses high powered microscopes and start being friendly towards them.

Stu :)
 
We actually used this type of microscope in High School! But yes, a Univarsity should certainly have it.

I would check with the Biology department; usually the 1000x setting required oil immersion. Also check the Physics department, anyone using REAL optics should have this stuff. I wish I could just send you some; but it is an OIL and is not something that can go through regular mail.
 
Strangely enough, I've got a BSc in Physics* and I've done optics papers from year I to III. But don't recall the mention of Index Matching Fluid/Oil, then again I did spend vast amount of my second year in the student bar...

I guess it time to venture back to my old department.

Stu :)

* I specialised in Oceanography and Meteorology. I've been telling everyone here black&blue about how and why the recent tsunami happened.
 
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