Summaron 2.8 vertical adjust. help needed

[froyd]

Hi-

Tried my Q on other forums during the RFF outage but did not get anywere, so I'm glad to benefit again from your collected wisdom.

I have a 2.8 Summaron with goggles that is misaligned vertically. A quick search on the forum located various posts where this issue is discussed but the advice is varied. Some describe it as an easy DYI job: loosen the bottom screw from the cylindrical window and then slightly turn each of the side screws to adjust horizontal and vertical alignment. Others advise to send to DAG or Sherry. BTW, the lens just came back from Youxin who gave it a good cleaning but could not calibrate the goggles.

Anyone here with recent experience of attempting their own calibration? Or anybody who can recommend the best tech for this type of issue? I rather not lose my lens to Don for months, and I was wondering if there's a Brian Sweeny equivalent for Leica lenses. I should specify that I'm based in the US and I would rather not send the lens out of the country.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Calibrate the goggles is very difficult. The prism was glued in by the factory. It can of course be done, but it is very difficult. It should be glued, only turning the screws does not help.

Erik.

 

[hendriphile]

Calibrate the goggles is very difficult....
Erik.

1+ Sherry's had my lens with a similar issue since this past Spring. (And you thought a 1-week withdrawal from RFF was rough!)

 

[rlouzan]

Focal Point?
http://www.focalpointlens.com/fp_intro.html

 

[gm13]

1+ Sherry's had my lens with a similar issue since this past Spring. (And you thought a 1-week withdrawal from RFF was rough!)

Eeesh, I recently sent mine to Sherry for a CLA and to do a vertical adjust also-she said 3 weeks, guess I should prepare myself.😱
Good luck with it froyd

 

[froyd]

I was afraid the outlook would not be pretty with Sherry and DAG. Three weeks I could live with, but 7 months or more as in Hendriphile's case would be too much for me.

I'll try calling Focal Point.

Somewhere on this forum I had found a post from 1997 where a user suggested that loosening the bottom screw would allow the two side screws to make adjustments and that there was no need for solvents... can't find that post now, of course!

 

[ferider]

Somewhere on this forum I had found a post from 1997 where a user suggested that loosening the bottom screw would allow the two side screws to make adjustments and that there was no need for solvents... can't find that post now, of course!

I've done it, and it's possible DIY - but it's a PITA.

You take the rubber fillings out of the 3 screw holes of the round eye, and adjust the screws. After final adjustment, you cover them for instance with nail polish. The round "eye" is not glued in but sits in its frame spring mount. The whole assembly can get stiff after that many year, you might have to take the rear frame off completely and clean underneath.

If you do take the rear frame off, you can also clean the rectangular eye. Which consists of two pieces of glass separated by a spacer, if I remember right.

It certainly saves you stress sending it instead to John, Sherry or DAG. Youxin might be able to help too, and has typically the fastest turn-around. Also, ask yourself if you really need perfect vertical alignment with a 35/2.8 .....

Roland.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The round "eye" is not glued in but sits in its frame spring mount.

It sits in it's frame with springs, but it is fixed with epoxy. The springs are needed to find the right position of the prism. Once that's found, it's fixed with epoxy. Dropping the unit can loosen the prism.
When the prism is only held with springs it will be "off" again in a short time.

Erik.

 

[ferider]

Not the one I had apart, Erik. Putting Epoxy in would have helped though 🙂

 

[froyd]

Thanks guys. Heard back from John. Sherry is MIA. His cost for the repair is in line with what I expected, so if his turnaround is not awful, I'll send it to him.

For other in my shoes: quoted cost for repair was $125 and John claims it does involve de-cementing and re-cementing the prism.

 

[Eric L]

Same with my 2.8 Summaron... after doing the reading about adjustment... I can live without perfect vertical alignment. It's only off by a little and more so at certain angles. It's the horizontal alignment that's a must.

I've done it, and it's possible DIY - but it's a PITA.

You take the rubber fillings out of the 3 screw holes of the round eye, and adjust the screws. After final adjustment, you cover them for instance with nail polish. The round "eye" is not glued in but sits in its frame spring mount. The whole assembly can get stiff after that many year, you might have to take the rear frame off completely and clean underneath.

If you do take the rear frame off, you can also clean the rectangular eye. Which consists of two pieces of glass separated by a spacer, if I remember right.

It certainly saves you stress sending it instead to John, Sherry or DAG. Youxin might be able to help too, and has typically the fastest turn-around. Also, ask yourself if you really need perfect vertical alignment with a 35/2.8 .....

Roland.

 

[froyd]

Ouch. John at Focal Point said "at least 8 weeks" wait time. Sherry never replied to two messages at two email addresses (one on her sire, one I found on RFF). DAG i did not even try because the wait time is legendary. Believe me, I do not want a hack job from somebody who'll tweak my lens and send it back within a week, but there's gotta be more options than the ones listed above, no?

 

[astro8]

Ouch. John at Focal Point said "at least 8 weeks" wait time. Sherry never replied to two messages at two email addresses (one on her sire, one I found on RFF). DAG i did not even try because the wait time is legendary. Believe me, I do not want a hack job from somebody who'll tweak my lens and send it back within a week, but there's gotta be more options than the ones listed above, no?

Send Don an email. He just did a full overhaul of a 35 Summilux for me that Youxin cla'd (...never again) and his turn around time was 7 days!

Send him an email, then send him the lens with a 'cover note' stating what you would like done and when you need it back by.

 

[gm13]

An update: Sherry had mine ready in under 3 weeks, Nov. 17 I shipped it out, she sent an e-invoice on 12/11/11 which I missed but that is great for full CLA and vertical adjust. $246.00 in my case.

 

[yossarian123]

Send Don an email. He just did a full overhaul of a 35 Summilux for me that Youxin cla'd (...never again) and his turn around time was 7 days!

Send him an email, then send him the lens with a 'cover note' stating what you would like done and when you need it back by.

Yeah, my experience with Don was pretty good. I sent in a 35/2.8 goggled summaron, he did a complete overhaul in 3 (maybe 4) weeks. The total cost was around $125 or so. Of course, the finished product was pretty damn good - DAG is more expensive and takes longer than the others but your stuff is going to come back looking nice.

 

[elmer3.5]

Hi, i haven´t done this to a summaron but i did to my elmarit 135mm f2.8.
Since the cilindrical window is so tightly glued i abandoned doing it that way.
So performed the adjustment on the sqaured one.
It has some springs to hold everything in tension i had to move the prism and close the back plate and set again and again the lens until adjustment was achieved.

At that time i didn´t have a digital m camera only my m6, but adjusting to infinite proved enough to achieve perfect focus.

I have a goggle from a summaron and could see it doesn´t differ from my elmarit goggles.

Patience and a clear infinite mark to adjust properly, perhaps a mignifier would help quite e bit.

Bye and good luck!