Zeiss ZM lens wobble issues

[Rezultz]

This survey is startling. Seems that nearly 1/2 of people (113 people as of today) on the survey have experienced the wobble with one of their Zeiss lenses. There is definitely a quality control problem at the Zeiss factory. Despite these RFF statistics, I still love my Biogon 35/2 and don't regret buying into Zeiss optics. My only issue is the following: If you have a Leica Summicron that has a wobble and the warranty will not cover it, there are multiple options in the States and in Europe to get it repaired or CLA'd for a reasonable price and reasonable turn-around time. With the Zeiss I feel like the only option is sending it to Zeiss Germany meaning you'll part with it for months and pay dearly for the repair.

 

[Bob Michaels]

........................ With the Zeiss I feel like the only option is sending it to Zeiss Germany meaning you'll part with it for months and pay dearly for the repair.

I am curious why you do think US repair people can not service a Zeiss lens when they can service a Leica one.

FWIW, I have never had a ZI lens wobble but have had two with stiff or binding focus (one I bought knowing it had that problem). Both times my local camera repair guy made them perfect.

 

[semilog]

I've had two ZM lenses, the 35 and 21 C-Biogons. Both have been rock-solid.

Unfortunately, I dropped my ZM 21/4.5, nose-first, onto a tile floor (this is the first lens I've ever severely damaged... sigh). Zeiss Germany got the lens, and said it was unrepairable for a reasonable price. They then offered to replace it with a lightly-used demo lens for a very reasonable price, and have been extremely responsive to my e-mail queries.

I am very pleased with Zeiss's customer service.

 

[Speedfreak]

I think it is important to keep things in perspective here. RFF polls are in no way representative. Buyers who dont experience a problem with their lens do not appear on the web anyway. Some of those who vote above may also do so just to stir things up ...

I have bought (and sold) a lot of new and used equipment over the last years.

Leica Noctilux 50/1 - aperture blades stuck into each other (happened out of nowhere and was fixed by Leica under warranty)

Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.1 - bad damping and slight play in focusing, bought second hand, returned to dealer

Voigtländer Ultron 28/1.9 - very stiff focusing, bought second hand, seller says the lens came that way out of the factory (and it looked like new)

I never had a problem with a ZM lens and used both 50/1.5 C-Sonnar and the 28/2.5 (albeit for a short time only).

And I wont even get into vintage SLR lenses of which I had dozens with wobbling parts, play in focusing, stiffness and so on.

I think the best bet here is to buy new with warranty and handling your gear with proper care. When buying second hand you never know what history a certain lens has (including drops to the ground inside a camera bag or similar).

 

[spencewine]

I bought a 21mm/2.8 ZM second hand. It started-off fine, but has developed the wobble. At first, it was simply the rear retaining ring that needed to be tightened, but it would constantly come loose and I would have to re-tighten often. At this point, it's something more because when I tightened the retaining ring, it still has some play. I reckon I'll send it in to get repaired if I ever sell it, but at this point it's a just an annoyance that I've learned to accept. I will say that I've been looking at 28mm lenses and I haven't really considered the Zeiss because I don't want to deal with the wobble and I figure something like this will seriously undermine the resale value if not fixed.

 

[kbg32]

Patrick, I believe that might have been me. My 25/2.8 in less then 6 months developed a bad wobble and the lubricant all but totally dried up. So bad was the dryness, the lens actually squealed at various points of focus and eventually, the lens could hardly turn at all. I had it serviced locally by Nippon Camera, and it now feels great! Price was way less then sending it to Zeiss for service. The service technician said Zeiss lenses are great optically, but not mechanically. The materials are inferior to Leitz or CV .

 

[Braeside]

Just bought a new ZM 25/2.8 Biogon (Black) and the focus is much stiffer than my other ZM lenses (18 Distagon and 35 C Biogon). There is also a slight but noticeable backlash which is not apparent with the other lenses either. I have returned it to my dealer for exchange, and will report back.

 

[Braeside]

Got replacement Zeiss 25/2.8 Biogon and it is perfect mechanically. The dealer admitted that the first one was really bad. Serial number of the first bad one started with 155, the new good one 156.
The new box also looks pristine, the first bad copy I got, the box looked used and had a very old price sticker on it. Perhaps they made a mistake and sold me a used one, or it was very old stock. I'm willing to overlook it this time as they made good.

I have registered them (both) for the 3 year warranty with Zeiss. (I had registered the bad copy before I decided to return it for replacement).

 

[helen.HH]

In the past i had a Zeiss c Sonnar ...NO Wobble issues
At Present...have the 50 Planar NO Wobble Issues
🙂

 

[Benjamin Marks]

21/4.5, 21/2.8, 25/2.8. 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.5, 50/2 - nary a wobble amongst them. (Now looking for some wood to touch . . .)

 

[rommelgc]

i just found this thread. finished voting and would like add my input here:
my only ZM is a 2/35mm. if i grab the barrel of the lens near the front element/hood mount and give a shake it will wobble :-( also helicoid is dry as a bone, i can't even turn the focus ring past the 1m mark (going to infinity) without force. infinity down to 0.7 is fine though.

 

[Nigel Meaby]

i just found this thread. finished voting and would like add my input here:
my only ZM is a 2/35mm. if i grab the barrel of the lens near the front element/hood mount and give a shake it will wobble :-( also helicoid is dry as a bone, i can't even turn the focus ring past the 1m mark (going to infinity) without force. infinity down to 0.7 is fine though.

I'd get that lens serviced if I were you. It's a relatively straightforward and inexpensive repair just as long as you don't send it to Zeiss 😀

 

[rommelgc]

I'd get that lens serviced if I were you. It's a relatively straightforward and inexpensive repair just as long as you don't send it to Zeiss 😀

thanks ... i'm not in a hurry to get it repaired ... no funds ... i did buy it used and i've used the lens for 3-4 years and it seems the wobble doesn't affect the lens or ... my eyes are really crap :0 ... might tinker with it if i get the time.

 

[Nigel Meaby]

thanks ... i'm not in a hurry to get it repaired ... no funds ... i did buy it used and i've used the lens for 3-4 years and it seems the wobble doesn't affect the lens or ... my eyes are really crap :0 ... might tinker with it if i get the time.

I was thinking more about the dry helicoid than the wobble. With that stiffness, having to use force with anything is never good. Sounds like a lot of friction which could be causing wear and consequently more damage in the long run.

 

[Archiver]

I have to say that the 25/2.8 is now starting to wobble very slightly. It was secondhand when I bought it, so I don't know how much it was used, although it was in perfect cosmetic condition. Then again, I bought my 28/2.8 as my first Zeiss lens brand new and it is the worst of the wobblers.

 

[Richard G]

21/4.5, 21/2.8, 25/2.8. 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.5, 50/2 - nary a wobble amongst them. (Now looking for some wood to touch . . .)

Wow. Have you thought of completing the set? I think there's only two others.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Wow. Have you thought of completing the set? I think there's only two others.

I love those Zeiss lenses, but I have the ones I use. 😉 I don't use a portrait length lens often enough to need another and I think there is a monstrously expensive 18, which focal length I have covered with the C/V 15 Heliar. A lot of lenses came from RFF members used. A couple came from Popflash used.

 

[redisburning]

the 18 isn't that pricey, the 15 is. The 18 is about 1300 new. The 15 is the one that's made in Germany.

 

[Katsunami]

I've got three Zeiss ZM lenses:

21mm/2.8, 35mm/2, and 50mm/2.

The 35 and 50 are fine, but the 21mm/2.8 is giving me problems. It has developed play in the focus ring; it can be moved about 1mm either way, before it "catches" and the lens starts to actually focus. Also, it has the problem described in the quote below. If I grab the barrel with thumb and forefinger of both hands, at opposite ends, then the barrel parts can be moved. The lens makes clicking noises. Sometimes the play in the barrel can be felt when adjusting the aperture during shooting.

Lastly, I have *extreme* difficulty getting a sharp image at f/2.8. It always seems to be just off te mark.

It's no front or back focus issue: I use a GXR-M, which uses focus assist, and not a rangefinder. It reads sharpness directly from the sensor and has no rangefinder coupling, so front or back focus cannot exist.

I can't believe it's my mistake, because the 35 and 50 are tack sharp wide open, I have no issues with focussing the CV 75mm/2.5, and I can even focus the 15mm/4.5 without issue (if used at f/4.5). The 21 also gets very good reviews with regard to sharpness, so I expect it to be sharp at f/2.8.

Therefore I think that the play in the focus ring and housing may have slightly offset one or more lens elements making the lens misfocus just a hair, which can be seen at the f/2.8 aperture but is covered by DOF at f/4 or higher.

All three lenses were registered with Zeiss, for a three year warranty and I have the registration number, so this 21mm/2.8 is going back for service under warranty. Luckily I live in the Netherlands, which is a small country: sending it to the dealer will take just one working day. Oberkochen is just 500 km away, so it won't take too long to get to Zeiss either. The dealer estimates a turn-around of 6 weeks including postages, so Zeiss is a slow repairer.

The dealer did mention that he did not have any experience with Zeiss repair, as he has never had to send a Zeiss lens for service. (Personally I doubt it that they *never, ever* had to service a Zeiss lens, but maybe they never needed to send a ZM before.)

Ah well. My 21mm was the least used of the bunch, to be honest; the CV 15mm, CZ 35mm/2 and CV 75mm/2.5 get the most use, with the 21 and 50 chipping in as I need them on the GXR-M (which has a 1.5x cropfactor), so I won't miss it -that- much. I'll send it away and see what happens.

i just found this thread. finished voting and would like add my input here:
my only ZM is a 2/35mm. if i grab the barrel of the lens near the front element/hood mount and give a shake it will wobble :-( also helicoid is dry as a bone, i can't even turn the focus ring past the 1m mark (going to infinity) without force. infinity down to 0.7 is fine though.

 

[el fotografo]

I have the 21 4.5 which is fine but the focus ring on my 35 2.0 is very uneven and slipping.


Who have folks used other than Zeiss USA for repairs?
Dag and Sherry.

Will Youxin repair ZM lenses? I can always ask him, but would be interested in knowing from you all.