cleaning a collapsible 90 - how do i do it?

[back alley]

i thought there was a thread or post about taking this lens apart but i can't find it now.

a search was futile.

can anyone help a poor old man?
or me for that matter...;)

joe

[Stu W]

If it dis-assembles anything like the collapsible Summicron, you just extend the lens, grip the lens head in front of the aperture ring, and unscrew it. Pretty tight. That will take the front element group off giving you access to the iris and the front of the rear element group. Stu

[back alley]

if that's how it's done then i'm at a loss.
it will not budge and i even tried the back of the mouse pad trick.

anything to unscrew first?

joe

[doubs43]

Joe, my comments on the other thread were for the rigid Elmar and not for the model you have. Sorry if I confused you.

Walker

[back alley]

Joe, my comments on the other thread were for the rigid Elmar and not for the model you have. Sorry if I confused you.

Walker

no worries.

[back alley]

so, does this mean that folks don't take apart their leica gear?

[Gabriel M.A.]

so, does this mean that folks don't take apart their leica gear?

Ach mein lieber! Nein! Ask DAG for a quote: he's great. I got my 50 Summar CLA'd by him for I think it was $60 (it was a while back; heavy fog, oil in blades, dented filter thread).

I like to fix things myself, but I learned to leave my camera stuff alone to the pros. I'll practice when I have the time --and the stomach-- to do it.

The 90 Elmar construction is relatively simple, but... some things, like peace of mind, are priceless.

[back alley]

then i have to send it off and wait and then have it sent back THROUGH CUSTOMS...i'd rather give it a try on my own.
being leica, i do have the option of sending it in country to gerry smith of kinderman. that might be better timewise.

but someone must know how to get that front cell off.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Oh, duh, forgot about that little detail (customs). :o

[back alley]

where are all the handy guys?

[back alley]

it's only 11:30 in toronto!

my lack of patience is showing eh?

damn!

[back alley]

You da man. :cool:

I spoke with Sherry this evening. :cool:


and........

[back alley]

bump
it
up

[Kim Coxon]

It it was FSU, I would probably be able to help. Worked out most of the Canons too but Leica Nope. Look what happens when you are unfaithfull! (No smiley for tongue in cheek pot calling kettle black)

[laptoprob]

Joe, this is the third and last time! :D
All Leica lenses I have taken apart showed me Leica made them to be easily maintainable. With a minimum of equipment you can get a really long way.

1. Loosen the tiny screw in the chrome barrel. This one fixes the lenshead in the barrel. Mark the position of the lenshead relative to the barrel first. The thread that holds the lenshead is very fine.

2. Unscrew the lenshead. This part is easy.

3. Take the spanners and unscrew the rear retaining ring that holds the rear glass. I unscrewed the last time with a knife right across because it did not come close to the glass. (or was that with an Elmarit?).

4. More difficult. The glass parts are in a brass ring that fits really tight. You can shake or shock these out. Careful, you have to catch them on something clean and soft. Somewhere in between is a thin black metal ring. Remember where to put it back later!

5. Now you get to the aperture blades.

6. Clean where necessary, let it all dry and put it all back together.

good luck!

[back alley]

i think i have the answer from the 'hunt is over' post.
i'll find out tonight at home.

the canons are easier me thinks.

[back alley]

i may just need to take the front cell off as the haze appears to be on the glass behind the blades.
i hope for the simplest route possible.

and rob, i promise to write it down this time.
joe

[flashover]

Haven't you got that lens clean yet? Send it back and I will do it for you. Oh maybe not I might break it.

[back alley]

Haven't you got that lens clean yet? Send it back and I will do it for you. Oh maybe not I might break it.


soon.
and then i gonna take some pics OF the lens and WITH the lens and then you'll be wishing you had an m camera too! ;)

[Kim Coxon]

If you take a set of pics as you do it and explain what you did, I can turn it into a PDF file like I did with Brian Sweeney J3 thread and add it to the list for all to share!

Kim

[back alley]

If you take a set of pics as you do it and explain what you did, I can turn it into a PDF file like I did with Brian Sweeney J3 thread and add it to the list for all to share!

Kim


now that could be ugly...you have clearly never seen me work.

[laptoprob]

Joe, it might sound difficult but it is not. There is no grip on any ring on the front to dismantle. I never did anyway.

good luck, Rob.

[back alley]

i don't see how this works.
i undid the small screw and that allowed me to unscrew the 'head' of the lens off.
i unscrewed the retaining ring and there was a small black spacer that also fell out of the tube.
but, there is a small ridge that runs the inner circumference of the tube that stops the glass from falling/coming out. there seems to be no way to remove this ridge. no apparent footholds for a spanner, nothing to turn.
i see no way inside to clean the other side of this glass and that is where the haze is.

i wonder if a collapsible elmar is different?

[Ronald M]

You clean it by sending it to someone with the right equipment to not scratch the very soft interior coatings, can recenter the elements, and make sure it focuses properly when done.

DAG or Sherry Krauter or Jokn Van Stelton at Focalpoint lens.com .

[back alley]

well, so far i have not scratched or damaged anything.
where's your sense of adventure?
if i screw it up then i can send it off to the experts.

as it is, i will probably send it to our canadian expert, gerry smith, after a while cause i can't figure out how to get to the haze.

i took a few shots with it this morning so i'll soon have some reults.

[laptoprob]

Like I said Joe, I have cleaned mine successfully. Disassembly is by - almost - hitting the back of the lenshead on a table or equivalent. If you hold the lens in your hand, minimal distance about an inch to the table and hit your hand on the table, Newtons law of gravity makes the glass shake out. There is no more unscrewing to it, it just fits very tightly.

Good luck!

Rob

[back alley]

rob, my lens has a ridge that stops the glass from coming out. i did the hit the table thing but nothing moved.
that ridge looks like it's part of the lens tube.

[laptoprob]

And the tube is fixed and solid? What is the number of your lens? Mine is 1492867. Is there a big difference in development time between the two?
Damn. I had no problem shaking them out.
You have the glass moving?

Rob.

[back alley]

mine is 1493714, very close.
glass is not moving, not a bit.

[laptoprob]

I am clueless. The glass on mine was very firm, stuck at first, I do remember that.

good luck,

Rob.

[back alley]

rob,
after you undid the retaining ring and the black spacer fell out, did you notice a black ridge in the tube just above the glass? the spacer would have rested on it.

i see no way to move/remove that ridge. that is the problem for me.

[laptoprob]

No Joe, I don't remember anything like that. The spacer is just below the retaining screw if I remember correctly? Probably to reduce friction. It should be possible to persuade the glass to 'fall' out. If it would help I could take mine apart again, but I doubt the use of that excercise.
Is it not another thin ring clamped within the tube? To succesfully protect the glass from falling out?

Bad story, this is.

Rob