Summarit Disassembly- Help Needed.

[hans voralberg]

Not sure what's the best solution to lens cleaning, I've always just use a soft lens cloth to wipe thing. The blade are quite sturdy and as long as you dont exert great force on it they wont break

[martin_t]

Originally Posted by alexandre.mur

Have a look at this strangely circular shaped haze just behind the diaphragm... Do you think it is easily cleanable without damaging the lens? How? I am scared by the aperture blades around it...

It probably is not easily cleanable. Mine wasn't. Per the aperture
blades, be scared, very scared. There are 15 of them and
5 of them have to be tucked under the leader, one by one.

[Bob Corwin]

Gullible me. I just received a Summarit off the auction site
and thought a no-click aperture ring was normal. Does
anyone know the size of the ball bearing and length of the
spring ?

[varjag]

Kiev-mount Jupiter-8M and Helios 103 do.

[varjag]

As to cleaning the haze off old Leica lenses, the Leitz-approved way is to dismantle elements, hold at an angle and pour them with cleaning agent - no wiping.

For removing fungus, if I recall correctly Leitz suggested a mix of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. I don't remember the ratio, look it up in the M2 repair manual that floats on the web.

[yelofngr]

varjag, what cleaning agent is recommended for soft coated inner elements of old leica lenses to be used with the pouring method?

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Brian, do you do coating as well, any chaps to recommend ? I finally got a very nice keeper but kept thinking that perhaps a modern coat could reduce the flare-y effect ?

cheers!

[kpas]

Originally Posted by alexandre.mur

Have a look at this strangely circular shaped haze just behind the diaphragm... Do you think it is easily cleanable without damaging the lens? How? I am scared by the aperture blades around it...

Sorry for the crazy thread dig, for anyone else attempting it, those blades are quite easy to get back in once you get them the right way around.

I wouldn't be turned off getting them out in order to get behind them.

Question is, do you need to remove the blades to get behind it? I think you can probably clean it when the blades in place (or do you need to remove to them to get the glass out) ?

[Valdormar]

The lens needs to be polished not just cleaned. You will find it hard to remove all the build up with common cleaners. We do a four step service on glass like that. Assures damage control and perfect in results. For proper service, this lens should be dismantled from the rear not the front.

[Vickko]

Thank you so much for posting the info on how to take the lens head off a Summarit.

I had just bought a very nice Midland Summarit 5cm lens, and it had a slightly rough focusing action.

So, I thought I'd help the lubrication and must have gotten cleaning fluid into the inner focusing sleeve, an ingenious sleeve bearing that allows the lens to not rotate with focusing. Well, at 1:30 am, it locked up solid. In fact, it felt like a shaft seizing up with dirt. I thought I had broken off a bit of debris and it had ground into the metal.

Solidly locked up.

So, I went to bed, and got this morning determined to take the lens head off, according to the info in MikeL's post.

Miraculously (and experimented first with a junker), I got the head off, and found the locked up sleeve. It wasn't debris or damage, just that the cleaning fluid had washed out the lubricant on the sleeve. I re-oiled it, and now the lens is as smooth as silk.

Man oh man, do I feel relieved this morning.


And I love my Midland Summarit, on my Midland IIIf.

Vick

[Hayden]

use a wire brush

[menos]

Originally Posted by MikeL

Hi Brain,
After removing the three ring screws you'll be able to rotate the optics mount freely. Then, insert a pin in the hole and rotate the optics mount until the pin enters the hole in the focus mount ring. In the second photo you can see the whole in the focus mount ring that you'll need to engage.

Fantastic thread guys!
It saved me a lot of riddle cracking, to get into the Summarit last night.

I came over one issue though - the Summarit, I got looks like it has not been opened/ serviced since it's production in 1956.
The grease of the focus mount is dried out and hard, while the grease under the aperture ring looks in a similar condition, but still runs smooth, compared to the dry focus mount.

My issue is, that unfortunately, the rear group of the optical cell does not unscrew easily, once you have locked the focus ring to the inner focus mount sleeve with a pin.

The front element disassembles easily, but from there I am stuck.

I am very reluctant, to use force, just gripping the aperture ring and twisting the optical cell out, as I know about the delicate fine thread on these designs (interestingly the old pre war Hektor is built in a very, very similar design, just that the aperture ring unscrews to the front, not, the back, as it does with the Summarit).

Can anybody tip me off, how to unscrew the optical cell from the focus mount, to get to clean up the dried focus mount?

The lens is parked for now, would love, to use it in nice, fresh condition, as it indeed looks like a keeper with clean glass and nice chrome.

[Vickko]

You might try the following risky moves. The rear cell threads need to be loosened from the mount.

- try getting some naptha / lighter fluid into the threads and let it soak. The risk is that you will also get fluid into the focus mount, which may cause the focus mount to freeze. You can then free up the focus mount by dropping oil into the mount.

- you could try turning the aperture ring. Perhaps before doing that, find a replacement for the aperture ring screw, maybe a stronger one.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Vick

[Vickko]

The three flat head screws behind the aperture ring need to be removed. It is what stops the lens head from rotating.

If you unscrewed the head with them in place, that is what prevented you from removing the entire head.

Here is a suggestion:
- screw the front cells back in but firmly.
- remove the 3 screws
- put the pin back in to prevent the focus mount from rotating.
- now try to remove the entire optical cell by unscrewing the lens head

Good luck

[menos]

Hey Vicko, thank you so much for your PM and the post here, but please let me clearly understand, which screws you mean (I can't see flat head screws behind the aperture ring.

There are from lens mount to filter ring:

1) Three flat head screws screwed through the lens mount (screw head sitting between camera and and lens). I had these remained untouched so far.

2) Two short thread flat head screws in the focus ring (only there, to cover the access holes for a pin, to lock the focus mount for disassembly). I removed these.

3) Three grub screws in the focus ring further towards the front of the lens (fixing the focus mount assembly to the main barrel). I removed these, so the focus mount can turn freely towards the optical cell, which in turn is still screwed fixed into the inner sleeve of the focus mount).

4) 2 + 1 screws in the aperture ring - one of them with big head, holding the spring and ball for the aperture clicks, two of them with longer pin, to key into the aperture mechanism. I removed all of them - the aperture ring moves freely on it's thread (but can't be removed without getting the whole optical cell out first, as it unscrews from it's thread towards the rear of the lens).

Do you mean the three flat head screws, that are in the lens mount (I have a 1956 LTM version of the Summarit)?

[Vickko]

Sounds like the thread that hold the rear half of the optical head to the focusing mount are tight. You may need to get some solvent into the thread and allow it to soak, and hopefully loosen the threads.

I personally don't like using the aperture ring to loosen a tight optical head. The screws that are used are small and aren't supposed to take a lot of force.

Originally Posted by menos

There are from lens mount to filter ring:

1) Three flat head screws screwed through the lens mount (screw head sitting between camera and and lens). I had these remained untouched so far.

***** these hold a tab that prevents the lens front from turning. You do not need to remove these to remove the lens optical head.

2) Two short thread flat head screws in the focus ring (only there, to cover the access holes for a pin, to lock the focus mount for disassembly). I removed these.

***** these cover the hole, for the pin to lock the focus mount.

3) Three grub screws in the focus ring further towards the front of the lens (fixing the focus mount assembly to the main barrel). I removed these, so the focus mount can turn freely towards the optical cell, which in turn is still screwed fixed into the inner sleeve of the focus mount).

***** these hold the optical head and prevent it from rotating when you turn the focus ring. I think you need to remove these to remove the optical head

4) 2 + 1 screws in the aperture ring - one of them with big head, holding the spring and ball for the aperture clicks, two of them with longer pin, to key into the aperture mechanism. I removed all of them - the aperture ring moves freely on it's thread (but can't be removed without getting the whole optical cell out first, as it unscrews from it's thread towards the rear of the lens).

***** these turn the aperture adjustment ring. You don't need to remove these to take out the optical head.

Do you mean the three flat head screws, that are in the lens mount (I have a 1956 LTM version of the Summarit)?

**** My lens is an LTM too. I referred to the three grub screws, but you have already removed them.

[menos]

Thanks Vick, so it looks like a little stubbornness is involved - I will take my time with this one and post back here, once it's all opened up.

[menos]

Hey Mike and Vick, I just wanted to thank you guys again for the quick help and clarification on the disassembly of the Summarit ;-)

I have finished the lens by Saturday morning and use it since then.

A few shots are in this thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...52#post1821194

Don't you Summarit shooters love that crazy background rendering ;-)


portrait - wild bokeh by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

[dufffader]

Originally Posted by raytoei@gmail.com

Brian, do you do coating as well, any chaps to recommend ? I finally got a very nice keeper but kept thinking that perhaps a modern coat could reduce the flare-y effect ?

cheers!

Only place I know is Focal Point

[Vickko]

Good work on the disassembly and reassembly. That sure is some interesting bokeh you got. Not sure coating will change that - bokeh is more an effect of spherical aberration and such.

[maddoc]

Stellar portrait, Dirk !!

Originally Posted by menos

Hey Mike and Vick, I just wanted to thank you guys again for the quick help and clarification on the disassembly of the Summarit ;-)

I have finished the lens by Saturday morning and use it since then.

A few shots are in this thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...52#post1821194

Don't you Summarit shooters love that crazy background rendering ;-)


portrait - wild bokeh by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

[menos]

Vick and Gabor, thanks ;-)

I am using the Summarit now not as a daily shooter (too funky for that - hehe), but I love the days, when taking it out and enjoy it a little.

[Erik van Straten]

Beautiful pictures, Dirk!

Erik.

[sepiareverb]

Originally Posted by maddoc

Stellar portrait, Dirk !!

+1! Love that OOF rendering!

[menos]

Thanks Erik and Robert ;-)
I just love these tones from the old lenses - no new Leica lens does this anymore.
I think, the last lenses, to provide such rich tones are the Mandler designed pre ASPH lenses.

A pity, Leica doesn't seem to realize this.