aargh. CV 35/2.5 pancake I, stiff aperture ring

stet · 08-14-2005

My camera was in a thin bag and fell a short distance, from the couch to the floor. The camera seems fine, but aperture ring on my CV 35/2.5 pancake (LTM) is really stiff. (the focus ring is fine.) I can't notice any dents on it. If I grip the aperture ring with just the tips of my index and thumb it's really hard to move, and sticking and skipping past click stops. If I cradle it with pressure all around the ring, it moves a bit easier and I can make the click stops, although it moves a little fast from the force, too fast to count and I can't see the apertures.

Is there anything I can do? I'm a little freaked out at the idea of opening it. Is this major enough that I should seek someone to send it to?

ugh. please help.

Doug · 08-14-2005

"Impact damage" is a common theme for camera repairpersons to deal with. Some of my gear has suffered that as well, and I just take it to my local favorite repair shop and ask them to fix what they find fixable. My repairman was just the other day telling me about how some modern lens's focusing helix is "threadus interruptus" rather than old-style continuous threads, for fast assembly... Oriented so theads in one component align with gaps in the other, the parts can just be pushed to seat and then rotated like a bayonet mount. And that these are actually easier to unjam from impact cross-threading than the older "better" kind. Materials too; aluminum against nylon with a bit more "give" rather than brass & steel, etc.

Anyway, that's my suggestion; get it fixed by a qualified repairer

peter_n · 08-15-2005

Hmm I have one of these lenses and it seems a tough little nut to me.

I'm wondering if the floor was hard? Anyway I would follow Doug's advice and have it looked at by a local professional repair person. Maybe email Stephen Gandy for his advice too. That lens is discontinued so parts may be tough to come by...

stet · 08-15-2005

thanks for the replies. I did email Stephen Gandy already, and in the meantime there's two repair people in town I'll ask for estimates. I hope it is easy to repair.

I'd rather keep it local if I can, because I'll know where it is and with whom, and for hopefully quick turnaround time, but then I don't know how to judge them for "qualified" repairs. Then the other part of me says that if I send it out to a place like KEH or Stephen Gandy, it'll be in good hands for the repair, but I've had horror stories already with the post office handling my babies.

argh. I had an optional field trip with my photo class today, adn I'm skipping it because I feel ill about the lens.

back alley · 08-15-2005

go on the field trip and do some shooting with another lens.

it'll help cure what ails ya.

joe

stet · 08-15-2005

I should've, but they're already out shooting. The trip for my actual class is tomorrow night; right now it's the day class' trip, but the invitation was extended to us too.

I just called my favorite shop, though, and the owner told me to bring it in for a look-see. I'm hopeful.

stet · 08-15-2005

to update, the aperture ring seems to be loosening up a bit, but it's still stiff. The camera-shop owner took a look at it and said the aperture blades looks fine. No pins loose, and it opens up and stops down all right. His suggestion was to just shoot with it, and said that it might loosen up with time. Right now it seems to be moving/clicking smoother between f/5.6 and f/22, but it still skips and is harder to turn wider than that. I also have a hard time finding the half stops at that end.

There's another repair guy who's been recommended in general by my arts center, but I've never used him. I'll probably wait on word from Gandy, and shoot some test rolls in the meantime. It seems like I'm always shooting test rolls.

I really can't notice anything non-circular looking at the face of the lens, which to me would have to be apparent. The shop owner said I could've hit it hard and just right enough to knock out what little lube there is in there, and that's one reason to keep playing with it, but I can't quite get my head around exactly what he's describing. In my mind, it's probably something like what Doug described, with threads being off. Unless I wouldn't be able to turn it at all if that was the case ...

Peter: yeah, it was hard enough. A hardwood floor, and the camera was in a canvas army bag. My cat was tearing around the house, and he does this thing where he likes to hop on to the couch at speed and run along the couch back and hop back down. Coming off he caught the strap of my bag, and it followed him to the floor. Thud.

caffeineshutter · 02-25-2007

I was idly surfing through this thread (trying to find the nearest place to Boston that'll put my two Bessa Rs back into correct alignment.)

Then I heard a thud from the dining room.

My curious cat hopped up onto the table, and pushed my Canon AF35ML onto the floor. Hardwood. No damage apparent.

She loves doing that: Pushing smallish things off of shelves or tables--just for the heck of it. Her specialty is film cannisters.

I love this cat so much. But sometimes I wish I'd raised her to stay off of tables and such, and not be such a whipped 'dad'; letting her go anywhere she wants...

Quote:

Originally Posted by stet

to update, the aperture ring seems to be loosening up a bit, but it's still stiff. The camera-shop owner took a look at it and said the aperture blades looks fine. No pins loose, and it opens up and stops down all right. His suggestion was to just shoot with it, and said that it might loosen up with time. Right now it seems to be moving/clicking smoother between f/5.6 and f/22, but it still skips and is harder to turn wider than that. I also have a hard time finding the half stops at that end.

There's another repair guy who's been recommended in general by my arts center, but I've never used him. I'll probably wait on word from Gandy, and shoot some test rolls in the meantime. It seems like I'm always shooting test rolls.

I really can't notice anything non-circular looking at the face of the lens, which to me would have to be apparent. The shop owner said I could've hit it hard and just right enough to knock out what little lube there is in there, and that's one reason to keep playing with it, but I can't quite get my head around exactly what he's describing. In my mind, it's probably something like what Doug described, with threads being off. Unless I wouldn't be able to turn it at all if that was the case ...

Peter: yeah, it was hard enough. A hardwood floor, and the camera was in a canvas army bag. My cat was tearing around the house, and he does this thing where he likes to hop on to the couch at speed and run along the couch back and hop back down. Coming off he caught the strap of my bag, and it followed him to the floor. Thud.