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Playing around with a stock 18-55 and a Sigma 70-300 ...
Now, with an SMC Takumar 105 and a CZJ Flektogon 35 too ...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Cleaning a Flektogon 35mm (chrome barrel) ... (3/3)

Now, time for the big cleaning. I tried at first with the optical lens cleaning fluid, then i had to go on with the Zippo fuel. Using the "cotton fiocs" first, and the micro fiber cloth after, it has been quite easy to wipe out the haze from the inner element of the front cell ...

21. After cleaning all the lenses, i just reassembled them, starting from the rear element of the cell, and then the front one. Then, it was really easy to screw in again the front cell on the barrel, and the name ring ... The Flektogon was starting to live again ...
21 - IMGP4765

Since the intervention seem to succeed, the whole surgical team decided to pose for my Pentax 85mm ...
22 - IMGP4772

... and for the Flektogon itself, in convalescence ...
23 - IMGP4782

As you can see, the horrible haze has totally disappeared ... Surgery successful :-)))
Flektogon indoor test - IMGP4789

... And some outdoor testing at f/8:
Flektogon outdoor test - IMGP4864

... and at f/4:
Flektogon outdoor test - IMGP4868

... and the last one at f/5.6:
Tomatoes by Flektogon - IMGP5317

The Flektogon wishes to say thanks to Rick Oleson for his advices, to Castorama (French supply store) for their cheap "lens opening tools" ;-), to the Dream Team for servicing, my Pentax-K 85 for the pictures ... and to my friend who allowed me to use her kitchen table as surgical bench ...

Note that i have put some notes on the pictures, you can see them by browsing my Flickr photostream by clicking here.

May your lenses be with you ...

In Kimi and Felipe we trust.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Cleaning a Flektogon 35mm (chrome barrel) ... (2/3)

... Continued from previous post.

7. I focused on infinite the lens, fully opened the diaphragm (don't know if required, but, just in case of ...), and started to unscrew the outer ring ... For safety reasons, instead of fixing the lens and turning the compass, i hold the compass strongly, and turned the lens on its rear cap, to be sure i didn't scratch the front element ...
07 - IMGP4712

8. The lens open-hearth near its front cell ...
08 - IMGP4724

9. The front cell, where the sick lens is, side view ...
09 - IMGP4727

10. Just in case, since it was accessible, i checked the diaphragm blades, wide open ...
10 - IMGP4730

11. ... and fully stopped down: no oil traces - maybe the lens was really quite in "mint conditions" ?
11 - IMGP4732

12. Believing that the element to be cleaned was at the bottom of the front cell, i started cleaning at first with an optical lens cleaning fluid and a micro-fiber cloth ...
12 - IMGP4734

13. ... then i ended up with the big gun, Zippo fluid ...
13 - IMGP4737

After that, i realized that the haze was somewhere inside the front cell, so i managed to disassemble it ... I noticed a screw thread at the bottom of the front cell, so:

14. I unscrewed the rear ring of the front cell, to extract the rear group ...
14 - IMGP4740

15. The rear ring removed, notice that the rear group is not glued on the ring, but it is still in the bottom of the front cell ...
15 - IMGP4741

16. I turned upside down the front cell, and the rear group felt in my hand. Here it lies in the rear ring on the right ...
16 - IMGP4743

17. I noticed that the front cell contained the front element, but also a middle one (where, according to the Murphy's law, the haze was, aaaaaaaaagh!) ...
17 - IMGP4746

18. ... so i had to remove the front element, too. Again, with the "spanner wrench", i unscrewed the retaining ring - remember, there where two rings on the front cell ... and be REALLY CAREFUL HERE! It's easy to scratch the front lens ...
18 - IMGP4752

19. The front cell, with the lens front element and its retaining ring ... The dirty element was the one still in the front cell, so i cleaned it with the Zippo fluid first, and the lens cleaner liquid after, using some "Cotton fiocs" (sorry, don't know the english name) you can see on the right and the micro fiber cloth after ...
19 - IMGP4754

20. The front cell, almost totally disassembled - no need to remove the middle element from the cell, it's easily accessed for cleaning on both sides ...
20 - IMGP4757

To be continued. Click here for the last part ...

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Cleaning a Flektogon 35mm (chrome barrel) ... (1/3)

... Be careful: not for the fainted of heart ...

At first, apologies for the multi-part post, but i have to cope with the 6K characters Blogger limitations ...

A few months ago, i got a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35 f/2.8 (the chromed one) in "mint condition" from an eBay seller. As soon as it arrived, in its original box, i inspected it visually and noticed nothing, no fungus/haze, or oily diaphragm blades. Being busy professionally (i just finished the training for my new job), i decided to try it on the camera later ... Useless to say, i was really disappointed when i took my first shots, seeing a yellowish haze on the pictures i was taking during a "Flektogon vs. Flektogon" match (yes, i have both the 35 f/2.4 and the f/2.8 chrome) ...

An orchid phalaenopsis shot by the MC Flektogon 35 f/2.4 (the black one) stopped down to f/16, in halogen light:
Test shot with Flektogon 35 f2.4 at f16 - IMGP9825

The same flower, shot a few minutes later, under the same lightning conditions, with the Flektogon 35 f/2.8, the chrome one, stopped down to f/16 too:
Test shot with Flektogon 35 f2.8 at f16 - IMGP9788

It's easy to detect the brown-yellowish haze and the lack of details ... Sure, the chrome is older than the black one, but i wasn't expecting such a difference and, before complaining with the seller, who already sold me other good lenses, i decided to inspect better the lens using a spot light (be careful to your eyes if you decide to try this), and noticed a kind of irregular haze inside (sorry, don't have a lens to picture this, but it looked as an irregular film of grease or dust).

So, after spending some of my free time searching for repair tips, i asked on a forum for help. Unluckily, i received almost no replies, except one with a link (http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-81.html) to some handmade sketches of Zeiss lenses (still, no luck, just Biotar and Tessar, indeed a very very helpful sketches, as i will realize later ...).
After a month of no replies (and no further information found), i decided to try to fix it myself, since it would have been too expensive to use the services of a professional repairman (after all, i had the lens for a few euros, these Flektogons are much cheaper than their black f/2.4 counterparts, which sell for +100 euros).

Taking advantage of the last long weekend (five days in France, from 8 to 12 may), feeling comfortable after fixing my Takumar 24, i decided that it was time to give a chance (the last one ?) to my Flektogon chrome.

Little disclaimer before going on: I ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY IF YOUR LENS BECOMES USELESS AFTER THIS INTERVENTION.
I have tried to do my best in documenting how to open the lens, but i don't know if i did it the right way. Keep in mind that there are some (a lot of ?) professionals out there that can service these lenses far better than me ...

If you decide to go on anyway, here is the whole story ...

At first, the required tools:
- A pick tool, to clean the filter screw mount
- A lens ring tool, to remove the front name ring
- A spanner wrench
- A micro-fiber cloth
- An optical lens cleaning fluid
- Zippo fuel
- Some WD40 (or the like) to lubricate the filter thread (if required)
- A plastic box for parts
- A clean surface

With all this gear ready, you can go on.

1. The picture of the patient, a mint Flektogon 35 f/2.8 with its caps and original box:
01 - IMGP4681

2. Front view, just in case a RIP tombstone would have been necessary after the surgery ... (don't blame me, it's the post-surgical stress falling down ;-) ...)
02 - IMGP4692

Be sure the filter thread is clean, check by screwing in a 49mm filter. If required, clean the thread with the pick tool, or a cheaper tooth picker ...

3. Remember the sketches from Rick Oleson (link above)? By looking at them i understood i had to start from the front side, so i prepared the tool for the name ring removal, the (now) classic multi-sized basin cap ...
03 - IMGP4700

4. Starting to unscrew the name ring (i had some WD40 ready just in case, but it has not been necessary ...)
04 - IMGP4703

5. Name ring removed ... First scary vision: two rings with marks for a spanner wrench ... Which one to unscrew? Again, remember the sketches from Rick Oleson (link above)? I went for the outer one ... and did the right choice!
05 - IMGP4706

6. Spanner wrenches are really hard to find in France and expensive (i know Micro-tools, maybe i will buy one later, i'm not a pro ...), so, in the same "more-for-less" spirit of the basin cap, i bought the "poor man spanner wrench" ... a stainless steel compass, for 8 euros ...
06 - IMGP4711

End of part one. Click here for part two ...

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Monday, May 12, 2008

The biggest one ...

Airbus A380, powered by four Engine Alliance engines, shot with a Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro zoom, while landing at the Toulouse Blagnac airport.

Airbus A380 - IMGP2131

More to come ...

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Fixing the infinite focus on a Super Takumar 24mm ...

A few months ago i bought a Super Takumar 24 f/3.5 in minty conditions for a few bucks. The lens was really clean and i noticed no faults, but, since i hadn't my camera with me, i didn't test it immediately ... Little mistake, because, although it performed really well on close focus subjects, i noticed a lack of infinity focus on landscapes. So, after logging on one of my preferred forums, i asked for some help on fixing this, and got two replies really interesting from glasbak and Just1moreDave, i decided to try my second lens surgery (the first one was on a Carl Zeiss Tessar 50 f/2.8) ...

The intervention succeeded, so, just in case someone other would have a Takumar with the same symptoms, here are the detailed instructions.
But, be warned before you start:

I ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY IF YOUR LENS BECOMES USELESS AFTER THAT

The surgical team: a basin cap (possibly brand new), a pair of tweezers, a precision flat screwdriver, some adhesive tape, a clean workbench and ... a camera for testing.

At first, the front name ring must be removed. I used a brand new basin cap, much more cheaper that the dedicated rubber tool. Be sure that the filter thread is clean before proceeding (eventually, you can use a toothpick and/or a droplet of WD40) ...
01 - IMGP4495

Applying the tool to unscrew the name ring ...
02 - IMGP4496

Name ring removed, time to remove the filter ring unscrewing the three screws inside (not shown, i would have needed a ring flash) ...
03 - IMGP4497

Putting a mark using adhesive tape, just in case it would be needed later ...
04 - IMGP4498

Filter ring removed, now starts the fun ...
05 - IMGP4499

Note the focus position, the lens MUST BE focused on infinite ...
06 - IMGP4500

After unscrewing a little (no need to remove) the three screws that bind the focusing barrel to the lens, the barrel becomes loosen, so i slightly turned clockwise - Be careful: my lens needed this, but your may need turning counter-clockwise ... Now the focus mark is on the "3" index - but this is not a rule of thumb: the amount of shift may be different, since this when you do "try-and-adjust-again" ...
07 - IMGP4501

Now, the real fun: just screw in only one of the three screws, mount the lens on a camera, take some pictures, and check crops for infinite focus. If you don't get it, just unscrew a little the screw you fixed, turn the barrel again, and do another check ...

After 3 hours spent on finding the right turn angle to get infinite focus, the filter ring is screwed in back ... Note that the marks no longer match: it's normal, since the barrel has been turned ...
08 - IMGP4549

Surgery finished, rings mounted back, lens as new ...
09 - IMGP4551

And the final result:
10 - IMGP4567

More shots with this great lens coming soon ...

All pictures taken with my K10D with kit 18-55 lens and a Metz 45 CL-4 Digital for lightning.

Note added the 12 October 2008: As kindly reported in the comments to this post, this technique works also with the Super Takumar 50/1.4. Moreover, i have been able to fix an SMC Takumar 50/1.4 this way, and another user from a manual lenses forum did the same with its Takumar 35/3.5.

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Thursday, May 8, 2008

The longest one ...

... Is not the A380, as you could believe, but the A340-600 (by about 3 meters).

Airbus A340-600 - IMGP2067

This one, shot during landing after a test flight, is powered by four Rolls-Royce engines (if in doubt, click on the picture, get the bigger size, and look at the logo on the engine cases ...).

More to come ...

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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Beluga ...

Sorry for the sea lovers, but this is not a fish (at least, not only ...)
Superb specimen of an Airbus Beluga landing at Toulouse Blagnac airport, shot with a Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro.

Airbus Beluga - IMGP2153

More to come ...

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Sunday, May 4, 2008

Toulouse by Takumar ...

... In such a case, a Super Takumar 24mm f/3.5, in M42 mount ...
The picture of Ecole des Beaux Arts has been shot by Pont Neuf, and PP by Pentax Photo Laboratory and PhotoME.

Ecole des Beaux Arts - IMGP4161

More to come ...

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