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Xoc
Tinkerer
Username: Xoc
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 04:30 pm: | 
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Hello all!
I have just received my first rangefinder camera, an oly 35sp in excellent cosmetic condition purchased from ebay. When picking up the camera, I noted that the lens unit was somewhat loose. The lens was otherwise clean and ok. I have run a roll of film trhough the camera, and the exposures were ok but, contrary to my expectations for this lens, the images seemed not very sharp. All shots were hand held, and I know rangefinder focussing can be tricky, but I used fast speeds and f8-16 at mid distances on several images, so I'm somewhat concerned about the possibility that the loose lens is compromising image quality.
After reading several threads on this forum, I can diagnose the problem more precisely: the major amount of looseness is in the front element, altough also the entire lens block is a little loose from the body. Some comments in the forum recommend a) tightening the front element by four screws under a front black ring (this is probably glued since my camera only shows a hole on the ring), b) tightening the screws that hold the lens to the body, and c) tightening the helical system by means of a large nut at the back of the lens. Other comments recommend renewing the grease at the focusing system, and sometimes the regreasing toghether with tightening is recommended.
Do you think the issues with the lens can be affecting image quality? I would be very grateful if anyone can provide step by step instructions to solve these problems. To the moment, I have compiled the following:
1. Front element. If the black ring has two holes, unscrew with appropiate tool. If one hole, remove with hook. Tighten the four screws.
What is the best for re-glue an one-holed ring?
2. Whole lens. Remove top and bottom (how to?). Peel off leatherette. At this point, four screws should show up and you can try tighten this. If this is not sufficient, you have to remove the lens assembly and do the large nut at its back. You have to watch the needle coupling meter and shutter.
But...this is not step-by-step enough for me (I have no previous experience in camera repair). Can anyone help? Do you think is better just to tighten, to do the grease, or tighten plus grease? And...what do you use to hold the leatherette back in place?
Thanks to all! |
Greyhoundman
Tinkerer
Username: Greyhoundman
Post Number: 18
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 07:30 am: |
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If you have no previous experience with detailed camera repair, leave it to someone who does.
The SP is not a easy camera to disassemble the lens on.
But for the front element it is not too bad.
There is a thin ring that is holding the nameplate in place. It will have a small notch at each side. Take this out and the plate will come out. |
Xoc
Tinkerer
Username: Xoc
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 09:54 am: |
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Thanks for your response, Greyhoundman.
Around the plate name there is a thin, silver faced ring. There is a second, black ring, recessed between the silvery one and the filter thread. I can't see any notchs in the silvery ring. The black ring is open, showing a 1-2 mm gap. I tried to remove these rings, using fine pliers and one small hook, but without any success. I will be very grateful for any suggestions. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 12
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - 08:53 am: |
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is it possible for you to post some close-up photos of the camera on the web (at, say, flickr.com), and then link to them from here? Then perhaps we could give better advice. |
Xoc
Tinkerer
Username: Xoc
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:25 pm: |
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Scott, thank you for your excellent suggestion.
I have posted some photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7772117@N06/
As showed in the images, the white writings on the front of the lens are surrounded by a slightly protuding silver ring; around this one, there is a black ring where the notch is located. The notch can be seen midway between the "1.7" and "f=" writings. Maybe all the rings belong to just one piece.
Unfortunately, my manipulations have caused some wearing of the notch borders, and also a mark on the silvery ring. But these are not very noticeable at normal distances, so I can live with it.
Again, any help will be really very much appreciated. |
Xoc
Tinkerer
Username: Xoc
Post Number: 4
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:30 pm: |
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For some reason, the flickr address is not correctly recognized by the postings editor. However, if you copy the entire address (not just the blue underlined carachters) and paste them to the explorer address bar, it works (maybe most of you know better than me about this).
Xoc |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 13
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 09:11 pm: |
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I have never taken an Olympus SP apart, though I have fixed an Olympus RC, as well as quite a few other Japanese RF cameras from the 50s and 60s.
After looking at this repair article regarding the RD (the SP, RD, RC, DC were all sold by Olympus at the same time, I believe) it looks to me as if the RD has some internal design features inside the lens/shutter assembly that I have never seen.
https://kyp.hauslendale.com/classics/oly35rdcleaning.html
It depends on how much money and trouble you think it would take to replace it, but you can learn a lot from taking it apart. I suggest getting a set of proper lens spanners, however. |
Xoc
Tinkerer
Username: Xoc
Post Number: 5
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 11:36 am: |
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Scott, for the RD, the first step in disassembling the lens front is to unscrew the ring around the plate name, as described in the article you mention.
I have dived a little in the forum archives. Some SP's seems to have been built like the RD appearing in that article. These SP's have a ring with two notches at 180 degrees in it; the ring is usually easy to unscrew (with appropiate tools), and after that you gain access to the inners of the lens. However, other SP cameras have just one notch in the front ring; it is stated by the forum contributors that these rings are not screwed, but glued. In these cases, the only suggested method is "pulling out the ring".
My lens is of the one-notch-only type. I tried to pull the ring out, but without success. I have found comments on the forum from other people getting frustated at the same problem, and no solutions have been given.
One possible approach could be to use some solvent (isopropyl alcohol, other alcohol), in an attempt to soften the gluing material. Maybe I can take the camera with the lens facing down, and try to put some solvent behind the ring by using a syringe and needle. In this way excess solvent will tend to fall down. But there is a chance of some solvent getting into the lens. I do not know if this procedure will be reasonable, risky or just plain crazy. So, any comments are wellcome!! |
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