Who are we?  Featured Cameras  Articles  Instruction Manuals  Repair Manuals  The Classic Camera Repair Forum  Books  View/Sign Guestbook

Mamiya/Sekor 55 f/1.4 Log in | Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Classic Camera Repair » Maintenance & Repair » Mamiya/Sekor 55 f/1.4 « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, November 27, 2009 - 08:31 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

This lens does not appear to come aprt the same as the 1.8's do. I need to remove the aperture mechanism for cleaning but cnnot determine how to remove the inner tube into which the front element bridge screws. There appears to be a setscrew holding this and I can't see how to free the helicoid.

I also need to remove the ring holding the A/M switch as grease has migrated there and gummed up the diaphragm return.

Pointers welcome.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 9
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, November 27, 2009 - 11:17 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Actually, I realized I have not disassembled a Mamiya/Sekor 1.8 lens. I am looking for assistance with a 55mm f/1.4 lens disassembly.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 10
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 - 11:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Surely someone here knows the secret to this disassembly.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Mikel
Tinkerer
Username: Mikel

Post Number: 180
Registered: 07-2006

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 - 01:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Is it:

M42 screw mount

Later Auto XTL bayonet mount

Later ze series bayonet mount

Even later NC1000 bayonet mount?

They are all different.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 11
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 - 02:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

This lens is the M42 screw mount.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Mikel
Tinkerer
Username: Mikel

Post Number: 181
Registered: 07-2006

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 10:39 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

To disassemble from the front you will need to unscrew the name ring only. Hopefully the filter ring isn't dented and it will come out using a piece of rubber. Once out, you will see how to get the front lens assembly out.

The rear is disassembled by first removing the three set screws in the rearmost ring (black)and taking it off.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 12
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Thursday, December 03, 2009 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

After removing the three screws, I found that the rearmost ring will not come free. The A/M switch extends through the ring and I do not see how to free it.

I was able to get it free enough to see that someone pumped this area full of grease and that is what is causing the issue with this lens.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Mndean
Tinkerer
Username: Mndean

Post Number: 173
Registered: 08-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, December 04, 2009 - 08:27 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I had exactly the same issue (some fool put a ton of grease in the helical because I suspect the lens had been dropped) when I got a Minolta Celtic 135/2.8(early) lens, and really there wasn't much I could do about it. Nobody had taken apart that particular lens that I could find, so I couldn't get any guidance to remove one stubborn lens element next to the aperture (it was the 5/4 design MC Celtic). I gave up on it and bought another lens.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tylerwebb
Tinkerer
Username: Tylerwebb

Post Number: 23
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 06:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I just disassembled this lens. I just tilted the aperture ring up, on opposite side from the A/M switch so you get the most play out of it that way, and then took off the infinity stop bracket. Then I just unscrewed the helicoid past infinity. I know it is a long time since the last post, but maybe you will see this. I will send a PM to the mod too.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Agno3
Tinkerer
Username: Agno3

Post Number: 28
Registered: 07-2007

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Monday, August 16, 2010 - 10:48 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks, Tylerwebb, I'll give it another go. It didn't seem intuitive to do it the way you did.

I appreciate the persistence.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tylerwebb
Tinkerer
Username: Tylerwebb

Post Number: 27
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Monday, August 16, 2010 - 02:55 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I got this lens in a lot of 4 from ebay, including a vivitar zoom, a viv 135 2.8, viv 28 2.5 (which was the real reason I got the lot)

I was very happy when they arrived, although each one had its own problem. None insurmountable though.

The Mamiya had a stuck helicoid. After dis-assembly as described, I cleaned away all the old grease and replaced it with synthetic bike grease. It would have been very easy to also clean the diaphragm return, but mine is very springy and I just rinsed it with a few drops of lighter fluid to be sure. I also put a drop of gun oil on the main spring part.

There is a small ball, however, which would be lost easily if you don't catch it when you take the aperture control ring off.

I also removed the bronze part which twists the helicoid (the part with a large thread for the helicoid and a small thread where it connects to the back end of the main barrel) and re-greased this. This proved the most trouble in reassembly. Everything else was very straigh-forward, but it took me about an hour to get this put back together the right way.

If it is too deeply threaded onto the main barrel side (smaller thread) then minimum focus becomes impossible as something gets jammed.

If it is too shallowly threaded, then there is a gap between the focus ring and the DOF indicator ring which would let all kinds of dirt and other things in.

And then, after finding the happy medium, there seems to be only a small range which is calibrate-able after re-assembly. This is the part that took the most time.

I wish I could tell you exactly how I aligned everything for reassembly, but I cannot be very specific. If I remember right, I twisted the small-threaded side all the way until it stopped, and then untwisted about 1-1/2 full turns to give plenty of space for focusing. Then I carefully threaded the helicoid side until it reached minimum focus and stopped. I then replaced the infinity-stop (which also, obviously works as a minimum-stop) in this position. There are several holes for the bracket screws, and the bracket has wide mounting holes, so it should be possible to mount the bracket anywhere within about a 90 degree range. Getting the minimum stop to fall within this range, however, was the hardest part. I finally got it by getting in the ballpark with about 1-1/2 turns on the small-thread side of the bronze helicoid adjuster part. Then I just threaded the helicoid until minimum focus was reached. I then noted how far away I was from the bracket, IE 30 degrees clockwise. After discovering and using this method it only took a few attempts to get everything aligned properly.

This lens now works awesome! Focus is very smooth, all functions work perfectly. Glass is very clean. I also removed the front element to clean a tiny tiny tiny dot of what I assume was fungus. Mostly preemptive strike. No etching or scratches or discoloration, really perfect glass.

I have been shooting a few portraits with it (mostly of my dogs, my most willing subjects!) and the DOF and Bokeh are awesome. A little bit soft at 1.4, with a bit of flare, but it is a very soft pleasant flare which I don't mind. And at 2 or 2.8 its very sharp, phenomenal quality.

Not too bad for $9 and an hour of tinkering.

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Bold text Italics Underline Create a hyperlink Insert a clipart image

Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Action:

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | User List | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration