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Message |
    
Barnabyhairwax
Tinkerer
Username: Barnabyhairwax
Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 05:02 pm: | 
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I just received a Olympus 35 sp and the lens elements appear to be a bit loose.
I inspected under the top and bottom plate and it does not appear to be the attachment of the lens to the body.
Each ring of the lens has a little bit of play relative to the next one. so when holding the focus ring the aperture ring can move. When holding the aperture ring the shutter speed ring can move, etc.
Is this a normal amount of play for this kind of camera?
Is this an repair job for some one with moderate amounts of skill?
Does this effect the operation of the camera or quality of the images?
I checked my other assorted old cameras and some are tight and smooth and some have various amounts of play.
camera lens wiggle test
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OM1 50mm_________________none
Pen ee2___________________yes
Ricoh 500me_______________none
3x Olympus trip 35__________1 yes 2 no
Olympus sp 35_____________plenty
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Any insight into this would be appreciated
Barny |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 115
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 08:44 pm: |
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what happens sometimes is that the grese dries or migrates out of the focusing helical. this is usually a pretty loose fit to make room for the grease, so when the grease disappears it feels loose.
in leaf shutter rangefinders, there is another possible issue: commonly the shutter is mounted to a rectangular plate which is then attached to the body with 4 screws. it's not uncommon for these to get loose and then the whole lens/shutter assembly feels loose and wobbly. |
Reiner
Tinkerer
Username: Reiner
Post Number: 23
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 05, 2006 - 02:42 pm: |
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I have several cameras with the same symptom of wobbly rings. It is sometimes not an issue of the attachment of the lens to the shutter base plate and not an issue of the attachment of the shutter base plate to the camera body. Every ring itself has a bit of play not only the focusing ring. I think one sometimes has to live with a certain degree of wobblyness. |
Mel
Tinkerer
Username: Mel
Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 07:34 pm: |
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Barny, I have been looking at my Olympus SP which is in pristine condition. I had never noticed it before, but I can wiggle the whole lens assembly maybe 2/10 mm displacement at the front. By move, I assuem you mean play while remaining at a detent position. On mine there is only a tiny bit of play in the aperture ring or the shutter speed ring, and none in the focus. The SP lens assembly includes shutter and aperture controls with interconnection for flashmatic and trapped-needle auto exposure and therefore cannot be compared to an OM lens. Some play is necessary to accept tolerances in manufacture of parts.
If it works, I recommend leaving it alone because the innards are quite complex, delicate, and new parts hard to find. Some say this camera is at the top of its class, and I agree.
The mercury battery for the light meter no longer is available. I use a MR-9 adapter for available silver oxide batteries. I bought it from Olympus years ago, I think C.R.I.S has a similar product, these cost 30 or 40 dollars but this camera is worth it.
Have you googled "Olympus 35 SP"?
Mel |
Wernerjb
Tinkerer
Username: Wernerjb
Post Number: 55
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 05:45 am: |
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Mel wrote "Some play is necessary to accept tolerances in manufacture of parts." This may be right, but what seems more important is that without any "play" wheels, rings, cams wouldn't move, revolve, rotate, turn. Try your car's front wheels: even those are trembly! But it's got to be like that.
Although RFs follow a certain common constructional pattern, some of them are considerably differently built; there is, for example, no Konica Auto S2 without any play at all, quite logically, as without it that camera is defunct and useless.
Wobble is, of course, a different matter. So what are we discussing here? |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 38
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 06:20 am: |
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Many of my Olympus have had the problem Rick mentions. If he whole lens barrel wobbles as a unit peel back the two pieces of leatherette on the front and tighten the four screws holding the plate to the camera. Also, I have been using #675 zinc/air hearing aid batteries in my older cameras. Less than $1 each. It might be worth trying them while testing out the camera and only going for a more expensive adapter if you intend to use it a lot. |
Barnabyhairwax
Tinkerer
Username: Barnabyhairwax
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 02:16 am: |
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thanks everyone.
the wobble is in the lens. I peeked under the top and bottom plate to check the attachment to the body already.
I'm using the #675 hearing aid battery with some wire to hold it in place. It works great and compares well with my gossen hand held.
I'm running a role of slide film through it just now to see how the legend stacks up.
Barney |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 40
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 07:24 am: |
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Plumbing supply stores or dpartments sell rubber o-rings (like little doughnuts) in a variety of sizes one of which stretches over a #675 battery and holds it in place. No danger of short circuit. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 121
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 05:56 pm: |
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If there is wobble between the front and rear half of the focusing helical, it needs to be re-greased. There shouldn't be enough play in the aperture or shutter speed rings to be particularly noticeable, and even if there is it won't hurt anything in those locations. |
