A recent message reminded me of a camera of mine with a similar problem - the lens is wobbly. Specifically, the shutter part of the lens, closest to the camera is firm, its the front 1/2 of the lens/shutter assembly that is loose. I'm guessing I'll have to go into the lens from the front until I get to a point where there will be a loose retaining ring, or a few screws. Does this assumption sound right? I'm not too experienced at this yet but I'm eager to learn.
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 04:00 am:
As you say the shutter assembly is fix there may be two reasons left for the wobbly lens: 1. Three small screws within the lens assemly became loose. That is quite often. The result is a wobbly front part of the lens barrel but the image quality is not affected. Unscrew the retainer ring for the nameplate ring, take the nameplatering with the meter cell carefully out. The wires for the cell should be long enough. A flat ring with holes and slashes is to be taken out. Then unscrew the front lens cell. The 3 screws are below the lens cell. Tighten them and secure them with a kind of glue. It is also a good occasion to check for stickyness and to remove any kind of dust of the glass. 2. The whole lens assembly is a bit loose. If it is a lot it might influence focus accuracy and image quality. The retainer ring for the whole lens cell might be not tightened enough. This is a weak point of the Auto S3 construction and happens often as well. Viewed from the back side into the lens it is the outermost ring and it has two tiny slots. With a tool you have to tinker or a lens spanner you can tighten it. But it is a delicate job. You have to apply a lot of force and you risk to harm the lens or the ring if you slip.
