Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I came back from my last mission in the UAE in a C130 hercules . A 4 turboprop aircraft that has the particularity to send bad vibrations into the deepest part of your bones . ( some of you may know what I'm talking about ) This fact is surely the cause of the front part of my 16 years old 35 Summicron to slightly unscrew . This is no big problem if nothing goes further . But it was not the case . I carefully retightened the thing but , much to my surprise , the diaphragm wings where no longer closed into a round hole , but rather into an eggshaped hole : I mean they were loose in the lens , going where they wanted to . This is where I began to get chicken skin ! Really scared ! Buy the way I tought It was no more damaging , at that point ,to remove the front element completly to see what was going on. After removing the front lens , there is another smaller one , that comes easily also . Then I found the internal diafragm ring , the one connected to the outer ring by a small screw . underneath all that you find the diafragm blades themselves . I can tell you that It took me 7 hours to put everything back in good order . The blades are only rotating around a very small axle ( smaller than 1/4 mm ) and it is very hard to keep them where they are supposed to stay . I finally succeeded with a very small magnetised screwdriver and a plastic toothpic . Now the 35 seems OK with no sign of damage but however it will go for a good CLA . Still thrilling ! Regards Jo GOODTIMES