Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Any Gibbon Can Take a Summarit apart
From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 16:47:15 -0500 (CDT)

Actually, since the lens in question was a Summarit, there's not 
a lot to lose -- unless it's MINT otherwise (collectible)...as 
a user lens, particularly in SM, it's probably only worth a 
coupla hundred, even cleaned....and I'd bet that an "authorized" 
shop (if there still is such a thing) would charge more than 
half of that to clean it, and NOT guarantee that it'd be sparkling..
although you'd still owe them the money.

Best bet would be to find a retired repairman who would try and 
guide you, and use it as a "project" lens....this is how we 
all learned, when Summarits were virtually worthless...it has 
MANY diaphragm blades, and they're a bitch to get in there, 
so DON"T take the diaphragm apart.....and r.e. Dan's comments, 
there are no ball bearing races to deal with...It's been 20 years 
since I did a Summarit, and today I'd NOT try to repair my 
90 f2 ('97 vintage or so)....but I'd have no problem cleaning  
my 1968 35 Summicron, if it ever needed it....I've done dozens of 
those.....and I did recently clean some of my wife's lenses, 
just front and rear cells, since even most repair folks don't 
separate the elements within cells....I don't recall the Summarit 
being particularly difficult, but then it's been 20 years and I 
had much younger eyes and hands then!!!

Walt

On
Mon, 2
Oct 2000, Buzz Hausner wrote:

> ...oh, yes, one more thing.  Any gibbon can take a lens apart.  It is my
> contention that it takes a much higher order primate than I to put it back
> together.
> 
> 	Buzz
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lee, Jonathan [mailto:Jonathan.Lee@hrcc.on.ca]
> Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 3:19 PM
> To: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Summarit take apart?
> 
> 
> Buzz,
> 
> You don't need to be specially trained to take the lens groups apart.
> Provided you do not try to unglue cemented elements or to take the aperture
> blades apart, you really can't ruin a lens.  A lens is (simply put) nothing
> much more than some threaded pieces screwed together and with some retaining
> screws put in. If you have any mechanical aptitude, you can take a lens,
> even a Lecia lens, apart. 
> 
> Jonathan Lee
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Buzz Hausner [mailto:Buzz@marianmanor.org]
> Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 2:03 PM
> To: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Summarit take apart?
> 
> 
> Why in the world would anyone want to disassemble her or his own lens?  This
> sort of question comes up from time to time, and it seems to me that unless
> one is trained in the arcana of lens construction and the proper array of
> diaphragm blades this is an endeavor best left to those who are.  On the
> other hand, those doing the disassembly may consider this a learning
> opportunity and have no interest in the quality of the lens once it is more
> or less put back together...to those of you I apologize now.
> 
> 	Buzz Hausner
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: george kase [mailto:gkase@ccfc.com]
> Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 1:45 PM
> To: leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Leica] Summarit take apart?
> 
> 
> Can anyone assist me in figuring out how to 
> completely disassemble my LTM Summarit lens?
> I can't figure out how to get the rear elements apart.
> there doesn't appear to be any slots to unscrew, etc.
> any guidance would be appreciated. If you wish to reply
> off list please contact me at gkase1@yahoo.com
> thanks
> George Kase
>