50mm break down

[semi-ambivalent]

Does anyone here know the whereabouts of a dis-assembly diagram for the Nikon 50mm f/2.8 El-Nikkor (new-ish plastic version)? I've acquired one very cheap bit it has a lot of haze internally. Thought I'd open it up for cleaning.

thanks!

s-a

 

[Arvee]

Enlarging lenses are pretty simple to take apart. There is usually a front cell and a rear cell that contain two or three lenses each. Just be sure you use a proper spanner to the remove the cells and then disassemble each cell using the spanner as well. The retaining rings have unusually small slots and are usually made of a soft metal so it is super easy to chew up a retaining ring. Once you open up a lens and clean it you will see how simple they are.

The hard part is getting them back together without getting dust/lint/fingerprints etc. inside if you don't use a laminar flow bench. Dust Off does help but somehow there is always a little piece of something left inside! I am somewhat of a perfectionist though and it has to be clean; however, a tiny bit of dust usually does not affect performance. I use a lens suction cup tool to handle the lenses on re-assembly to avoid fingerprints.

Last hint: work over a soft cloth. Think how you're going to feel when one of the lens elements falls off onto the tile floor and chips an edge.

 

[kobaltus]

Haze is usually only between front and rear lens group . So, just unscrew the back of the lens with fingers (turn left) and clean the glass inside.
Good luck.

 

[BMbikerider]

Plus whatever you do don't even touch the diaphragm. If that falls to bits it is worse than the hardest jigsaw you ever saw!

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

This lens is one of the best and easiest to dis-assemble for cleaning. I've gotten 2 for cheap and cleaned them as well as my 3rd one. Great lens, perhaps maybe not as good on extra large prints 16x20+ but still excellent for the money.
The front and rear groups come out easy, thats the first step, if you clean those surfaces and that does it then Stop and put it back together. Let me know if you need to go further.