Balsam Separation Repair

IGUIGD

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Can anyone help me find someone who can repair a Hasselblad Tele-Apotessar
T* 8/500 CF lens. The front elements have Balsam Separation.
 

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AgX

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Welcome!

Well, does it need repair, or do you want it repaired?
 
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IGUIGD

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I would like the front lens group re-cemented, yes repaired....
 

Marcelo Paniagua

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Well there is a high chance something may go wrong. If you are repairing for the lens value, there is a high right of losing the lens. I got plenty of lens with separation (large format lens) that I got for cheap and they are totally usable.

But anyway, you asked not about my thought but for someone that may fix it.

Look at this ticket, you may find and contact someone that may help.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/my-repairman-destroyed-my-leica-lens.188863/
 

M Carter

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I'm assuming there are 3 paths to repair - there happens to be a replacement cemented group still manufactured or in someone's new-old-stock parts; there's a group from a donor camera available; or the elements get "baked", cleaned and re-cemented, which seems to be a real specialist repair, and if they're encased in metal, it gets super-extra-hardcore. (Since nobody's pitched in with repair experience on this lens, just throwing my guess in).

If it were me, I'd do some critical testing and see if it's even is visible, or if there are apertures that negate it - at least while you sort out a repair you'll know if the thing's usable or not.

Bill Rodgers at MamiyaRepair.com is a real knowledgeable tech, not just for Mamiya gear - he may have some info for you.
 

Marcelo Paniagua

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I think I read on this forum the safest part would be to disolve the cement, not baking it, since the different density of the element will lead to glass cracking, which seems sensible enough.

This is explained by Nodda Duma on here
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/my-repairman-destroyed-my-leica-lens.188863/



Somehow I think the need to repair is more related to value that to actual use. I've mo Not that I'm saying one or the other is bad. IGUIGD care to comment?

Marcelo
 

AgX

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Marcelo Paniagua said:
Somehow I think the need to repair is more related to value that to actual use.
Click to expand...

This was my idea too, or an erroneous assumption on the effcet of this seperation, thus my question above.

If someone can show a case of image being affected by such delamination I would be grateful. I mean, already a finely cemented group has reflections from the laminated surfaces.

(Well, one could argue, why then cement elements at all and not just mount them together.)
 

Dan Daniel

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Last edited:

Nodda Duma

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eli griggs

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IIRC, there was a Russian optics company that was making the repairs to lenses, however, I do no seem to have that link on the laptop I usually use.

Perhaps, in the none too distant future, we will be able to have appropriate repairs made in Russia again, or The Ukraine.

I have a heavy LF Ektar that really needs help.
 

yeolde

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I know personally a man who made balsam separation repairs here in SaintP Russia.
He is a Ukrainian, former employee of Arsenal optical factory in Kiev, living in Russia for many years

Now there is a difficulty with sending postage TO Russia, and you can't send us money via traditional channels
Working is postages FROM Russia and money transfer via cryptocurrency
 

gone

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John van Stelton at Focal Point Optics was the best, he did this on a few lenses I owned. Unfortunately he retired, which caused a bit of a crisis at the LF forums, since this comes up now and then w/ their old lenses. The best I could do was the link below. They're in Germany but do International sales.

https://www.pstechnik.de/
 
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ic-racer

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I did not know the T* lenses used balsam. Interesting.
 

Dan Daniel

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ic-racer said:
I did not know the T* lenses used balsam. Interesting.
Click to expand...

I doubt that they did use balsam. The OP referred to this and no one ever bothered to change this, which is understandable. I know that Jason Lane is working on high-end optical systems so I bet that he can handle most any cement used. And he probably wouldn't post that he could handle this if the later cements such as UV were unable to be dealt with properly.
 

ic-racer

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Sorry, don't know a hoot about Hassy. Some day I'd like to separate a balsam lens, that is what I thought I'd be reading about here.
 

eli griggs

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What type of balsum does he use, Canadian Larch?

I have a large Ektar that needs work and I may have to do it myself, but I hope no.
 
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