HELP! Olympus Zuiko 50mm f1.4

[darinwc]

I have a Olympus 50mm f1.4 I am trying to bring back to life.

I was able to bend the filter ring round again. yay!
The aperture is now snappy YAY!

Unfortunately, the focus ring no longer stops and it spits out the lens assembly.
I dont remenber loosing a part.. so what stops the focus ring from over-turning?

Also, the aperture ring has no clicks. (I think someone disasembled it before me) Is there supposed to be a ball or a rod for the clicks? I could probably make a new rod out of wire.

 

[archphoto]

As far as I recall, the aperture ring uses a small steel ball.

Focus overturning: somebody has been at this lens before and forgot a part or 2, 3......

Take of the lensmount (3 screws) and the rings below and see if you have any holes without a srew in it....
You probably will !

Best advice: get a lens with bad optic's for very cheap and use that as a donor.

Peter

 

[Rick A]

I'm sounding TAPS for that lens. I hope you got it cheap or free. Sounds like it evilbay time for a replacment-keep that one for donor parts.
Rick

 

[darinwc]

I paid $8 for a black olympus OM1 and the 50mm f1.4 attached at a thrift store.
The camera is locked up, missing the shutter speed dial. Looks to me like someone dissasembled it and couldnt get it back togetther.

I never had high hopes for getting it working again but thought it would be good practice. I always enjoyed taking stuff apart. =]

 

[darinwc]

OK I figured out the problem. nothing is missing, there is a rear 'helical' which allows for adjustment of infinity focus. This was not tightened enough.

Now everything works, im not too woried about the aperture clicks, cause it is stiff enough without it.
Glass is really clean. What a nice looking lens now.

Wait, i just need to find the rubber grip now.. HONEY!! HAVE YOU SEEN A WIDE BLACK RUBBER BAND THINGY??...

 

[John Hermanson]

The fact the focus helicoid separated into 2 pieces is because the focus ring (once it comes loose) allows this to happen. When focus ring is loose and shifts position or is retigtened in the wrong position, it will allow the two focus halves to focus out too far and become disengaged. It can be rebuilt but helicoid has like 6 individual starting points, only one is rights and as you screw it back in, it will hit the edges of the helicoid "keys" in the back and prevent you from turning all the way down. Once taken apart this way, most parts in the back have to come out to start the rebuild. Then infinity focus has to be reset or lens will do the same thing next time it is focused out. There should be a 1/16th" BB for the clicks, tiny spring may be missing too. John

 

[darinwc]

Yup thats exactly what happened and how I had to get it back together.

Thanks for the info on the BB for the aperture click.. I may have an extra one laying about but im not sure its the right size. i definately dont have a springg though. Oh well no matter.

 

[Xmas]

Take an old disc drive apart over a deep tray and file all the possibly useful bits in dinky zip lock bags, there should be some dinky ball bearings.

Somewhere there is an exploded diagram for almost all the OM lenses...

Noel